ECOL is an European Operator Licensing System aimed at the operators of mobile cranes as defined in the EN 13000 construction norm. Operators of tower cranes and overhead cranes are not yet included in the system.
The ECOL system sets a standard for the training and examination of operators; it also sets a standard for the content and quality of the training and examination administered. The training itself is done by local training institutes established in the various EU countries. They will also arrange a local examination.
The ECOL standard has different training programs for novice operators and for operators who already have a national licence and a number of years of operating experience. Please refer to the relevant sections of the website for detailed information.
The ECOL training and examination can be done in English, or in your own language, provided there is a training institute in your country.
A precondition for taking part in an ECOL training and examination is that you are at least 18 years old and hold of a valid EU class-C driving licence [truck driving licence].
Once you are licenced under the ECOL programme, you are required to register your experience as crane operator in the SkillRecord experience registration system on a weekly basis. This registration involves the type of crane operated and the type of work performed.
This allows you to prove your experience as operator to new employers or new clients.
For more information on SkillRecord please refer to www.skillrecord.com