Australian crane association CICA (The Crane Industry Council of Australia) has signed a strategic partnership with the United States crane operator certification system NCCCO (National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators) as a move to strengthen international crane inspection standards and safety outcomes.
The agreement will kick off with the launch of CICA’s Green Sticker by CraneSafe (GSCS) programme in the USA, which is set to become the country’s first national, standardised approach to periodic crane and load handling equipment inspections.
Developed in collaboration with NCCCO Certification, the programme is based on well accepted CICA’s CraneSafe model, which provides crane owners, site managers and employers with a consistent, transparent and defensible way to verify inspection processes.
The Green Sticker by CraneSafe (GSCS) programme brings together CCO certified independent inspectors, equipment-specific inspection forms and a standardised inspection process designed to deliver reliable, repeatable results.
The CraneSafe Green Sticker process
In Australia, the CraneSafe Green Sticker system has become a cornerstone of crane safety, embedded in annual inspection regimes and widely supported by crane owners, contractors and regulators. The expansion of this proven framework into the USA represents a significant move for the crane industry worldwide. The partnership also hopes to create new opportunities for knowledge sharing, technical alignment and continuous improvement across inspection practices, helping to drive higher safety standards.
The video below is a little dated but highlights the benefits of the programme
CICA chief executive Brandon Hitch – who will relocate to the USA as part of this collaboration- said: “This partnership reflects Australia’s leadership in crane safety and delivers real benefits for both nations. Australia has spent decades building a robust, respected crane inspection system through CraneSafe. Seeing this framework adopted on a national scale in the United States is a powerful endorsement of our approach.” See:Brandon Hitch moves to CCO
NCCCO chief executive Thom Sicklesteel added: “Just like in Australia, the goal is to create a ‘Gold Standard’ for periodic inspections, improving safety, accountability and asset protection across the industry, and we are excited to be collaborating with CICA on this.”
CICA chairman Marcus Ferrari said: “This agreement elevates Australian safety standards onto the world stage, it strengthens collaboration between two major crane markets, improves consistency in inspection outcomes, and supports safer worksites for operators in both countries.”
CraneSafe USA will host a live online seminar on 22nd of January at 12:30 US Eastern time to introduce the Green Sticker programme and the broader CraneSafe USA inspection framework.
CICA’s site operations advisor Patrick Cran has overseen this partnership and the ongoing development of the CICA
CraneSafe programme in Australia, alongside Brandon Hitch added: “This partnership benefits everyone. But most importantly, it helps keep worksites safer and operations upholding best practice, which is what our industry is all about.”
23 years and stronger than ever
CICA’s CraneSafe /Green Sticker programme dates back at least 23 years, and began in the state of Victoria, where the Green Sticker was originally issued by WorkSafe Victoria, and was then adopted and susbtantial enhanced by the association. See: 10 years of CraneSafe
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