A Qualified Rigger is required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to be on the construction site during hoisting activities for assembly and disassembly work, when workers are in the fall zone and hooking, unhooking, or guiding loads. They are the ones doing the first connections of loads to components and structures.

Fact Number One: Riggers are essential members of the team and required to be part of the on-site crew.

In addition, qualified riggers are not automatically qualified to do every rigging job. They may have experience and training in certain types of rigging tasks, or hold certifications and degrees for specific types of rigging tasks, but they have to have shown they are capable of solving problems related to rigging loads.

Fact Number Two: It is the Employer’s responsibility to make sure the “qualified riggers” on their crew are qualified to do the specific job they are expected to fulfill with the proper equipment on the site.

Employers are not required to use a “certified” rigger; they are required to have evaluated the nature of the load, lift, and equipment used to hoist that load with the purpose of selecting the rigger who is qualified to do that particular job by reason of knowledge, training, and experience.

Fact Number Three: A rigger who has been trained in one of the ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School’s rigging/signalperson training programs has a good chance of being the Qualified Rigger needed for the job.

Take a look at the programs offered and you will see what I am talking about. There’s even an option for bringing ATS on the job site for customized training, letting the employer be positive the riggers meet the OSHA standards for Qualified Rigger.