Are You NCCCO Certified Yet?

According to the recently enacted OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC Crane and Derrick Standards, all mobile crane operators must be certified by November of 2014.  Currently, only one quarter to one third of crane operators are already NCCCO Mobile Crane Operator Certified.  Although there are still a couple years until the 2014 deadline, crane operators should be pursuing their certifications now.

NCCCO, or the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, is recognized as the gold standard for crane certification by most employers and contractors.  NCCCO does not provide any training or training materials, and administers its exams through an independent third party and NCCCO accredited Practical Examiners in order to ensure that it is providing a fair and independent assessment.  Even though you cannot get training or materials directly from NCCCO, it is important to practice and get training before attempting the certification tests.

There are many different organizations that offer training for crane operators.  How do you pick the right one?  First, you should look at how much experience they have.  Many companies are just starting to offer preparatory training, so it is important to find a company with a long track record of providing quality training, and with instructors who are both professional trainers as well as Accredited Practical Examiners for the CCO.

Second, you should look at what training materials they will be providing.  The NCCCO written exam is lengthy and tests knowledge on site setup, operations, technical knowledge and manufacturer’s load charts, and instructors should be able to present information on these subjects to you in a clear and concise manner.  Besides the written material they will be teaching you, you should also look at their equipment and facilities, as you want to make sure the training encompasses not only the written exam but the practical exam as well.  Modern equipment should be available so you can get crane practice.

The Crane Inspection & Certification Bureau (CICB) has a 16 year history for providing training classes for CCO certification, with modern facilities available in both Orlando, FL, and Houston, TX.  These training facilities offer all types of mobile cranes for hands-on practice, and all of their instructors are NCCCO certified operators, riggers, and signal people who are also accredited as NCCCO Practical Examiners.

For further information on NCCCO Mobile Crane Operation Training, contact CICB today!