Commissioner Spotlight: Brian Haight
Brian Haight, Cranes Technical Specialist/Crane Certification Program Supervisor at the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), has been an NCCCO Commissioner since 2014. Currently serving the Commission as a Government representative, Brian brings a unique regulatory perspective to the Commission so he understands how CCO certifications and potential new programs work within the government’s regulations.
At Washington’s Department of L&I, where he has served since May 2013, Brian develops, updates, and interprets DOSH safety standards pertaining to cranes and rigging in construction, general industry, and maritime. Washington State has some of the most robust qualification requirements for crane operators, riggers, signalpersons, and crane inspectors (i.e., “certifiers”) in the country. Brian also conducts training, provides policy direction, and gives technical guidance for DOSH staff and stakeholders throughout the state. A major responsibility is to supervise the Washington crane certification program (whose exams were developed and are maintained by NCCCO), including the more than 70 accredited Washington State Certifiers, as well as the state audit program. He also serves as Washington’s expert witness for cranes and rigging at the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals.
“NCCCO’s certification programs ensure that CCO-certified personnel bring with them a higher level of knowledge, skill, and perhaps most importantly consistency to their jobs,” says Haight. This is particularly valuable for contractors and employers who rely on skilled lifting personnel: “CCO certification is their guarantee that the people they bring onto their jobsites have sufficient knowledge and skills to perform their duties safely and efficiently.” The fundamental knowledge required for CCO certification also ensures that operators do not always have to rely solely upon today’s increasingly complex computer systems that can sometimes fail. He also recognizes that NCCCO has helped significantly increase formal training in the industry and the Commission itself provides an excellent network of experts for difficult or critical lifts.
Brian also brings more than 10 years of union experience with the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 84 (Paola, Kansas), where he progressed from shop committee member to union steward to vice president between 2003 and 2013. From 2002–2013 Brian was Material Handler Lead Man at Taylor Forge Engineered Systems, where he was team leader for all material handlers in the plant. In this position he led crew efforts to safely move, load, and ship products weighing up to 500,000 pounds. He was also responsible for engineering lifts of awkward and heavy products to safely move them. While at Local 84 (2003–2013), he communicated and mediated issues between Local 84 members and management/owners. He also employed negotiation and persuasion tactics to advocate the Union’s position in contract disputes and educated employees on the implications of proposed policy changes.
This wide range of industry, union, management, and government experience makes Brian a valuable member of the NCCCO Commission because he’s represented such a broad gamut of crane users and stakeholders and understands various sides of any potential conflicts.
When not working, Brian enjoys spending time with his two young children as well as playing guitar and getting outdoors to hunt, fish, and hike.