NCCCO Creates Boom Truck Operator Certification Program
The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) has made available the first phase of a CCO certification program for boom truck operators, CCO Boom Truck???Fixed Cab (BTF).
Users and manufacturers of boom trucks wanted the safety, insurance and risk management benefits that other CCO operator certification programs have delivered during the last 18 years, said NCCCO. And, a new OSHA crane rule (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC) requires operators to be certified when using cranes with capacities exceeding 2,000 pounds in construction applications. The BTF operator certification is a subcategory of the CCO Telescopic Boom???Fixed Cab (TSS) certification.
The CCO certification program was developed by a NCCCO Work Group consisting of boom truck users and representatives from boom truck manufacturers, trainers, consultants and industry associations, as well as members of NCCCO’s Written Exam and Practical Exam Management Committees. The Work Group is finalizing development of the second and final phase of the boom truck program. A swing-cab equivalent of the BTF certification is planned for launch by late-2014.
The program is expected to be popular with boom truck users who want to protect their employees and manage the risks inherent in any lifting activity, said NCCCO. The tool will assess operators’ knowledge and skills necessary for safe operation in their specific applications, the company added.