December 2009 – NCCCO Executive Director Graham Brent addressed the nearly 300 delegates attending the two-day World Crane and Transport Summit in Amsterdam on October 22–23.
“It makes perfect sense that crane operator certification would be discussed here, where we’ve witnessed the signing of an historic agreement among crane and rigging representatives from three continents,” said NCCCO Executive Director, Graham Brent at the World Crane and Transport Summit held in October in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. “After all,” he continued, “cranes are manufactured for the global marketplace, so sharing ideas about operator qualifications goes hand in hand with the debate around technological innovations.” Brent also shared North America’s experience of crane operator certification with delegates from the European manufacturers association FEM and the user membership organization ESTA.
One highlight of the two-day program was the signing of an international agreement to foster closer working with common aims for harmonized standards licensing and ways of working. Members of the new World Crane and Transport Alliance include the Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association (SC&RA); European Association of Heavy Haulage, Transport and Cranes (ESTA); Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA); New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association (NZHHA); and the Crane Association of Canada (CRAC).