Before November 2018, a handful of states and cities nationwide had required that crane operators hold a certification. After the introduction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Final Rule, all 50 states now require operators within the construction industry to have a valid Crane Operator Certification card. To expand on this further, it’s important to understand the definition of certification and qualification. Certification: an official document attesting to a status or level of achievement Qualification: a quality that makes someone suitable for a particular job or activity By obtaining your crane operator certification, it means you have accomplished and demonstrated the minimum amount of knowledge and skill necessary for the certification company to deem you safe enough to operate a crane under supervised conditions. Think about it like a license to learn or a driver’s permit. Qualification on the other hand, comes with time and experience under supervised conditions. Using the same analogy as above, you can think of qualification like a driver’s license rather than a driver’s permit. Qualification comes with time and experience, which you’ll obtain through seat time while on the job. A newly certified crane operator should not expect to be deemed qualified without crane operation experience that is received while physically on the job. A crane school can help individuals take their first steps towards becoming a qualified crane operator, since schools like us help prepare students to successfully complete the certification exams. That’s why it’s important to ensure you’re choosing to attend a reputable crane school that can help you become certified the first time around. Unsure on what to look for when searching for a crane school? We’ve got you covered, check out our blog “How to Choose a Crane School” http://www.americancraneschool.com/