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Mobile Crane Operator Certification Mandated In California

On June 1, 2005, Cal-OSHA will begin enforcement its new regulations regarding the certification of crane operators. These regulations apply to all operators of cranes with a rated load capacity of 15,000 pounds or more, or cranes with a boom capable of extending 25 feet or more. Operators will need to carry a photo ID indicating certification by an accredited certifying entity as defined by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

At the moment, the only organization that appears to have NCCA recognition as an approved certifying entity for crane operators is the National Coalition for the Certification of Mobile Crane Operators (NCCCO). It is important to note that the NCCCO does not train crane operators but certifies them as meeting the required standard by conducting written and practical tests. It is also important to understand that the people that do the certification testing (like the NCCCO), can not be the same people that provide the training, and vice versa.

California will become the 12th state to promulgate regulations of this type for crane operators. Here is a list of the states that mandate operator certification*:

*As of June 1, 2005 US cities that currently require crane operators to certify are:

Each trainee must pass a "Core" written examination, regardless of what type of crane he/she operates. The Core exam is broken down into four sections or "domains." After that, trainees must take a "Specialty" written exam that is specific to the particular type of crane they would like to become certified on. The breakdown on specialty exams is: Within the Mobile Mobile Crane category, trainees must choose one or all of the following types: Once all the required written tests are successfully completed, operator trainees must pass a final practical examination on each type of crane for which they are applying for certification. Remember that all written and practical testing is administered by the NCCCO. The written tests must be taken at an approved NCCCO testing facility. The practical testing may also take place at an approved NCCCO testing facility using their crane(s) or you can arrange for an NCCCO representative to come to your site and use your crane for the practical test.

The requirements and performance criteria are quite demanding. Operator trainees must pass a physical examination and substance abuse test before proceeding to any crane related testing. They must also re-certify every five years. Operators that are re-certifying must pass all of the pre-test requirements again, as well as the related written tests. However, they do not have to re-take the practical exam if they can prove that they have at least 1000 hours of operating time on the same type of crane(s) for which they are re-certify.

Cal-OSHA regulation states that a crane operator trainee may only operate under the direct supervision of a qualified operator. This means that if you are currently training crane operators in the state of California, you will need to become an NCCCO certified operator in order to continue training. If not, you will need to arrange for a certified operator to supervise all lifting operations while you are conducting practical training/evaluations with a trainee.

IVES will of course remain in the mobile crane operator and trainer training business with new and upgraded mobile crane operator training materials designed in accordance with ASME standards and NCCCO specifications for small and large mobile cranes. However, as of June 1, 2005, we will be unable to certify mobile crane operators in the state of California, only the NCCCO will be able to do that.

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