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.

When you see a huge crane safely performing a tricky job, one of the people responsible for that job’s success is the rigger. Here’s a short list of what the rigger does:

• has been OSHA certified or qualified according to the job needed
• figures out the weight and center of gravity of the load
• chooses the proper sling and makes sure it is in good shape
• checks fittings, clips and other hardware for adequacy
• keeps track of the distance from any possible overhead hazards, like power lines
• understands the weather conditions and when to call the job off for unsafe conditions
• acts as outside eyes and ears for the crane operator

Riggers and signalpersons are essential people on the job site. Their training and qualifications need to be top-notch, and their responsibility to do their job needs to be taken very seriously. Each thing on this short list of what a rigger does is an important thing, one that can make the difference between a good day at work or a trip to the emergency room, or worse. Even if nobody gets hurt, a slipped load means complications for getting the job done by deadline.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School is one of the best places in the world to get OSHA-compliant rigger/signalperson training. We have over 45 years of experience in training heavy equipment and mobile crane operators and work hard to provide comprehensive safety training for this job, as well. You’ll get expert instruction from the best rigger and signal training instructors in the industry as you prepare for your written and practical certification tests.

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.

On February 7, 2014, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a proposed rule to extend the compliance date for crane operator certification requirements. This would give three more years to both the certification and phase-in requirements that ensure crane operators are qualified to operate the equipment. It is a good thing, but it’s better to just go ahead and get your crane operator certification now.

Associated Training Services offers training for the CCO certification exams and we endorse the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) national certification program. The NCCCO program is designed to provide a complete assessment of knowledge and skills for those who work in, with, and around cranes. It shows you are a recognized professional crane operator.

We think you should get your NCCCO Certification if you are going to operate a crane, pure and simple. It shows you know what you are doing, it keeps everyone safer on the job, and employers are more likely to choose you over other job applicants. Even though the OSHA deadlines are extended, you know they are coming so why wait?

Crane operators are in high demand and those who are well-trained make very good money. We are one of the biggest crane operator schools in the country and our Certified Crane Operator Program will give you the experience and training you need to get that higher wage. Our training includes experience with fixed cab and swingcab mobile hydraulic cranes and a whole lot more. You learn how to operate a crane professionally, and you get your NCCCO Certification by the time you complete your training. You will be ahead of the pack scrambling to meet the new OSHA deadline and in a good position to be hired.

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.

Riggers are some of the most important people on the heavy equipment or construction site. Their job is to ensure safety and to maneuver equipment using ropes, chains, and hoists from one location or position to another. A rigger may be called to pull a bulldozer out of a ditch or a crane out of a body of water after falling off a dock.

Riggers must pass a training class and receive certification. They must pass a test to meet OSHA standards and demonstrate they understand common safety standards.

Another responsibility of riggers on the heavy equipment job site is to perform maintenance on equipment. If a grader or loader stalls while performing tasks on the spot and the crew cannot fix the problem at their skill level, a rigger may be called to repair the equipment on the spot rather than tow the heavy equipment back to the maintenance shop. If the rigger cannot fix the problem on the spot, then towing may be used as a last resort.

The rigging professional on the job site must understand how weight shifts on specific types of terrains and under certain weather conditions. He must be familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the various types of heavy equipment.

Riggers must also be experts in the use of ropes, chains, hoists, slings, hooks, swivels, shackles, block and tackle, and other lifting and heavy equipment moving machines. She must understand which types of leverage provides the best support for any type of situation. A rigger is a valuable member of any heavy equipment team.

Learn how you can become a rigger today.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is one of the most powerful U.S federal agencies, charged with inspecting businesses and ensuring that the workforce is a safe place to work. Richard Nixon signed the OSH Act into law in 1970. Since then, work-related deaths and injuries have been reduced by nearly 65 percent. Learn more on Obtaining OSHA training and qualifications.

One of the important functions of OSHA is to approve training programs like ATS’s Rigging and Signalperson qualification and certification courses.

The most important certification you can have in the heavy equipment industry is certification in safety.

