Old crane certificates A-G — what may you operate today?
How to translate a certificate from before 2018 into today's four crane certificates
Introduction
Until 1 January 2018, the crane certificates were called A, B, C, D, E and G. Many experienced crane operators still have one of them in their pocket. Here is what the letters meant and what they give the right to today.
The old categories
| Old certificate (before 2018) | Covered |
|---|---|
| A | Slewing tower cranes (construction cranes), rail-mounted harbour cranes, slewing cranes, overhead runway cranes, shipyard cranes and the like |
| B | Mobile cranes |
| C | Other cranes requiring a certificate, e.g. gantry cranes and overhead cranes |
| D | Truck-mounted cranes over 8 up to and including 25 tonne-metres |
| E | Truck-mounted cranes of more than 25 tonne-metres |
| G | Construction machines used as cranes |
The four certificates today
Today there are four crane certificates (BEK no. 1978 of 27/10/2021 §§ 4-6):
- 01Crane Basics — the basic certificate that all the others build on.
- 02Mobile cranes over 8 tonne-metres — covers up to and including 30 tonne-metres.
- 03Mobile cranes over 30 tonne-metres — also requires the first two.
- 04Tower cranes and fixed cranes over 8 tonne-metres — also requires Crane Basics.
Note the limit: The old D/E limit was 25 tonne-metres. Today the dividing line between the two mobile crane certificates is 30 tonne-metres.
Is my old certificate still valid?
Yes. If you got a crane certificate under the earlier rules, you may still operate the machines your certificate applies to (BEK 1978/2021 § 30, subsection 5). There is one exception: Crane certificates D and E and forklift certificates only gave the right to operate telehandlers until 31 December 2018. Since 1 January 2019, telehandlers for crane work require both a crane certificate and a telehandler certificate.
Want to upgrade?
If you want to operate cranes other than those your old certificate covers, you take an AMU course with a test. Examples:
| AMU no. | Course | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 48586 | Crane Basics supplemented with tandem lifting | 10 dage |
| 48644 | Mobile cranes 8-30 tm with integrated Crane Basics | 10 dage |
| 49955 | Tower crane and fixed cranes | 15 days |
| 49943 | Tower crane and fixed cranes + Crane Basics | 22 days |
If you have a certificate under the old rules, you can instead take an approved upgrading course with a test (BEK 1978/2021 § 30). Ask your AMU school which course fits your certificate.