Rigging and signalperson jobs are in demand. You have probably heard those terms, but you may not know what the jobs entail. A rigger is an individual with the proper degree or certificate or someone who has extensive training and experience or knowledge that enables them to successfully demonstrate their ability to resolve issues that pertain to rigging loads. These are individuals who must have the ability to rig the load for a specific job and properly plan the process.

Topics covered by a rigger training course will include OSHA and ASME standards, the proper use of taglines, knots that are used in rigging, hoisting personnel, hand and voice signals, and the safe usage of slings, rigging hardware, wire rope, and chain and lever hoists. It also involves rigging procedures and practices as well as learning the basics of crane operations.

Signalpersons serve as the eyes and ears on the ground for the crane operator. They must properly signal and communicate with the crane operator so they can avoid crane accidents. Crane operators should never try to work without a qualified signalperson on duty working with them. According to OSHA, a crane operator signalperson must complete specific training to be qualified to perform the job.

Here are some responsibilities of a signalperson:

• Demonstrate their knowledge through practical, oral, and written tests
• Know the crane equipment, its limitations and the dynamics involved in boom and crane lifting and movement
• Know the different kinds of signals used at the job site and can use those signals competently

There are certain times that OSHA requires a signalperson to be on the job. Those times include:

• The load or area near or at the load isn’t within the operator’s full view
• When the equipment is moving, and the direction of movement is obstructed
• When the operator or the individual who is handling the load believes a signalperson is needed for safety concerns

Eligibility requirements to become a certified signalperson:

• Minimum of 18 years of age
• Pass drug screening
• Pass the written exam
• Pass a practical test
• Adhere to the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) Code of Ethics

Rigging and signalperson jobs are in great demand. There are websites where openings are listed. There are also different construction organizations that help companies recruit for the two different positions. Specialized training schools, such as ATS, can also help with job placement. To learn more about training programs for rigging and signalperson positions, contact ATS today at (800) 383-7364.

Signalperson

Safety is crucial on any site, and this is especially true where there are cranes in operation. When we think of cranes, it is the crane operator that is the job that comes to mind, but there are several other positions that are crucial to safe crane operation, and one of those is the crane signalperson. The crane signalperson is not new, it has been part of construction since industrial cranes became common, and were sometimes called spotters, but what is it they do?

It is the crane signalperson’s job to ensure the safe operation of a crane, working in tandem with the crane operator, to move large loads safely around a site. There are two aspects of the job, the first is the physical inspection of the load and equipment, and the second is guiding the operator during a lift. Beginning with the load itself, the crane signal person should be able to spot issues with the load itself, such as incorrect weight distribution, the load hook is correctly positioned, the rigging chain is set correctly without twists, and so on, and that load weight, position relating to the boom and other factors are all correct.

They also play an important part in the lift itself, firstly, before the load is moved, assessing the hoisting path, including whether it means being too close to any hazards or traveling over the heads of site workers causing a safety issue that must be highlighted and measures are taken to avoid. Once the lift is in progress, the crane signal person directs the crane operator, using a series of special hand signals or a hands-free radio system. In this way, the operator is always kept aware of the precise position of the load, its movement including direction and speed, when to stop, if there are any dangers, and so on. It is a partnership that allows cranes to operate safely.

CCO Signalperson Certification

Accomplishing that needs a good understanding of the cranes themselves, and in many ways, a crane signalperson needs to have as good an understanding of crane operation as the operator themselves, and of course, that means training. Becoming an NCCCO certified crane signalperson is a requirement for employment, and the approved courses that get you certified provide the skills and understanding of both crane operation and the safety aspects of moving large loads on site that are needed to perform the tasks required properly. To be a qualified crane signalperson, there are a few requirements. Passing both the written and practical examinations are essential, without proof of those qualifications you cannot be employed as a crane signal person, you must also be over eighteen years of age and drug-free.

Those qualifications and the skills needed to get them can be learned through a variety of training approaches, however, the best training includes both classroom training and a chance to put those newly learned skills into practice on-site, not only giving the technical understanding needed but the confidence gained from real-world experience to get out there and launch a lucrative career as a crane signalperson.

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

Every rigger/signalperson has to be certified. That’s a federal regulation from OSHA and most insurance companies have been insisting on it too. It just makes sense that this vital job be one that is held by a person who has been trained and passed the certification meeting the National Comission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO).

This NCCCO certification goes past the federal standards and is recognized as the best in the crane and lifting industires. If you want to be the best rigger/signalperson on the job site, you need to have this certification.

