02.07.2014

NCCCO certifies 100,000th operator

The USA’s National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) has certified its 100,000th crane person.

The company issued its first CCO certification in April 1996, since then it has carried out more than 850,000 written and practical exams, as most crane operators are certified for three different crane types, while other certifications include rigger, signal person and crane inspector.

NCCCO executive director Graham Brent said: “While achieving these numerical milestones was in itself gratifying, much more important was the improved crane safety that has resulted from having such a large percentage of operators on construction sites around the nation professionally and independently tested.”

“Ample evidence now exists of the positive impact of nationally accredited crane operator certification on death and injury rates. The 2008 Cal-OSHA study that revealed an 80 percent fall in fatalities relating to crane accidents, following the implementation of that state’s requirement for crane operator certification.”

Former NCCCO president, Carson Huneycutt added: “The original industry leaders whose dream provided the basis for CCO certification a quarter of a century ago had high hopes for its success, but I doubt if anyone back in the early 1990s, when we took the first hesitant steps to build a national skills and knowledge assessment system in this country, dared hope this programme might have such a profound impact on crane safety that is so clearly reflected in the achievement of this milestone.”

Huneycutt, now retired from J.A. Jones Construction, was part of the original task group that created NCCCO, and served as its president from 1996–1998.

“A majority of those certified over the last 18 years have been operators of mobile cranes, the first and still the most popular programme”, added Brent. ”But other crane programmes, such as tower and overhead cranes, have shown sustained interest in the decade since their launch, and the newer certifications are growing in popularity. There are now more than 10,000 CCO-certified signallers active today, and almost 7,000 CCO-certified riggers.”