NCCER/NACB Announce Crane Operator Certification Program

Working in a partnership with occupational assessment company PROV, the North American Crane Bureau (NACB) and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), a non-profit safety resource organization affiliated with the University of Florida, announced that they will be launching a crane operator certification program on November 1.

NCCER/NACB is gearing its program to be an alternative to other crane operator certification programs available in the United States and is applying for accreditation from ANSI and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Once accredited, this program should meet the proposed language in OSHA's C-DAC crane standard, which is anticipated to become a final rule as early as the end of 2008. The C-DAC provision calls for crane operators to be certified by one of four ways. One of those is by any crane operator testing organization approved by a nationally recognized accrediting agency.

According to Crispell, the NCCER/NACB crane operator certification program is based upon the current ANSI B30.5 safety standards and meets or exceeds its criteria. In addition, the program is directed more towards the actual crane types that an operator desires to be certified upon. Referencing boom trucks as an example, he said operators will answer more specific questions about boom truck operation rather than more general operation questions, and during the practical portion of the exam, operators will be required to not only successfully operate the crane but also set it up, including leveling it before operation and travel.

"The industry needs more than one program to choose from," said Joe Crispell, executive vice president of NACB. "We saw a need for an alternative certification program to meet the current safety standards and to help maintain reasonable costs associated with the certification process."

PROV, which provides about 80% of NCCER's testing, will maintain the testing procedures for the NCCER/NACB operator certification program. Operator tests, both written and practical, will be submitted to PROV via e-mail or fax and results can be obtained from PROV, in most cases, within 30 minutes upon submission of the exam without any additional cost. Under the new certification program an operator can take the written test, get the results, take the practical test, get the results, and be out on the job, working the next day as a certified crane operator.