Scrap Handler Supplement -- Verifying Proficiency in Crane Operations

Regardless of the type of work they do, the Occupational Health & Safety Administration, Washington, requires crane operators to be competent. While cranes are used in a wide range of industries, they are still being used to a great extent in the scrap industry. A few years ago the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Washington, surveyed its members and found that there were still more than 7,000 lattice boom cable cranes in existence. Although the trend is toward easier-to-operate hydraulic scrap handlers, cable crane operators are out there in large numbers.

Whether these operators have the knowledge and skills necessary for the safe and efficient operation of cranes has been tough for employers to determine – until now. Today, the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (CCO) administers its third-party crane operator certification program nationwide, and has been doing so since early last year. Currently, the certification only covers cable cranes, but in the future there may be some type of certification directed toward hydraulic scrap handlers.

Presently, there is only an American Society of Mechanical Engineers safety standard – B30.25: Scrap & Materials – in the works for scrap handling, but this standard does not address certification for hydraulic handlers.

In the first 12 months of the administration of its national crane operator proficiency examination, CCO tested slightly more than 2,100 operators in 26 states. That such a number would so eagerly participate in an independent, third-party assessment of their skills is encouraging testimony to the seriousness with which safe crane operation is now regarded in industrial plants, construction sites and scrap and recycling facilities across the country. It’s also a clear endorsement of the CCO program, one which, while only recently implemented, is the product of more than 10 years work by a dedicated team of volunteers representing a wide variety of industry groups.

CCO was set up as an independent, not-for-profit organization in January 1995. Its twin tasks were first to establish, and then to administer, a nationwide program for the certification of crane operators. CCO activities have centered on three specific areas: validating the knowledge and proficiency required of crane operators; developing and administering examinations to test the knowledge and proficiency of operators; and granting designations to those operators who meet the current criteria for Crane Operator Certification.

Prime motivation for the CCO initiative came late in 1987 from an ad hoc meeting of crane owners and users called to address the unacceptably high rate of accidents involving cranes. Among the questions this group tackled were: Is the operator really the cause of as many accidents as he is blamed for? Would increasing the knowledge of the operator through training help? Should the effectiveness of that training be measured through some form of testing?

Even at this early stage of discussions it seemed this testing would have professional credibility only if it was conducted through a third-party, independent, standardized program of certification, independent of training. Clearly it was vital such a program have sufficient validity and credibility to be recognized by credentialing organizations as well as federal and state governments. This perceptive conclusion was subsequently confirmed by CCO’s eventual partner in testing, Professional Examination Service (PES), a non-profit corporation specializing in assessment and credentialing.

A nationwide certification program, testing a standard level of competence, would, it seemed, benefit employers and crane owners through reduced risk of loss and fewer accidents, hence less damage to equipment and lower maintenance costs. At the same time it would benefit the operator by providing access to training and expanding job opportunities.

In September 1987, this industry initiative had begun to garner support from government agencies, as well as the ASME B30.5 subcommittee which wrote and continues to revise the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) mobile crane standard. It also came to the attention of the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA), an association representing more than 800 users of cranes and heavy equipment. SC&RA took the bold step of creating a Task Force to develop a policy, which its Board of Directors endorsed in January 1990, supporting the credentialing of crane operators as a way of increasing safety.

It was determined that any certification program should be national in scope; operated by the private sector; independent of labor relations policies; tailored to different type of cranes; designed so certifications must be renewed periodically; enforced; and tested in three parts: medical, written, and practical.

Additional Task Forces were subsequently formed to address crucial issues related to certification: a Steering Task Force, to oversee the development process and the elements of marketing, funding, negotiations and insurance, and administration; a Mobile Crane Task Force, to identify skills and responsibilities of mobile crane operators; and a Tower Crane Task Force, to identify skills and responsibilities of tower crane operators.

In order to ensure an objective and comprehensive outcome, SC&RA sent out an industry-wide call for volunteers to assist in development work. Represented were large and small companies (both union and non-union) in such industries as utilities, energy, pulp and paper, construction, and petrochemical; contractors; crane rental companies; consulting and training companies; crane manufacturers; wire rope companies; insurance carriers; OSHA; and the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE). Task forces were formed along ANSI consensus guidelines to ensure fair, objective efforts.

Establishing the CCO program consisted of three distinct phases: defining the knowledge and skills required of operators, developing examinations, and implementing testing.

