February 2009 – The Articulating Crane Council of North America (ACCNA), an affiliate division of the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA), and the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) have announced plans to cooperatively develop a certification program for operators of truck-mounted articulating boom cranes.
The ACCNA and NCCCO mutually recognize the importance of safe crane operations and the role of certification in ensuring that personnel have the necessary knowledge and skills to safely operate articulating cranes. NCCCO will work with ACCNA by providing test development guidance and psychometric expertise throughout the anticipated 12-month development timeframe.
"We are pleased to join NCCCO in creating a certification program for articulating crane operators through the development of assessment tools that test operator knowledge and skills," said Ed Hatcher, president of the Articulating Crane Council of North America.
The NCCCO/ACCNA Task Force, pictured at their December meeting hosted by Palfinger in Tiffin, OH, counts major users and US crane suppliers among its members and is uniquely qualified to develop the new certification program.
NCCCO will also administer the final certification program which will meet or exceed all current and proposed state and federal requirements for crane operator qualifications, including OSHA's proposed rule on cranes and derricks (C-DAC).
Unlike the "specialty" exams that NCCCO has developed for mobile truck and crawler cranes, the articulating crane operator certification will be a "stand-alone" program. "The unique design and operating characteristics of knuckleboom cranes required that a separate certification be developed for those who operate them," commented Tim Arkilander, Hiab Product Manager and a member of the ASME B30.22 Articulating Crane Subcommittee. Arkilander and Bo Collier, Crane Tech, Tampa, Florida co-chair the task force.
NCCCO is an independently accredited non-profit organization established for the purpose of developing and administering certification programs that measure the knowledge and proficiency of personnel that work with and around cranes and lifting equipment.
The ACCNA is composed of manufacturers of articulating cranes and was formed to promote and serve the common interests of articulating crane manufacturers in the development and sale of safe, efficient and useful products. ACCNA became an affiliate division of the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) in 1992.