Spring into Training; Are You OSHA Compliant?

Spring into Training; Are You OSHA Compliant?

Spring is the perfect time for companies to clean house and make sure they are compliant with all the safety rules and regulations which they are required to follow under OSHA and ASME guidelines. You do not want to be caught on a job or have an incident without the necessary proof of training for your equipment operators on file. Therefore, now is a great time to clean up your files and make sure they are all up to date and, if not, schedule required training for your employees. Do not sweep training under the rug; the fines are not worth it.

What You Need to Know to Remain OSHA Compliant

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a strict set of standards in place to ensure the health and safety in working conditions, but you don’t have to look much further than a construction site to understand why these standards are so important. Even further, OSHA states that an effective health and safety program can save four to six dollars for every one dollar invested. From new regulations to updated certifications, learn what you can do in 2019 to ensure you and your operators remain OSHA compliant.

Steps to Remain OSHA Compliant :

  • Hire employees who have a record of compliance and value safety: Operators that follow the rules of safety tend to be more aware of their surroundings and more equipped to handle potential situations leading to an overall safer site. The goal to have zero OSHA recordable incidents starts from the beginning.
  • Operator Evaluations: In accordance with OSHA’s updated regulations, heavy equipment operators were required by February 7th, 2019 to be evaluated by an independent third party to ensure their effectiveness and knowledge operating the equipment, regardless of any current certifications.
  • Regular Training: To avoid potentially fatal accidents while operating heavy equipment, it is important to schedule regular operator training. Not only does teaching your operators about the potential hazards protect everyone on-site, but it reduces the possibility of incurring fines and damaging equipment.
  • When in Doubt Consult the OSHA Guides: OSHA has developed current online guides that can be quickly consulted to help construction businesses remain OSHA compliant. You can find them here at the compliance Quick Start section of the OSHA.gov website: In Step 7 of this guide, there is an interesting section describing the 10 most frequently cited OSHA violations of previous years, which may prove very helpful.

Health and safety are an important aspect of every job and business, which includes, but is not limited to, OSHA compliance. Specializing in on-site heavy equipment training and newly required operator evaluations, Total Equipment Training can help you remain OSHA compliant. Contact us today to learn more information on how we can become your reliable training and evaluation company for a safer future.

What Certification Does Your Crane Operator Need?

April and May are always busy months at Total Equipment Training, scheduling training, and NCCCO Certification preparations.

Mobile Crane Operator Training in New Jersey - Total Equipment TrainingAfter NCCCO announced the “It’s Not Worth The Wait” program, our phones were steadily ringing from clients we currently provide Mobile Crane Operator Training asking if their employees need to be certified or if the operator training we have always provided covers them.
For now, it’s a fine line. All employers need to provide training and testing to make sure their operators are competent to operate any type of equipment. Our mobile crane training program is designed to be site and machine specific. The classroom portion of our program covers all OSHA and ASME regulations for each type of crane(s) you operate. The practical portion consists of making sure the operator is able to handle the piece of equipment safely and competently for the specific work they do.

Certain states and cities require certification through a third-party certification agency that is approved by OSHA. NCCCO is the golden standard. NCCCO certification differs in that it is not site-specific. It explores in depth the responsibility of the crane operator, the lifts, the crane, etc. It is for the experienced operator who is expected to be able to operate a crane in all situations.

OSHA’s Deadline for Crane Operator Certification

OSHA’s deadline for crane operator certification was November of 2018. From then on all crane operators must be certified through a recognized certifying agency. The truth of the matter is, certification takes time. You can’t make a phone call and expect to test your employees that week. Once a decision to certify is made, it typically takes four weeks just to register for the test and have an examiner scheduled to come to your facility. Total Equipment Training’s trainers are required to be certified with the NCCCO as both operators and examiners.

The truth of the matter is, certification takes time. You can’t make a phone call and expect to test your employees that week. Once a decision to certify is made, it typically takes four weeks just to register for the test and have an examiner scheduled to come to your facility. Total Equipment Training’s trainers are required to be certified with the NCCCO as both operators and examiners.

The Importance of Having the Proper Crane Certifications

Cranes are used for so many things that so often go unnoticed and are taken for granted. As you drive along the Schuylkill Expressway, The New Jersey or Pennsylvania Turnpike, or I95 New York to Virginia you see billboards, overpasses being repaired or built, buildings going up, —and construction crews using cranes. Not having the proper certifications will virtually put a stop to building and repairing infrastructure.

On-Site Crane Operator Training in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania

Our concentration has been in North Jersey areas including Paulsboro, Carteret, and Long Island New York as well as Philadelphia areas including Camden. We provided NCCCO Certification for Energy Companies, Transit Authorities, and National Contracting Companies.

Does Your Organization Need Crane Operator Training?

Total Equipment Training will come to your site to provide whatever training or certification is needed. We have found that crane operators are more likely to pass the certification exam when they are trained using their own equipment which they are already familiar with and comfortable with.

If you are interested in crane operator training, contact us today so we can go over your needs to create a training program specific to your requirements.



Barb Fullman- CEO of Total Equipment Training
About the Author

As the owner of Total Equipment Training, Barb Fullman has been an active contributor to the heavy equipment training industry for over 23 years. Barb, a Penn State University graduate, is recognized as the highest ranking women-owned heavy equipment training business in the US. As a leading authority and provider of heavy equipment training, training manuals and tests based on OSHA Standards and Regulations, Total Equipment Trainings’ client list is composed of most of the Fortune 1000 companies focusing on energy, construction, heavy highway, and manufacturing.

Barb’s motto is “Stay safe, stay up to date”. She is committed to up-to-date & technically correct training, whether it is via in-person or through our library of online heavy equipment resources. With over 50 OSHA qualifying training topics to choose from with TET, the most popular heavy equipment training subjects are mobile cranes, NCCCO, all “dirt equipment”, rigging, crane inspections, and train-the-trainer.