Following the requirements of the ASME B30.5 standard, the Certification Task Force recommended the examination of crane operators in three parts: a written test, a practical test, and a medical evaluation. CCO contracted with PES to develop and administer objective, independent examinations based on the work of the Job Analysis Task Force. An Item-Writing Task Force comprised of experts from across industry lines worked with PES to develop test questions.

A survey of several hundred operators and other experts in crane safety was conducted to validate both the job analysis and the examination questions to ensure objectivity and comprehensiveness. The outcome was five examinations: a Core Examination, and four Specialty Examinations, one for each of four types of mobile cranes: Lattice Boom Crawler Cranes, Lattice Boom Truck Cranes, Telescopic Boom Cranes – up to 17.5 tons, and Telescopic Boom Cranes – more than 17.5 tons.

Written testing began in April 1996. A Certificate of Competence is issued to operators who meet the requirements of written, medical, and practical exams, demonstrating their fundamental knowledge of - and skill in - safe crane operation. On the written examination, this means passing the Core Examination and at least one Specialty Examination.

Exams are offered the second Saturday and Sunday of each month at sites across the country. Employers, union locals, training companies, and other interested groups of operators may request alternative test administration dates and sites that fit in with their work schedules, operator availability and training calendars. Any organization or group with 25 or more eligible certification candidates may contact CCO to request a test site and desired date at least six weeks prior to the test date.

PES manages the administration of tests at sites which meet criteria established for an acceptable site. A chief examiner is always provided by PES to guarantee the security of the examination, as well as to ensure a standardized administration of the test, no matter where or when it is held. Approved proctors from the sponsoring organization are also often used.

CCO assists in matching smaller organizations and groups to meet the test administration requirement of 25 certification candidates. Special accommodations can be made for fewer than 25 candidates, for an additional site fee.

Certification candidates must submit complete applications before a test administration will be confirmed. All applications must include a formal application from the CCO Application Handbook; a valid medical form, using either the CCO physical examination form or an approved U.S. Department of Transportation medical form; and registration fee of $150, plus $5 for each specialty exam taken.

Also, pending finalization of the Practical Examination, candidates must be able to show evidence of 2,000 hours of safe crane operation in the preceding four years. Anyone who has comparable experience, but does not meet these exact criteria, can apply to have his or her case reviewed by the Certification Committee. This requirement will be reviewed once the Practical Examination is in place, later in 1997.

Provisions can be made for anyone who does not meet the practical requirement to take just the written examination. These individuals will receive a test score, but are not eligible for full certification.

Anyone wanting to take the test, or to have their company be considered for a test site, should contact CCO. And, as is often the case with an industry-led effort, volunteers to assist with all aspects of the program are always needed. For those interested in participating, this is a unique opportunity to be part of the process - to help shape an industry standard which is acceptable to all, rather than having to comply with requirements imposed by an external authority.

From the outset, CCO has regarded professional, third-party certification as the final link in a process that educates workers about the correct way to operate cranes. Informed operators make fewer mistakes, and so have fewer accidents, than those with less or inferior knowledge. By providing a thorough, independent assessment of operator knowledge and skills, CCO aims to enhance lifting equipment safety, reduce workplace risk, improve performance records, motivate training, and give due recognition to the professional skill of crane operation.

The formation of CCO is the result of the single-minded dedication of a large number of professionals, representing diverse interests in all types of industries. The time and energy spent, as well as the financial support, have been great. Regardless of the industry, or how cranes are used, the benefits to be realized with crane operator certification apply to us all.

Sidebar

What is Certification

Certification can mean different things to different people. While certification generally involves some form of testing, not all testing qualifies as certification. This confusion can lead an employer into a false sense of security – one that could have devastating consequences – and leave a company or an individual exposed to full liability in the event of an accident.

Fortunately, a set of guidelines for certification has been established by an independent credentialing authority, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). NCCA is an independent non-profit organization set up the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) to establish industry guidelines for professional certifying corporations.

The NCCA requirements, though strict, are designed to give assurance to those who use a program that the tests are a fair, sound and valid measurement of the knowledge and skills they are intended to measure. There are too many to list here, but they include the following:

*The certification organization shall be separate from the education function (i.e. it shall do not training).

*The certification program must be operated by a not-for-profit organization.

*The certifying organization shall have a governing body which includes individuals from the discipline being certified.

So, while the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (CCO) does not offer training (NCCA requirements prohibit that), it does provide an independent means to verify that training has been effective, that learning has, in fact, taken place.

Only third-party, independent certification can do this, and then only if it has been validated by the industry it is intended for, and recognized as psychometrically sound by certification specialists. CCO has met all these criteria.