Accredited Crane Operator Certification

Accredited Crane Operator Certification OSHA regulation 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, released August 9, 2010, requires crane operators involved in construction to be certified by an accredited certification provider by November 10, 2014. An operator is defined as any person operating the equipment. To be accredited, certification providers must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, defined as "an organization that, due to its independence and expertise, is widely recognized as competent to accredit testing organizations. Examples of such accrediting agencies include, but are not limited to, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the American National Standards Institute." This is the first time certification by an accredited certification provider has been required on a national level, although individual states (e.g., West Virginia, Hawaii, California) and cities (Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia) have required crane operator certification as far back as 2000. The new OSHA standards make the completion of this requirement an important topic of knowledge for the crane and lifting industry.
According to the new OSHA regulation, employers are now responsible for ensuring the qualification and certification of any operators on their job site. It states, "The employer must ensure that ... the operator is qualified or certified to operate the equipment." Employers are also responsible to provide the certification at no cost to the operators. This new emphasis on qualification and certification has created a large need in the industry to be filled by various certifying companies.
Organizations that offer certification must meet a number of guidelines established by OSHA. One of the main requirements for certifying organizations is that they be accredited by a "nationally recognized accrediting agency." The two main accrediting agencies used in this process are the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). NCCA was the first certifying agency to grant accreditation for crane and rigging personnel. It is the oldest provider of certification tests in the USA. ANSI is the other nationally recognized accrediting organization; ANSI also internationally accredits personnel certification programs to ISO 17024 (General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification Systems of Persons). ANSI provides 45 personnel accreditation's across multiple industries.
A number of organizations have been recognized by OSHA for offering certification in the crane and lifting industry. These organizations include the not-for-profit organizations National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), and the Operating Engineers Certification Program (OECP).
Operators attempting to gain certification must pass both a written and practical examination. These tests must also be routinely audited for the certifying agencies to maintain their accreditation. OSHA regulation 1926.1427(j) describes the standards both the written and practical tests must meet. However, these tests will greatly vary depending on which organization administers them.