We at ATS feel that safety is a top priority on the job site because if workers can’t be protected from accidents and unsafe working conditions, then it will be difficult to fill important and essential jobs. Employers will find it harder to keep well-qualified personnel on the machinery they need to complete important work.

The nation’s roads and bridges are built and maintained by heavy equipment operators. If working conditions are not safe, how long will it be before the national infrastructure crumbles?

OSHA fulfills a very important function. That’s why we’re proud to offer OSHA-compliant training that teaches the best and safest practices on the job site. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has, over the last few years, introduced mandatory requirements for many industries. These requirements cover general employment as well as specific occupations; for example, crane operators must now be certified and construction workers must all receive OSHA construction training. As an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure that all employees have been through this training and to organize training for those who have not. One of the latest groups to come under the scrutiny of OSHA are riggers and signal persons.

Riggers and signal persons must now be assessed as qualified before they can be employed on any site. Qualification can be achieved in a number of ways, however, the easiest is through a Rigging/Signal Person Qualification Program. This program is undertaken over 8-12 hours and includes required training and written and practical assessments. Once participants have completed the required components, they are issued with a qualification compliance card.

If you want more rigorous training, then the Rigging/Signal Person Certification Program is available. Participants who complete this program will receive certification through the National Commission for Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO). Whilst the NCCCO Rigging Level One and NCCCO Signal Person Certifications are above the minimum requirements for OSHA, they provide an extra level of safety further reducing accidents and expensive down time.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure that all workers have undertaken the minimum level of training required. You are obliged to keep accurate records of the training that each employee has received. Employing individuals who are not trained to those minimum requirements can lead to heavy fines, and listing by OSHA as an unsafe employer. If your employees are not fully trained, talk to ATS – we can organize group training either in our training rooms, or at your site.

Over the years the Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA) have established guidelines and minimum requirements for workers engaged in different industries. In the construction industry, there are a range of occupations that have been looked at in order to increase safety and, in so doing, decrease the number of accidents. Riggers have not been immune from this close examination, and from November 8, 2010, riggers had to be ‘qualified’ to undertake specific tasks.

To meet OSHAs criteria for a “qualified person”, riggers must meet certain conditions. These include:

….possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve/resolve problems relating to rigging.

The easiest way to demonstrate these abilities is by obtaining an NCCCO certification. This is generally obtained following training and assessment by a suitably qualified assessor. Experienced riggers can obtain certification by undertaking the assessment alone. However, rules and regulations are constantly changing so updating skills through training never hurts.

Employers must engage qualified riggers for work that includes the assembly and/or dis-assembly of cranes, hooking, unhooking, or guiding a load, or in the initial connection of a load to a component or structure and are within the fall zone. Associated Training Services has been accredited through NCCCO to deliver training and assessment to meet the standard required for certification as a rigger. By undertaking rigger training and assessment through ATS, employees will receive their rigger certification, a qualification that is portable and recognized across the country. If you are a rigger who requires certification, contact ATS for more information on our next training and assessment program.

If you visit a number of construction sites, there is one thing they may have in common – they all use a different language when it comes to hand signals. This often occurs when a team has worked together for a long period of time. Informal hands signals start to creep in, often because they are thought to be easier than the industry standard signals.

Industry standards are important. To begin with, they are portable so a worker can work on any site and they will be using the same language as everyone else. In fact, your English skills may be barely adequate, but your hand signals will be clearly understood by everyone. Industry standards are also important as they are generally deemed to be the clearest and easiest to learn by all.

If you employ riggers and signal persons, do they use the industry standard hand signals? It is now compulsory for workers in these areas to hold an OSHA qualification for their positions. This qualification is a way of recognizing the skills that each employee has in their field, and that they meet national minimal standards. Hand signals are an important component of a rigger’s and signal person’s working life.

For employers who have workers in either one (or both) of these fields, you need to ensure they all hold an OSHA qualification for riggers or signal persons. If they don’t, you may be subject to legal action resulting in quite large fines. Associated Training Services has a number of programs designed to qualify riggers and signal persons. These programs can be delivered either at your workplace or in our training schools. Upon completion of the programs, your employees will be eligible for compliance cards, thus meeting the new labor law requirements.