New candidates and existing certificants alike will be given an opportunity to take a wide variety of CCO written, practical, and recertification exams at ConExpo/Con-AGG, to be held March 22 to 26 in Las Vegas, Nev. For the first time, practical examiner accreditation workshops for nearly all CCO programs also will be conducted onsite before and after the exposition.
“ConExpo/Con-AGG is delighted that the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators has elected to schedule its OSHA-recognized and ANSI-accredited crane operator and related certification examinations at the 2011 event,” said Megan Tanel, vice president of exhibitions and events of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the organization that operates ConExpo/Con-AGG.
“This will provide an exceptional opportunity for crane operators and those who work around cranes to ensure that they are professionally certified to work in compliance with the new OSHA rules that came into effect this past summer.”
Tanel also offered her congratulations to NCCCO on its celebration of its 15th anniversary of providing certification exams to the U.S. construction industry.
The once-every-three-years equipment showcase will feature more than 2,500 exhibitors and is expected to draw more than 140,000 attendees.
“ConExpo/Con-AGG provides an excellent opportunity for expo attendees to earn or renew their CCO certifications while attending one of the largest events of its kind in the world,” said NCCCO Executive Director Graham Brent.
In addition to NCCCO’s main exhibit, CCO exam administrations, and practical examiner workshops, NCCCO also will participate in the Lift Safety Zone and the Construction Challenge, both of which promote safe practices on construction sites; they also illustrate the need for qualified personnel, which are now required by law under federal OSHA’s new rules for cranes and derricks used in construction.
Main NCCCO Exhibit
NCCCO’s main informational exhibit will be in its usual location at booth GL-3000 in the Grand Lobby by the North Hall next to Silver Lot 1 and just across from the Gold Lot. NCCCO staff will be on hand throughout the exhibition to answer questions about all CCO certification programs currently available or in development.
Visitors will be able to see videos of all NCCCO practical exams and enter a drawing for large model crane as well as learn about all of NCCCO’s other activities at ConExpo/Con-AGG.
CCO Certification Exam Administrations
On the first day of the show, March 22, ConExpo/Con-AGG attendees will be able to take any of the CCO written exams in dedicated rooms located near the NCCCO booth. CCO Signalperson and Rigger Level I practical exams also will be offered on the first two days.
To register and get the complete schedule for written exams, Signalperson practical exams, or Rigger Level I practical exams, please contact Shawna Parham at sparham@nccco.org.
Preregistration is required for all written exams and for the Signalperson and Rigger Level I practical exams.
On all five days of the show, CCO practical exams will be offered for mobile, tower, and articulating crane operators as well as Rigger Level II candidates. To register and get the complete schedule for any of these practical exams, please contact Erin Jones at ejones@nccco.org.
Practical Examiner Accreditation Workshops
In the days before, during and after the exposition, NCCCO will hold Practical Examiner Accreditation Program (PEAP) workshops for CCO certificants seeking to become Practical Examiners for CCO programs. The three-day mobile crane PEAP will be held before the expo on March 16 to 18 and the two-day tower crane PEAP on March 19 to 20. On the last day of the show, March 26, the Signalperson PEAP will be offered. A Rigger Level I PEAP will be held on March 27 to 28 and a Rigger Level II PEAP on March 29 to 30.
Please direct any questions about the PEAP workshops to Erin Jones at ejones@nccco.org. Preregistration is required for all PEAP workshops.
Lift Safety Zone
NCCCO also is participating in the Lift Safety Zone (LSZ) with the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) and the CraneCertification Association of America (CCAA). Located in Silver Lot 4 (S-19722) and open throughout the exposition, the LSZ is an area where anyone working with and around cranes and other aerial lift equipment can find expert advice on safe setup and operation.
The LSZ is geared toward crane and aerial work platform safety, with particular attention to how ground conditions can affect equipment stability in different positions and weather conditions. Live machinery demonstrations and the latest in simulator technology will be featured.
Industry experts also will be on hand to give practical safety advice to those who operate, manage and work with cranes and aerial lifts.
Several cranes and aerial work platforms will be on display to help familiarize ConExpo/Con-AGG attendees with the hazards associated with each. The new OSHA rules for cranes and derricks used in construction (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC) specifically address general contractors’ increased responsibilities for disclosing ground conditions such as buried pipelines and hidden cavities, and the Lift Safety Zone will tangibly demonstrate the consequences that can result when operators are not aware of underlying conditions.
Construction Challenge
For the first time at ConExpo/Con-AGG, NCCCO will be a sponsor of the Construction Challenge, career-education initiative designed to engage high school students with real-world, hands-on experiences in the construction industry. Through competition, youth teams explore key elements of the highly diverse industry such as new technologies, research, engineering, project management, product development, manufacturing, services, support and career pathways.
“With the average age of the construction worker now 52 years,” said NCCCO President John M. Kennedy, “there is a clear need to attract new blood into the workforce.”
And with the large number of baby boomer retirements, it’s a problem that’s getting worse. “Research indicates that the construction industry needs to add one million jobs by 2012,” added Kennedy, “and some of them will need to be crane operators.”
This was a main reason NCCCO is taking this opportunity to expose Construction Challenge participants to the opportunities that a career in this industry can provide, he said.
In the Construction Challenge teams of high school students around the country compete to solve infrastructure and design problems using teamwork, creativity, and problem solving. The top 24 teams advance to the Championship Finals at ConExpo/Con-AGG.
Between 300 and 400 high school students are expected to visit both NCCCO’s indoor booth as well as the LSZ. Students will learn about the roles of crane operators as well as related activities such as riggers and signalers from industry veterans who will be on hand throughout the show. They’ll also have the opportunity to witness live demonstrations of crane and aerial lift equipment, and they’ll get to try their hand at a CCO practical exam on simulators provided by Simlog.
“This is an important opportunity for potential new entrants to the industry to learn not only about the hazards inherent in construction, but also how to mitigate them through proper training and professional certification,” said Brent. “And, of course, we hope they will go away with the idea that this industry — and crane-related activities in particular — might provide them a profitable career path.”
NCCCO is among 19 sponsors of the Construction Challenge, among them AEM, Volvo, Caterpillar, Kobelco, Liebherr, Link-Belt Construction Equipment and Manitowoc.
For more information, call 703/560-2391.
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