September 2007 - The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) today announced that it had been awarded accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for all three of its crane operator certification programs.
The CCO crane operator certification programs—Mobile Crane Operator, Tower Crane Operator and Overhead Crane Operator—are now accredited by ANSI to the ISO/IEC 17024 International Standard for organizations that certify personnel.
The decision of ANSI’s Professional Certification Accreditation Committee to award accreditation came after rigorous onsite and field audits by ANSI assessors of NCCCO’s management systems and psychometric procedures.
Singled out for particular mention by ANSI was NCCCO’s practical exam program. ANSI Assessors commended NCCCO and International Assessment Institute (IAI), the firm that provides test processing and development services to NCCCO, for the “preparation, administration and execution of the practical exam.”
In particular, ANSI applauded the manner in which the tasks for the practical exam had been selected, the objectivity and clarity of the criteria that had been established for practical examiner observations, and the systematic way examiner observations had been integrated into the scoring process.
“Accreditation by ANSI of the CCO crane operator certification program is a remarkable validation of the vision, determination and dedication of the hundreds of volunteers from across the country who worked tirelessly to establish this national program of crane operator proficiency and who, over the last ten years, have strived to maintain it,” said NCCCO President John M. Kennedy.
“Candidates and employers alike can now be assured that, with ANSI’s independent verification of NCCCO’s policies and procedures, CCO certification meets the highest professional standards of examination development and administration,” Kennedy added, “and that each and every CCO Certification Card is backed by the ANSI guarantee of program excellence unequaled in this industry,” Kennedy added.
“As someone who was involved in the development of the CCO program from the outset,” said NCCCO Commission Chairman, Kerry Hulse, “and who remembers the passion for improving crane safety among members of the very first task forces that began meeting almost two decades ago, this a remarkable vindication of their vision, determination and sheer hard work. I can’t think of a more appropriate validation of their efforts than for the organization they helped to create receiving this affirmation from ANSI, the nation’s pre-eminent standards-setting body.”
“Achieving ANSI accreditation is a major undertaking,” said ANSI Program Director, Roy A. Swift, PhD, “and NCCCO can be very proud of this accomplishment. Crane operators holding any of the three CCO certifications can be assured they meet the American National Standard and ISO’s requirements for ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024.”
“While NCCCO has received numerous industry accolades, as well as recognition by state and federal agencies, in its 11-year history, and has been nationally accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) since 1998, accreditation of CCO certification by ANSI is clearly a major milestone in the history of this organization,” said NCCCO Executive Director, Graham Brent.
“A central part of NCCCO’s goal since its inception has been to establish a national testing program that is fair to all candidates, while at the same time is both a valid and a reliable assessment of essential crane operator knowledge and skill,” he said. “ANSI’s accreditation of all three CCO certification programs is clear testimony that that goal has been achieved.”
Accreditation of certifying bodies is increasingly being required by state regulators in their attempts to ensure quality of the certifications issued, Brent noted. Fully two-thirds of the states that have requirements for crane operators, now require or recognize CCO certification.
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The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) is a non-profit industry organization formed in January 1995 to develop effective performance standards for safe crane operation to assist all segments of construction and general industry. Since NCCCO began testing in April 1996, more than 250,000 written and practical exams have been administered to over 50,000 crane operators in all 50 states.
CCO certification has been nationally accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) since 1998. The NCCCO crane operator certification program is also the only program to be recognized by federal OSHA as meeting OSHA and ASME (ANSI) requirements for crane operator competency. The program is unique in that it is: third-party; independent of training; developed and supported by industry; a joint labor/management initiative; psychometrically sound; validated through peer review; and administered on a standardized, secure, nationwide basis.
Founded in 1918, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, whose mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity. ANSI is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). ANSI is also a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). Among the American National Standards developed under ANSI guidelines are the ASME B30 lifting standards, on which CCO certifications are extensively based.