September 2010 – Development of a new national certification program for crane inspectors is now underway by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) in partnership with the Crane Certification Association of America (CCAA).
Initial meeting of the Crane Inspector Task Force was held in Houston on July 19-21, co-hosted by Bishop Lifting Products and the Houston Business Roundtable. Kenneth Shinn of K.J. Shinn (Lakewood, NJ) and Ed Shapiro, president of HESCO (Niantic, CT) and president of CCAA, presided as Task Force co-chairs. Of the 45 subject matter expert (SME) volunteers appointed to the Task Force, more than 30 participated in the kick-off meeting, including a significant number of CCAA members.
Crane Inspector Task Force members gather at their kick-off meeting in Houston in July with co-chairmen Ed Shapiro (black shirt, center), president of the Crane Certification Association of America and president of HESCO, and to his left Kenny Shinn (striped shirt), president of K.J. Shinn, Inc.
Among the first assignments for the Task Force was to get up to speed on industry standards for certification exam development so that the final product will meet accepted best practices for personnel certification exams. NCCCO staff and representatives from International Assessment Institute (IAI), which assists NCCCO in developing and administering its tests, trained the SMEs on the exam development process, job task analysis procedures, and how to write exam questions.
“By ensuring that cranes are inspected and certified to be in good working order, this new program promises to be a valuable contribution to the safety of all whose work puts them in contact with cranes,” said co-chairman Shapiro.
“The Task Force will need to meet frequently, with work continuing between meetings, to achieve the aggressive development schedule we’ve laid out,” said NCCCO Program Manager Joel Oliva. “But given the depth of talent and experience represented in the Task Force, I have every confidence we will our June 2011 launch date.”
Future Task Force meetings will be held approximately every six weeks and will be hosted by Task Force members and their affiliated organizations at sites across the country.
Last year, NCCCO created a crane certifier certification program for the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, and this experience will prove valuable as this new national program is developed, said co-chairman Shinn. Veterans of the Washington State effort also serve on the Task Force,
As with all of its programs, NCCCO will pursue ANSI accreditation for the inspector program, an indication that the program meets the highest national and international standards for personnel certification.