How To Get Your NCCCO Certification

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School offers OSHA Rigger/Signalperson Training that results in getting your NCCCO Certification. This has a lot of advantages:

• OSHA Recognized
• Industry Recognized
• Portable – goes with person
• Opens additional job opportunities
• Short term – one week
• Additional credential

We Can Come To You

Employers can also take advantage of our Qualification program to train their employees at the ATS school in Wisconsin or bring ATS instructors on any site in the US. Rigger and signalperson information is taught and there are both written and practical exams. At the end of the time, credentials document the trainees’ completion of the program and are valid for three years.

Whether you come to ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School for the full NCCCO training or your employer has our instructors come to your job site and train you, that training will be the best we offer. Both the knowledge and the basic skills will be yours along with that precious certification that shows you are qualified to be the best rigger/signalperson on the job site.

You’ve seen that guy, or gal, in the reflective clothing with the flags and radios. Sometimes they are on the road, directing traffic. Most of the time, though, they are on the job site keeping everybody safe. Without a qualified rigger/signalperson, the load on the crane might be unstable and fall. The equipment could run into somebody and hurt them badly. The cost of not having a signalperson who knows their job is high, so everybody pays attention to what the signalperson says is going on.

Associated Training Services offers two levels of rigging/signalperson training:

1. The Rigging/Signalperson Qualification Program
2. The Rigging/Signalperson Certification Program

The Qualification program is the basic foundational training that has been mandated by OSHA and it will meet many of the job requirements on most sites. It takes 8-12 hours of instruction, written and practical training and testing, and you get a qualification compliance card at the end showing you meet all OSHA qualification standards.

The Certification program is more intense, with 32-36 hours of training (four days) and the same careful written/practical training and testing in more detail. By the end of this program, you will exceed the OSHA qualification standard for rigging/signalperson training and receive NCCCO Rigging Level One as well as NCCCO Signalperson Certifications.

Associated Training Services is fully qualified to administer the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) national certification program. We are experienced in preparing students for the CCO certification exams, which are offered regularly. Take a look at our NCCCO schedule and see what dates will work for your plans so that you will be the guy everyone pays attention to.

OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, have a lot of rules and regulations in their arsenal. And you know what? Every single one of those rules and regulations is the result of trying to avoid an ugly thing: death and destruction to workers. Those regulations are like links in a chain – each one is ineffective on its own, but they combine to be strong.

Professional rigger / signalperson training is one of those essential links in your safety chain because your riggers and your signalers are performing basic safety procedures affecting every aspect of the job. If the load isn’t rigged right, accidents are inevitable. If the communication isn’t happening, accidents are inevitable. This job is one that truly merits comprehensive training so that everybody on site stays alive and whole.

Associated Training Services (ATS) provides that comprehensive training. We think it’s the best in the world! All the experience of 45 years combined with the best rigger and signal training instructors in the industry to get our students ready for both written and practical OSHA certification tests.

ATS offers two levels of training in this important field:

1. Rigging/Signalperson Qualification
2. Rigging/Signalperson Certification

Both programs emphasize OSHA safety compliance and ensure basic skills, knowledge of rigging and signal use, and teach the latest OSHA regulations. ATS will even come to a company’s work site and train personnel in the classroom with written materials, including testing and practical instruction in both levels of certification.

The difference between our two types of programs is simple. Those completing the Qualification Program have from 8 to 12 hours of rigging/signalperson instruction, written curricula & testing, practical training & exam, and are issued a qualification compliance card at the completion of the course showing they meet all OSHA qualification standards.

The students in the Rigging/Signalperson Certification Program have gone through 4 days of training (32-36 hours), all the classroom and practical training and examinations, and exceed OSHA qualification standards for rigging/signalperson training. Successful completion results in NCCCO Rigging Level One and NCCCO Signalperson Certifications.

Both levels of training are going to meet the safety standards you want on site. Associated Training Services can provide what you need to keep your safety chain strong in our OSHA Qualified Rigging / Signalperson Training.

Why OSHA? Who is OSHA? OSHA is a U.S. federal government agency that is responsible for ensuring workplace safety across many industries. It’s an acronym that stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Riggers and signalpersons are certified by OSHA because they are important people on the heavy equipment work site. By ensuring that only well-qualified and well-trained personnel are operating in this critical work site position, OSHA can influence the risk factor on heavy equipment job sites. The result is fewer accidents, fewer critical injuries, and a lot fewer injuries overall.

