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CCO Certification is proud to announce the launch of CCO Pro and CertConnect coming later this year! CCO Pro is a new hub that users can access to interact with CCO at an organizational level. Inside CCO Pro, organizations can be created, allowing for more transparency and easier access to certification statuses.
CCO Pro is launching CertConnect, a tool giving organizations the ability to monitor and receive alerts about the status of personnel certifications. Among other things, CertConnect can help your organization monitor certification compliance. These powerful features have been built in response to growing demand from employers, training providers, insurance companies, and regulatory agencies. CertConnect brings real-time status tracking, streamlined certification notices, and improved transparency to the entire certification lifecycle.
Employers and industry partners no longer need to rely on Verify CCO, internal spreadsheets, or custom-built tracking tools. With CertConnect, certification status is seamlessly updated in the portal. From the moment a candidate earns a new certification to the instant a certification expires, organization managers are notified automatically via email. Read More
| Save 40% on CONEXPO Registration! | | |
Registration for CONEXPO‑CON/AGG 2026 is now open! Set for March 3–7, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Las Vegas Festival Grounds, CONEXPO‑CON/AGG 2026 will feature 2,000 exhibitor brands, 2.9 million square feet of indoor and outdoor displays, and 150 educational sessions spanning technology, sustainability, and industry best practices. CCO is encouraging those attending to take advantage of our discount code: NCCCO26, which saves you 40% off regsitration fees!
We're excited to be there to answer all your certification questions, share what's new with CCO and meet the incredible companies we help with safety and minimizing risk every day!
Register here which will take you to the registration website with the pre-applied code. The maximum discount of 40 percent, using this code, will be applied through December 5.
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Raising the Bar on Safety
How Two Industry Leaders Are Getting It Right
| | In the field of crane and rigging operations, safety is not just a priority, it is an obligation. For two standout companies - ABC Supply and LyondellBasell (LYB) - it is a mission they live every day. This mission is a reason why both recently earned CCO’s Platinum Level Employer Award, a prestigious recognition reserved for companies that go above and beyond in promoting safe practices, supporting professional growth, and setting the standard for excellence in the field by having their teams earn CCO Certification. | | ABC Supply’s Peter Sharkey, Michael Spangler and Bobby Maestre receive CCO’s Platinum Employer Award given by Emily Hashagen, CCO Certification | |
For the third year in a row, ABC Supply has landed CCO’s top honor as a Platinum Employer. With more than 1,200 locations nationwide, they’ve fully embraced CCO certification as a company-wide requirement and standard, weaving safety into the fabric of how they run their business operations.
“We’ve always made safety a core value, for both our associates and our customers,” says Peter Sharkey, Safety Manager at ABC Supply. “Getting recognized for that effort just confirms we’re doing things right.”
For ABC, certification is not just about checking a box, they are focused on the long game of cultivating a culture of safety. They offer mentorship, hands-on training, and even use virtual reality simulations to prepare their employees, not just to pass tests, but to truly understand and excel in the field. As Michael Spangler, Senior National Safety Training Manager, puts it: “When someone earns their CCO certification at ABC, that’s just the beginning. It’s the first step in a long-term investment in their career.” Read more about ABC's & LYB's Recognition in the latest issue of American Crane & Transport Magazine.
| | LYB’s Joel Alexander and Ricky Gracia receive CCO’s Platinum Employer Award given by Emily Hashagen, CCO Certification | |
Global chemicals leader LyondellBasell earned its Platinum Award by doing exactly what they have always done: putting safety at the center of everything. Their internal initiative, “Goal Zero,” aims for zero workplace incidents, and CCO Certification plays a big role in reaching their goal.
“Certification from CCO gives us confidence that our team knows the fundamentals when it comes to safe crane and rigging practices,” says Ricky Gracia, Global Crane and Rigging Training Specialist at LYB.
The decision to go with CCO was not made lightly. LYB evaluated several programs before choosing CCO for its consistent, industry-leading standards. Gracia says that while internal training has value, it couldn’t match the depth and credibility of what CCO offers.
LYB didn’t wait around for regulations to catch up, they required certification across all U.S. sites before it was common practice. Now, they are taking things even further by requiring certification for other types of equipment, like telehandlers, and using their internal Learning Management System to keep employees up to date with key safety standards like ASME B30.
| | Washington State Crane Certifier Rule Change | | |
Washington State has released a new rule impacting the crane certifier process, effective September 5, 2025. Under the updated regulation, certifiers must now hold a valid national certification from an accredited organization, such as CCO Certification, along with passing a Washington state certifier exam and completing 40 hours of recognized crane-related training. These updates align state requirements with national standards while ensuring certifiers are well-versed in Washington-specific regulations. Read more
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Are Online Proctored Exams Fair for Older Candidates?
A Look at CCO’s Groundbreaking Study
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More certification programs are moving online, and the issue of fairness for older candidates is becoming a large topic of discussion. These discussions are particularly important for the construction industry, where computers are not part of the daily job responsibilities. CCO Certification recently tackled this issue by conducting a data-driven study to assess whether online proctored exams are fair for older crane operators.
The study, conducted by a team of psychometricians, looked at candidates for the Mobile Crane Operator certification and compared the experiences of older candidates to those of younger, first-time test takers. With data from more than 16,000 candidates, the study looked at test-taking behaviors, performance, and preferences for the exam modality. Read More
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