NYC Recognizes ANSI Accreditation in new licensing requirements.
Press Release Summary:
City of New York recognized ANSI's Accreditation Program for Personnel Certification Bodies as part of licensing and testing requirements for all crane operators in NYC. New license applicants, as of May 1, 2012, must obtain certification from specified group of crane operator certification bodies, demonstrating they have passed written and practical exams that reliably test for adequate knowledge and experience using appropriate crane model.
Original Press Release:
New York City Recognizes ANSI Accreditation in New Licensing Requirements for Crane Operators
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system and a global leader in conformity assessment, is pleased to announce that the City of New York has recognized ANSI's Accreditation Program for Personnel Certification Bodies as part of strict new licensing and testing requirements for all crane operators in New York City. The new requirements underscore the importance of high quality certification and accreditation programs to assure the competence and qualification of crane operators, improving crane safety in the city for workers and the general public.
As of May 1, 2012, new license applicants must obtain certification from a specified group of crane operator certification bodies, which includes those accredited by ANSI's Personnel Certification Accreditation Program. These certifications will demonstrate that an applicant has passed written and practical exams that reliably test for adequate knowledge and experience using the appropriate crane model. Exams offered by ANSI-accredited certification bodies are updated frequently to keep pace with technology, and require applicants to be tested on a variety of cranes rather than a single piece of equipment. By 2014, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will require all crane operators to pass exams offered by a nationally accredited organization and undergo re-testing every five years.
"ANSI is honored by its latest recognition, by the City of New York, as a designated accreditor for crane operator certification bodies," said Roy Swift, Ph.D., senior director for ANSI's personnel credentialing accreditation programs. "These new licensing requirements will have a direct impact on safe operation of cranes in New York, and ANSI supports continuing efforts to elevate crane safety all across the nation through strong personnel credentialing programs. ANSI is continually being recognized by both state and federal government entities for its quality accreditation program. ANSI is the only personnel certification accreditor that has an on-site visit and observes performance testing. In this type of certification, the validity and reliability of the performance testing are critical."
The ANSI accreditation process is designed to increase the integrity, confidence, and mobility of certified professionals. Since the launch of ANSI's Personnel Certification Accreditation Program in 2003, the Institute has accredited 38 personnel certification bodies that represent more than 70 different credentials. In total, over 5.2 million professionals currently hold certifications from ANSI-accredited personnel credentialing bodies.
ANSI's accreditation program is based on the American National Standard (ANS) and international standard ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024. ANSI was the first to develop a personnel certification accreditation program in the United States to fulfill the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011:2004, Conformity assessment - General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies, which represents the highest internationally accepted practices for accreditation bodies. ANSI's accreditation program is well respected domestically and internationally, and is recognized as a world-renowned leader in personnel credentialing.