If you take your rigger and/or signalperson training from Associated Training Services, you will be certified by OSHA to work on any heavy equipment job site in the country.

The rigger and signalperson qualification and certification programs meet all OSHA standards for training and will qualify you to work as a rigger or signalperson on the job site.

In the qualification training class you’ll receive practical training with 8-12 hours of rigging/signalperson instruction. At the end of the course, you’ll receive a qualification compliance card signifying that you’ve been trained and meet all OSHA requirements. Employers look on this card favorably because they know that you are qualified and certified by the federal government.

Over 4 days in the certification program, you’ll receive a total 32-36 hours of training. At the end of the course you’ll receive two OSHA-approved certifications:

• NCCCO Rigging Level One Certification
• NCCCO Signalperson Certification

You can’t beat a course that will give you two work place certifications. You’ll be qualified to work in two very critical positions within the heavy equipment industry. Get OSHA certified today.

The job of a signalperson is an old and ancient custom. Before electronic communications, signal people or a signalperson, used flags and lights for communication. Some still do depend on the circumstances. In fact, the military still uses lights and flags, especially in combat situations.

You’ve likely seen people on construction sites who stand around with flags and direct traffic. They don’t just direct cars and trucks on the road. They also direct heavy equipment such as cranes.

The signalperson must understand how every piece of equipment maneuvers and have a thorough understanding of their limitations. That includes how the boom swings, how buckets raise and lower, clearances, and a whole bunch of safety factors. These safety factors are the reason signal people must be OSHA certified.

Other things signal people must understand well are weather and terrain circumstances that can affect equipment maneuverability.

For instance, if it has rained within the last day or so, will the ground be too soft for tracked vehicles? What about wheeled vehicles? How will clay beneath the surface affect turning on the job site? Will vehicles move faster or slower as a result of weather and ground conditions?

These are all important considerations and the signalperson must be able to account for them as they direct heavy equipment on the work site. It is imperative for the safety of the entire work crew and any civilians in the area. That’s why it is important to get the best signalperson training you can get prior to taking a job in this specialty.

The world of construction is constantly changing, especially when it comes to legislative requirements. It seems that every year there is a new set of requirements and, in recent years, these changes have had significant effects on crane operators and riggers/signal persons. Crane operators now need to be certified whilst riggers/signal persons need to have formal acknowledgement of their skills and knowledge.

For riggers and signal persons, this is by undertaking either a qualification or certification program. The certification program is of a higher level and does take a little longer to complete. After completing this program you will be certified at Rigging Level One. If you complete the qualification program you will receive a qualification compliance card, the minimum standard for riggers and signal persons.

Employers have been encouraged to have their work crews trained and either qualified or certified in groups. At ATS, we deliver training to work groups, either in our training school or at an employer’s work place – whichever is best suited to individual employers. We can also design our rigger/signalpersons training to include workplace-specific skills whilst still covering the standards set by the relevant authorities.

If you are not either certified or qualified, then you shouldn’t now be working as either a rigger or signalperson. The onus is on employers to ensure that their workers meet all the requirements set down by OSHA – failure to do so can lead to huge fines. If you don’t meet these requirements, or you’re an employer who has workers who don’t meet these requirements, contact us to discuss the best training options available.

There are times when ‘just good enough’ is not going to be good enough. Under current workplace regulations, all riggers and signalpersons require qualification. This is a basic standard that ensures workers follow the OSHA guidelines when working as either riggers or signalpersons.

After basic rigger training, your workers will receive a qualification compliance card. Whilst that means your workers meet OSHA guidelines, is it really enough for your workplace. Those who are in a leadership role generally need more in-depth training that covers a wider range of topics. Our qualification training program can be completed in as little as eight hours – our certification program requires at least 32 hours of training and assessment. Furthermore, on completion, graduates are issued both the NCCCO Rigging Level One and the NCCCO Signalperson Certification.

Our rigger/signalperson training program exceeds the OSHA qualification standards and prepares participants well for busy workplaces, especially as team leaders. The aims of both programs are to make workers more safety conscious, to increase their skills, and to increase their knowledge of rigging. For employers, we can offer training in our classrooms, or at your workplace, whichever is most convenient.

Associated Training Services (ATS) delivers training though highly trained and respected rigger and signal training instructors. ATS has almost fifty years of training experience in areas of heavy equipment operations, crane operations and truck driving. We have developed a good reputation for producing well-trained graduates – if you need to ensure your workers are OSHA-compliant, then talk to us – we can discuss your needs and organize training programs to fit in with your workers’ buys schedules.