Trenching, or digging a ditch, may look like it is a simple process that anyone with a shovel or a rented backhoe can do. But that mistake causes many accidents and even deaths every year. According to OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration), “the fatality rate for excavation work is 112% higher than the rate for general construction.”

Trenching Safety

Here are the four top causes of injury, according to OSHA’s Trenching & Excavation eTool:

1. no protective system
2. failure to inspect trench and protective systems
3. unsafe spoil-pile placement
4. unsafe access/egress

The eTool has simple guides for avoiding each of these, but reading some information is not the same thing as being trained by qualified instructors. These teachers have the credentials that result in certifications future employers and insurance companies respect.

Why Training Is Better Than Teaching Yourself

Excavators do a dangerous job. When the consequences of making a mistake are things like injury or death, it’s better to begin the learning process in a classroom with expert teachers who can give you the benefit of their experience. You can learn about the types of mistakes that can be made and what will happen. Then, after the “head” knowledge is there, the “seat-of-the-pants” knowledge can be added in an environment designed to keep mistakes from being deadly.

Everyone makes mistakes when learning how to do something even trenching. That’s why some teachers say that F-A-I-L stands for “First Attempt In Learning”. Teaching yourself certain skills is a very good idea, and reading up on OSHA guides to a career you are interested in is a good idea, too. But if you are interested in operating heavy equipment, particularly those that are used in excavating, the best thing you can do is invest in credentialed training like that offered at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School.

Did you know that current Federal OSHA regulations say that ALL riggers and signalpersons must be qualified? That means if you want a job in this valuable field, you have to have the right credentials. Associated Training Services offers rigging/signalperson program that exceeds the OSHA requirement and is recognized as one of the best in the crane and lifting industries.

You Can Take It With You

The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) is the gold standard of the industry and ATS offers this certification as part of the available training options. It’s portable, so as long as you renew it every five years it’s good. If you let it expire, you have to take the NCCCO re-certification exam in combination with another ATS program.

So these are your benefits from this option:

Or It Can Be Part On-The-Job Training

It’s always a good idea to get training and receive national credentials when you are hoping to be employed in a skilled trade. But there’s a big difference between the kind of training you’d get in the backfield practicing with the farm’s equipment and the kind of training you will get at a nationally accredited training facility like ATS.

That farm equipment practice is a valuable experience, no doubt about it. You have developed a sense of where you are when operating the big machine and you have learned how to adapt to changing conditions. But you haven’t met any recognized standards of performance and a potential employer will want to know how you measure up to the standards in the industry.

Accreditation Proves You Are Professional

National credentials are accepted by educational institutions, government agencies, and industry professionals as proof you have met certain standards. The two organizations Associated Training Services works with are:

• National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER)
• National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO)

Many employers will insist that you have one of these certifications before letting you on the job site because their insurance company tells them it is a good idea. It proves the standard of training has been met. You might be up to that standard simply by having a lifetime of experience, but without the credentials, it is not easy to prove.

The experience you get on the farm or a job site is an important part of what you bring to a potential employer. Taking the time to get additional training at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School puts legitimacy into your resume by adding the appropriate credentials to prove it.

Sometimes the skilled trades, like heavy equipment operation, seem like an invisible career. The only guy who seems to be famous and blue-collar is Mike Rowe, the guy who has become famous for trying out dirty and unusual jobs on TV. But as Mike would say, “somebody’s gotta do it”, and think about what happens if nobody does that job?

Skilled Trades Have Permanent Physical Impact

In any skilled trade, the result of a job well done is a change in the surroundings somehow. With heavy equipment, that change is pretty obvious, but somehow society forgets that something like plumbing depends on somebody being able to dig a ditch. All the changes to the landscape that make life easier happen because somebody knows how to operate heavy equipment.

The big jobs that are done with big machinery are jobs that change the world. If you can do a job that changes your world, straighten up and stand tall because you make a big difference in a lot of lives.

Skilled Trade Professionals Have Credentials

The two national organizations that ATS works with to provide credentialing for the heavy equipment workforce are:

• NCCER — the National Center for Construction Education & Research
• NCCCO — the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators

Being able to show a potential employer that you have these certifications shows that high standards have already been met in your training and that you have passed the tests required to show mastery of the skills required. As a result, these credentials are valued throughout the industries that rely on heavy equipment to get a job done.

If you are a skilled heavy equipment operator with the credentials to prove it, you can stand up taller in confidence that you are a valuable professional.

If you are doing research about getting trained as a professional heavy equipment operator, it’s a good thing. Choosing a career in the skilled trades means that your training is going to be scrutinized carefully. After all, you’ll be operating expensive equipment in dangerous situations, so the company wants to make sure they hire the best. Choose ATS for your training needs.

Since the insurance companies are also very interested in who is on the site and how the operators have been trained, that also comes into the consideration companies give to who gets hired. Credentials and affiliations are proof that a school has retained specific standards and training practices.

ATS Credentials & Affiliations

1. National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) has the highest standards in the business. All ATS instructors are NCCER credentialed, and we are an Accredited Sponsor. We also helped write the heavy equipment training textbooks, that’s not something that every school can say.
2. National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) is a non-profit organization to develop safety and performance standards for crane operations throughout general industry and construction. ATS is an approved test site and registered training provider and if you are going to operate a crane, this is where to start looking at what you need.
3. Department of Workforce Development/Workforce Investment Act provides funding for financial assistance. ATS is an eligible training provider qualified to receive that funding, which means you could get money for our programs.
4. US Department of Veterans Affairs has approved ATS as an eligible training school, which means that military benefits are available if you qualify for them.
5. State Boards of Education in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, and Indiana have approved ATS and licensed our school.
6. Better Business Bureau (BBB) rates ATS with an A+.
7. ISNetworld supports over 360 Hiring Clients to manage more than 54,000 companies in 75 countries. ATS is a registered contractor with ISNetworld, which gives us global connections.
8. Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) is a national construction industry trade association founded on the merit shop philosophy. ATS is a member of this organization committed to work safely, ethically, and profitably to improve the communities we work within.
9. National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) is the leading trade association working exclusively in this incredibly important industry. It takes heavy equipment to do a big job, and ATS is a member of NUCA.

Choose ATS For Your Training Needs

We are pleased to be affiliated and accredited by these organizations because the benefits of our connections help our students to be equipped to become respected in their industry.

The National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) and the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) are the credentialing organizations that gives Associated Training Services (ATS) advantage over other trade schools.

These credentialing standards are recognized and accepted by many industry employers. They are also accepted by government agencies and educational institutions so are eligible for financial assistance. Students who hold NCCER or NCCCO credentials are appreciated and sought after.

The National Center for Construction Education & Research

NCCER is affiliated with the University of Florida and has the mission of “fostering a productive, safe, and sustainable workforce.” This standardized curricula is what ATS uses to teach our students. All ATS instructors have completed the NCCER Instructor Certification Training Program and we employ two NCCER Master Trainers who have gone on to advanced levels.

The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators

NCCCO was formed for the purpose of developing standards for crane operators in performance and safety procedures. These standards greatly increase the effectiveness of crane operation and reduce the risk of accidents. These standards include stimulating training, improving performance records, and recognizing professionals within the crane operation industry.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School Advantage

Because ATS utilizes these nationally recognized credentials, our graduates consistently are known as highly qualified entrants in their chosen field. Associated Training Services is proud to be a part of the legacy and promise that NCCCO and NCCER certifications bring to the skilled trade industries. A certification from either of these national credentialing organizations is an achievement to be proud of.