April 28, 2021—Per changes to the Crane Operator Certification Act (21-3D), effective June 16, 2021, the West Virginia crane operator license requirement is being repealed. Instead, employers must ensure all crane operators are trained, certified/licensed, and evaluated according to federal OSHA Regulation 29 CFR 1926.1427 Subpart CC. For more information about the federal OSHA requirements—including the requirement to be certified by an accredited certification body such as NCCCO—visit NCCCO’s OSHA Crane Rule Resource Center at www.nccco.org/osha-rule.
Generally speaking, operators with a Class A license already have CCO certification, so they are compliant with OSHA requirements; those with a Class B license will likely need to obtain certification if they are performing work within the scope of OSHA 1926 Subpart CC. Operators who obtain West Virginia licensure before June 16, 2021, will remain compliant until their licenses expire on January 1, 2022. Upon their licenses’ expiration, operators will need to ensure they are certified for the categories of cranes they operate beyond that date. Operators who are not licensed prior to June 16, 2021, will need to obtain accredited certification such as from NCCCO to be in compliance with federal standards. For more information on how to earn CCO Mobile Crane Operator certification, go to www.nccco.org/MCO.