The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) has announced it has been awarded accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for its CCO Lift Director and CCO Service Truck Crane Operator programs. This brings the number of CCO certifications that ANSI has accredited to eleven.
ANSI’s decision to accredit these programs came after thorough analysis of test data and rigorous audits of NCCCO’s management systems and psychometric procedures, as well as detailed scrutiny of its test development and administrative processes, said NCCCO Director of Operations and Program Development Joel Oliva.
“This means these two programs, both of which were introduced in 2013, are now nationally accredited by ANSI to the ISO/IEC 17024 International Standard for organizations that certify personnel,” Oliva said. “In NCCCO’s 20th Anniversary Year, this is a highly valued addition to the CCO personnel certification portfolio.”
“ANSI and ISO provide the most rigorous accreditations available,” said NCCCO Commission Chairman, Ellis Vliet. “Candidates and employers alike can now be assured that, with ANSI’s independent verification processes, both CCO Lift Director and CCO Service Truck Crane Operator certifications meet the highest professional standards of examination development and administration.”
NCCCO also announced that all currently accredited CCO certifications have passed their annual audit by ANSI.
ANSI’s audit of NCCCO occurs annually as a requirement of its accreditation to ISO 17024, with an on-site inspection by ANSI auditors every other year. Although NCCCO’s current accreditation runs through August 2017, ANSI requires specific data be submitted on an annual basis, and grants continued accreditation only if all requirements are met.
NCCCO also picked up another highly-prized commendation from ANSI—its seventh since it was first accredited by ANSI in 2007—this time for its outreach program aimed at candidates scheduled to take CCO practical examinations. “NCCCO is to be commended for developing very high quality video tutorials on its website for the Mobile Crane and Service Truck Crane practical examinations,” ANSI’s assessors stated. “These videos provide detailed descriptions and illustrations of the requirements and candidate experience during these activities, and very likely increase the readiness and comfort of individuals taking the examinations.”
NCCCO Chief Executive Officer, Graham Brent, noted that a central part of NCCCO’s mission since its inception 20 years ago had been to establish national testing programs that were fair to all candidates while at the same time were both valid and reliable assessments of essential knowledge and skills. “ANSI’s continued accreditation CCO certification programs is clear testimony that that goal is being achieved,” he said.
“Earning ANSI accreditation is a major undertaking,” said ANSI Director, Personnel Credentialing Accreditation Programs, Dr. Vijay Krishna, “and NCCCO can be very proud of this accomplishment. No other accreditation process demands the degree of psychometric or management disclosure that ANSI requires for accreditation under ISO 17024.”
