CCO certification card targets employers

In an effort to stem a growing incidence of forged or “doctored” certification credentials, the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) has begun a campaign aimed at familiarizing employers with the principal details of the CCO certification card. Central to this effort is the development of a pictorial “CCO Certification Card Fact Sheet” identifying the key features of the CCO certification card.

“It's a trickle, not a flood, at this point,” said NCCCO executive director Graham Brent. “But we don't want this to get out of hand, and we believe that education of those reviewing the CCO credential is an effective means of ensuring it does not.”

The fact sheet includes enlarged views of the front and back of the CCO certification card, and an explanation of the types of certification now available from NCCCO, along with their three-letter identification codes.

Brent warned employers not to accept photocopies of cards, nor any card that appears to have been tampered with. “The CCO certification card is, in fact, rather difficult to forge,” Brent said, “since the individual's photograph along with the certification categories and expiration date are all heat-sealed into the plastic card when it is first issued.”

Brent emphasized, however, that employers should be particularly vigilant about certification category codes that appear to have been added after the card was printed, or any lettering that appears in a different typeface from that on the rest of the card.

“Score report letters should not be accepted in lieu of certification cards,” says Brent, “since they attest only to an individual's performance on either the written or practical test, and not as to whether he or she has completed the certification process.” And, unlike certification cards, there is no picture ID on a score report letter to verify identity.

Score letters were also easier to forge or tamper with, Brent added, noting that several cases had come to light where scores had been “adjusted” by the candidate to appear he had performed better than, in fact, he had.

The CCO Certification Card Fact Sheet is posted on NCCCO's web site at www.nccco.org.

• Further information is available from Tara Whittington at 703 560-2391 extension 204; twhittington@nccco.org