Modifying the existing Code of West Virginia, 1931, which deals with certification of crane operators, House Bill 4422 passed into law as the Crane Operator Certification Act on 10th March.

As a result, any crane operator certification programmes that are classified as ‘Class A’ will now require both a written and practical assessment component that has been accredited under the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) Accreditation Program for Personnel Certification Bodies.

ANSI says its accreditation process is designed to increase the confidence and expertise of certified professionals.

ANSI’s senior director for personnel credentialing accreditation programs, Roy Swift, said: “ANSI is honored to have been recognized by the state of West Virginia in this important legislation, which is just the latest example of the Institute’s successful track record as a provider of high quality accreditation services.

“The legislation will have a direct and positive impact on the safe operation of cranes, and ANSI supports continuing efforts to elevate crane safety nationwide through strong personnel credentialing programs.”

Based on the American National Standard (ANS) and international standard ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 ANSI says its accreditation program is the first to fulfil the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011:2004, Conformity assessment – General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies in the US.

Since its launch in 2003, the institute’s Personnel Certification Accreditation Program in 2003 has accredited 38 personnel certification bodies, with over 5.2 million professionals currently holding ANSI-accredited certifications.