New River Electrical Corporation is committed to safety. In the field of electrical contracting, safety is of utmost importance to protecting our workers and customers. From our top management down to the employee in the field, everyone at New River Electrical is involved in the safety process.
Setting the Standard for Crane Safety
We promote the value of safety in every facet of our work, including crane operation.
In November 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a crane standard that included the requirement that crane operators be certified. However, OSHA delayed implementation in 2014 and 2017 due to conflicts within the standard.
“We decided to move forward with the training and certification for our crane operators, anyway,” said Jason Lester, Safety Supervisor with NREC. “We partnered with Glenns Crane and the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) to ensure that our crane operators were meeting performance standards for safe load handling equipment operation.”
A Worthwhile Process
Since then, NRE has secured the ability to host NCCCO written and practical exams in-house. This helps to make sure that we can certify current and upcoming operators on a consistent basis with the convenience of conducting the certification at our Cloverdale office. “We host quarterly training and exams to both maintain a qualified workforce and make sure we can meet customer demands for qualified operators across our service territory,” said Lester.
The process includes four basic steps to become NCCCO certified:
- Complete the classroom portion of training and examination with a passing score
- Complete hours operating under a certified NCCCO operator on the project
- Complete and pass the practical examination
- Complete the qualification process issued by NREC
“The top and most qualified operators are selected to complete the NCCCO crane certification process by site management and safety personnel,” said Lester. While the NCCCO pass rate is somewhat low, NREC has been able to maintain a pass rate above 90 percent with hard work and dedication by trainers, operators, and management.
The Cloverdale office currently services the Westerville, Ohio, office operations, but there are plans to extend the capabilities of NCCCO training and testing into the Westerville office in 2020. “We’re excited that we can continue to ramp up our commitment to safety,” said Lester.
“Each candidate that goes through the NCCCO process costs NRE several thousand dollars,” said Lester. “Our highly-skilled crane operators keep things safe for themselves and for everyone who works alongside them. As a company, we’ve decided that’s worth every penny.”
