The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), Fairfax, Va., announced the launch of its Rigger Level II certification program.
Candidate applications for the Rigger Level II certification exams are being accepted in preparation for test administrations that begin October 1. As with other crane operator certification programs, candidates seeking Rigger Level II certification are required to pass both a written and a practical exam. The written exam consists of 40 questions that must be completed within 60 minutes. The practical exam tests a candidate’s competency in rigging a load for a level lift and for rotating a load.
“Although those who have their Rigger Level I certification are considered qualified for most rigging work under the new OSHA rules,” said Don Jordan, NCCCO rigger program management committee chairman. “This latest CCO certification was developed in response to the clear need to differentiate those riggers who have a basic understanding of common rigging tasks and those who have the knowledge and skill to rig more complex loads,” added Jordan, who is the technical lifting authority for BP, based in Houston , Texas, and also serves as an NCCCO commissioner.
Increased responsibility also played a part in the decision to develop a second-level certification, said Phillip Kinser, NCCCO manager of program development. “In cases where non-routine rigging jobs require independent thinking without supervision, Level II certification may be required for a rigger to be considered qualified,” he said.
As with the Rigger Level I certification, the Level II program was developed by a core group of subject-matter experts collectively representing hundreds of years of experience in industries where rigging of loads is conducted. The written and practical exams have been validated through peer review according to sound psychometric principles, noted Kinser, and would be submitted to ANSI for accreditation in due course, as is the policy for all CCO certifications.
Rigger Level II candidates must already hold Rigger Level I certification to be eligible to apply for the new exams.
To ensure sufficient examiners are ready to administer the Rigger Level II practical tests, NCCCO has been holding practical examiner accreditation (PEAP) workshops around the country. The first of these was held August 19-20 at I&I Sling’s SlingMax Training Center in Knoxville, Tenn. At this inaugural Rigger Level II PEAP workshop, 12 practical examiners—all of whom already held Rigger Level I certification and had been previously accredited by NCCCO to give the Rigger Level I exams—received thorough classroom instruction about the new program and hands-on training on how to set up the exam and use the score sheet, rigging kit, and rigging frame, earning them their Level II accreditation. Three more Rigger Level II PEAP workshops are being conducted before the official program launch, bringing the number of accredited practical examiners for the new exam to nearly 40 by the end of September.
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