On Thanksgiving Day, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an enforcement policy clarifying that crane operator certifications endorsed by Crane Institute Certification (CIC) no longer comply with the OSHA requirement that trainings be certified by an entity accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, such as ANSI or NCCA/ICE.
Importantly, the agency also declared that any sign company who already holds certification through CIC or a third party training program endorsed by CIC prior to December 2, 2019 will be able to utilize that certification for the remainder of the five-year period. Any certifications for upcoming training courses and testing will NOT be valid if issued after December 2, 2019, even if the course was paid before the OSHA policy announcement.
The OSHA news release can be read here.
Despite the crackdown on CIC, most third-party training programs were accredited by other agencies. The three certification groups that remain accredited and in compliance with OSHA requirements are:
- National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO)
- National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)
- Operating Engineers Certification Program (OECP)
While any of these certifications will work for sign companies, the NCCCO standard and exam is offered most widely by trainers in locations nationwide. The NCCER accredited program is now offered by many training providers that formerly were affiliated with the CIC program.
For additional information, please visit ISA’s FAQ on Crane Operator Certification or reach out to ISA’s Kenneth Peskin.
