The NCCCO Foundation provides two important updates.
New Chair of Crane Type Advisory Group Appointed
The NCCCO Foundation Board of Directors has named Fred Simmons Chair of the Crane Type Advisory Group (CTAG) following the retirement of Dave Ritchie. Simmons takes up his new position immediately, according to NCCCO Foundation President, Garry Higdem, who made the announcement.
“Dave leaves behind an outstanding legacy for which we are all enormously grateful,” said Higdem. “And we are equally confident that Fred will continue that legacy for the betterment of industry and all those whose work brings them into contact with cranes and rigging.”
Since it was established five years ago, CTAG has made more than 30 determinations as to the “most similar” certification applicable to operators of types of cranes for which no specific accredited operator certification is available*.
“With the recent publication of OSHA’s revised Compliance Directive that includes specific guidance to compliance officers as to how to implement federal crane operator qualifications, we anticipate increased requests from employers as to which certification is the most appropriate,” added Higdem. “And we are confident, given the unrivaled breadth and depth of the experience of the subject matter experts who serve on the Committee, that CTAG will be able to provide that guidance.”
Anyone interested in seeking a determination as to the most similar certification for which no specific program exists can email the CTAG Committee at [email protected], Hidgem noted.
* OSHA’s Final Rule on crane operator qualifications requires crane operators to be certified [29 CFR 1926.1427(c)(2)]. However, in those cases where no accredited certification examinations for a particular type of equipment exist, OSHA states that “an operator will be deemed to have complied with the certification requirements of this section if the operator has been certified for the type that is most similar to that equipment and for which a certification examination is available.” [1427(d)(2)].
NCCCO Foundation Announces Officers for 2022-2024
The NCCCO Foundation Board of Directors has announced the officers who will serve the organization for the next two years.
Elected to serve as President is Garry Higdem, CEO of Mario Sinacola & Sons, Frisco, TX. Garry joined the Board in 2020 and has just completed the remainder of the term of J. Chris Ryan who stepped down in February to take up the newly created position of Immediate Past President. Garry has a long association with NCCCO having previously served on the NCCCO Board of Directors for 10 years, nine of them as Vice President.
Elected to serve a two-year term as Vice President is Kerry Hulse. Kerry retired as Vice President Operations with Deep South Crane & Rigging, Houston, TX in 2021. He joined the Foundation Board in 2018 but has been involved with NCCCO activities since its inception in 1995 including serving 15 years as Commission Chair.
Elected to serve a two-year term as Secretary/Treasurer is Tim Watters, President of Hoffman Equipment, Piscataway, NJ. Tim joined the Foundation Board in 2018. He has nine years’ Board service with NCCCO and has just taken up the position of Immediate Past President on the NCCCO Board of Directors.
