NCCCO Launches ‘Most Similar Certifications’ Directory

Aug. 26, 2020

The NCCCO Foundation announced the launch of a web-based directory designed to help employers navigate OSHA’s rules on crane operator qualifications. The Most Similar Certifications Directory is designed to assist employers in selecting the most appropriate operator certification for a particular crane when no specific certification is available. It is the result of the foundation’s research and education initiative designed to enhance safety and encourage compliance with federal and state safety rules and regulations. 

OSHA noted that it did not believe the agency was in the best position to determine the various types of cranes for which certifications should be necessary. That is why NCCCO had stepped up to fill this need by creating the Crane Type Advisory Group (CTAG), a committee of seasoned crane professionals with decades of experience with cranes. 

OSHA also stated it would be “unwise” for the agency to consider a major change to the standard “before the Crane Type Advisory Group concluded its work.” GTAG was formed in 2017 and has met over a dozen times. The group has made determinations about more than 20 specific crane types and/or crane installations in response to requests from employers, training firms, regulators, and other industry stakeholders.