October 2015—The 18 members of NCCCO’s Pile Driver Task Force have made significant progress working out the details of a new CCO certification for operators of dedicated pile driving rigs.
The task force is made up of industry experts from pile driver manufacturers, users, trainers, and distributors, as well as program development and psychometric experts from NCCCO. Numerous questions for the written exam have been prepared and pilot-tested by the task force members, and development of the practical exam is well underway. The main practical exam tasks have been identified, including lifting and manipulating piles, engagement of the hammer, and proper shutdown and securing of the equipment.
“Thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of the task force members, program development is moving forward at an accelerated pace,” noted NCCCO Program Manager, Matt Shaw. “With several more in-person meetings scheduled before the end of the year—as well as teleconferences between those meetings—pilot testing is expected to begin around the first of the year.”
The new certification—targeted for a third quarter 2016 launch—is being developed in partnership with the Pile Driving Contractors Association (PDCA), and the task force has already held five in-person meetings and two virtual meetings since the development kick-off in November 2014.
“Thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of the task force members, program development is moving forward at an accelerated pace.”
