NCCCO NEWS
DECEMBER 2013
ACT
C
rane operator certification took
center stage last month at the
35th Biannual Meeting of the
Commission of the National Commission
for the Certification of Crane Operators
(NCCCO).
Jim Maddux, director of OSHA’s
Directorate of Construction, speaking to
more than 60 NCCCO Commissioners
and guests at the Maritime Institute,
Baltimore, MD, confirmed that OSHA was
seeking a postponement to the effective
date of the new operator certification/
qualification requirement so it could fix
the issues that the construction industry
had brought to its attention.
“The vast majority of the crane industry
thinks that while it is a useful thing to have
certification, and it has a really important
place, it is probably not enough,” Maddux
said. “That we also need to make sure that
the employee is qualified to operate the
crane they are operating.”
So while certification could be an
important component of qualification,
it was not, in and of itself, the same as
qualification.
In anticipation of the rule re-opening,
OSHA would continue to conduct
interviews with employers (23 had
been completed or were scheduled to
occur, Maddux said) in order to build an
“information base that we need to know
how to move forward.”
Maddux also presented an updated list of
the “Top Ten” crane standards being cited
by OSHA, noting that fully six of them
related to rigging, signaling or inspection.
“Documentation continues to be a big
issue,” he noted, “with cranes without
load chart manuals and proper hazard
warnings.”
Compliance directive nears
publication
The lack of a Compliance Directive had
certainly had the effect of “holding back”
the full “qualitative and quantitative”
effects of the new rule, Maddux said and,
as a result, it hadn’t hit its “full stride” in
terms of the safety effects it could have.
However, with all the responses from its
regional offices now in, the draft Directive
was now nearing publication, he said,
having passed through the Directorate for
review by the Solicitor’s Office.
And, perhaps good news for employers
and OSHA compliance officers alike, the
final draft has been reduced in size from
about 260 pages to slightly less than 200.
■
For a complete report of Maddux’s
presentation go to
/
oshadoc2013
OSHA to Industry:
“Certification probably
not enough”
‘
”
The vast majority of the
crane industry thinks that
while it is a useful thing
to have certification, it is
probably not enough.
JIM MADDUX
OSHA Directorate of Construction
Five great reasons to visit
“CCO at CONEXPO”
With registration now open, it’s time to make plans to attend the once-every-three-years
equipment showcase and conference to be held March 4-8, 2014 in Las Vegas.
1
LIFT SAFETY ZONE (G-1817)
– dead center of the Gold Lot, with live CCO practical exam
demonstrations, crane and aerial lift safety tips, and a “try-your-hand” crane simulator.
2
INFORMATION BOOTH (GL-3000)
– located in the North Hall Lobby, just across from the
Gold Lot, with full information about all CCO certification programs and all of NCCCO’s
activities around the exposition.
3
CERTIFICATION EXAMINATIONS
– CCO written, practical, and recertification exam
administrations.
Come to CONEXPO – Leave CCO Certified!
4
PRACTICAL EXAMINER ACCREDITATION
– workshops for crane operator, rigger, and
signalperson programs before and after the main exposition.
5
EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS
– seminars delivered by internationally renowned experts
delivering solid advice for best practices in crane and rigging safety.
■
Full details of NCCCO’s largest-ever participation at CONEXPO can be found at:
.
