Commissioner Spotlight: Dennis Eckstine
A charter member of the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), Dennis Eckstine has been involved with NCCCO since it was founded in 1995. With more than 40 years of experience in crane safety and heavy machinery manufacturing, he’s maintained his involvement with NCCCO because he recognizes that the lifting industry needs thorough, independent assessments of knowledge and skills to enhance lifting equipment safety, to reduce workplace risk, and to give due recognition to the professionals who work in, with, and around cranes.
Mr. Eckstine has earned both a BSME and an MBA, so he brings to the Commission both engineering and management perspectives, as well as extensive training, safety, and scientific experience. He became accredited as an NCCCO Practical Examiner in 2000 and currently is CCO-certified as a crane operator. He sees NCCCO as a means to provide stakeholders in the crane industry an opportunity to improve the safety of the industry for current and future generations. Over the years he has seen how NCCCO’s efforts have resulted in a reduced risk of loss, fewer accidents, and more thorough and consistent training for those who work in and around cranes. Further, NCCCO has helped improve professionalism in the crane industry and raised the level of training provided.
In addition to his work on the Commission and various NCCCO committees, Mr. Eckstine is currently actively involved with numerous national and international standards committees. He served as a U.S. delegate for more than 20 years on various ISO subcommittees, including serving as International Chairman of ISO Technical Committee 96 (Cranes) SC 6 Mobile Cranes, Chairman of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group for ISO TC 96 Subcommittee 2—Terminology (Cranes), and founding Chairman of the ISO International Mobile Crane Technical Committee. He has just been named International Chairman of the ISO Technical Committee 96 (Cranes) SC 8 Jib Cranes.
Mr. Eckstine spent the better part of the 1970s through 2002 at Grove Manufacturing in engineering and management positions mostly focused on safety; when he left Grove in 2002 he was Senior Director of Product Safety & Reliability for Grove Worldwide. Since 2002 he has been the principal consultant at Eckstine & Associates, Inc., which offers expertise regarding lifting equipment and provides litigation support, safety consulting, safety training, and engineering consulting services relating to construction, industrial, and agricultural equipment.
When not working or volunteering, Mr. Eckstine enjoys supporting his church, local arts, traveling, and spending time with his family.