May 2016—OSHA may still be deliberating as to exactly what the final crane operator certification requirement will look like, and when it will take effect, but that isn’t deterring operators taking steps to ensure they retain the certifications they have already earned.
NCCCO continues to experience a rate of recertification far in excess of expectations. The number of CCO-certified Mobile Crane operators taking recertification exams in 2015 exceeded the previous year’s record by 13%, said Director of Operations and Program Development, Joel Oliva.
The trend is not confined to the Mobile Crane program. “NCCCO’s Tower Crane, Articulating Crane, and Signalperson recertification programs along with Rigger Level I are also recording very robust activity,” Oliva added, “up an average of 30 percent on 2014.” Most notable was Articulating Crane recertification, he said, which increased a staggering 17 times over the previous year as it felt the positive effects of the first recertification cycle since its launch in 2010.
An increasing number of recertificants are opting to take their written exams through the computer-based process (CBT), Oliva noted. CCO recertification exams are offered through a nationwide network of almost 300 CBT test centers offering ease of scheduling and immediate score reporting.
NCCCO certification requirements include the need to take a written recertification exam every five years. A practical exam is also required unless the recertificant can attest to at least 1,000 hours of crane operating or crane-related experience during that five-year period.
Original story: January 2016, updated 5/19/16