Wednesday, July 25, 2012

NCCCO to Issue Separate Certification Cards


In order to make it easier for employers and state and federal authorities to determine qualifications of crane operators, the NCCCO is issuing separate certification cards to CCO-certified crane operators who also have been certified in the CCO rigger and/or signalperson categories. The new cards, which are accepted nationally as official proof of certification, have been designed to meet OSHA requirements. For easy recognition, operator CCO cards continue to have a black band across the bottom, while rigger and signalperson cards display a green band. In addition to this change, the cards will show the full 5-year certification period instead of a common expiration date. However, the new policy of separate expiration dates does not affect the crane operator certification program, says NCCCO Program Manager Joel Oliva.  Currently, the commission has nine crane operator designations, three crane inspector designations, two rigger designations and a signalperson designation. New certifications for digger derrick operators and lift directors are currently in development for launch before the end of 2012.