In any construction site, no matter what crane is being used, from the smallest loader crane to the largest tower crane, there is a certain amount of danger once a load is off the ground. Safety is a crucial aspect of any crane operation, and riggers are central to that safety, with the crane operator making up a team that oversees every aspect of the crane operation on site.

The rigging team is responsible for all aspects of a lift, from the rigging of the load to ensure it has the required support and stability by organizing the cables and so on. This is where the rigging reference comes from, a throwback to the times of sailboats, but the rigger’s duties do not stop there, they also take part in the monitoring of the process throughout the lift. The other aspect of rigging that is incredibly important for safety is the signalperson. The signalperson relays the load condition, observations of the team, and other details to the crane operator themselves throughout the process.

Each of these positions is essential for site safety, the load riggers assess the weight, balance, and size of the load, setting up the pulleys and cable system to ensure a safe lift, so safety actually begins well before the lifting process is even started. During the lift, the signalperson will help control the lift and is an essential rigger position. With modern construction requiring ever larger and heavier loads to be moved, the rigger team is crucial to keeping the site safe during the lift, aiding and advising the crane operator throughout the process. Safe crane operation really is a team effort, and riggers are crucial to that team’s success.

Of course, for that team to work effectively and efficiently to maintain safety, training is essential, but the right training is even more important. There is specific OSHA qualification for riggers and signalpersons, and those qualifications can open doors to a new and rewarding career as a rigger or signalperson.

Here at ATS, we believe safety on site is one of the most important aspects of the construction industry today, and we are proud to offer OSHA-compliant courses for both riggers and signalpersons that go beyond the basic requirements.

Our qualification program for either rigger or signalperson meets OSHA requirements, and features both written and practical instruction and testing over 8 to 12 hours, resulting in each student receiving a qualification compliance card issued by Associated Training Services upon successful completion.

Moving on, our Certification Program for riggers and signalperson exceeds the OSHA qualification standard, and again, includes both written and practical training and testing over a 4-day period. Successful completion brings with it NCCCO Rigging Level One and NCCCO Signal Person Certifications, providing a valuable skillset that employers are actively seeking.

The rigger is a very important part of any heavy equipment team. More than just a driver, a rigger performs six different but essential heavy equipment tasks every day. Here are those six tasks.

1. Lifting – A rigger uses hoists and pulleys to lift heavy items such as equipment, loads, and cargo. To accomplish this task, they may provide the mechanical, electrical, and other tools to accomplish the lifting on the job site.
2. Moving – A rigger is responsible for moving heavy loads from one end of a work site to another. This may entail using a crane to lift and move large boxes, vehicles, or other heavy cargo on a dock, in a warehouse, or across a construction site.
3. Transporting – Riggers are also responsible for transporting heavy equipment, machinery, and cargo. This could involve the use of flatbed trucks, cargo ships, and other heavy industrial equipment.
4. Positioning – Sometimes, loads shift. A rigger is responsible for ensuring heavy loads do not shift during transport or, in the event that a shift has occurred, re-positioning loads for further transport.
5. Pulling – Riggers are responsible for pulling loads and heavy equipment or cargo. That may entail the use of wenches, pullies, dollies, jacks, and other useful mechanical equipment.
6. Security – Equipment security is very important. A rigger must ensure a load is safe and secure before, during, and after transport. This may involve securing a load with straps, bands, weights, and other equipment designed to keep cargo from shifting during transport or to ensure cargo isn’t burglarized or vandalized.

Heavy equipment riggers are a very important part of the heavy equipment team.

One of the most important jobs on the construction work site is that of a rigger. The rigger is responsible for the safety of personnel working on the site, especially mobile crane operations. But they are subject to regulation and the regulatory authority for riggers is OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The Heavy Equipment School Rigging/Signalperson training program will prepare you to be a world-class rigger and pass all certification tests and safety requirements of OSHA. We have the best program in the industry.

So what makes it such a good training program? All of the below:

• It meets and exceeds the OSHA qualification standards for rigger and signalperson training
• You’ll receive written and practical training and testing on those standards
• The qualification program offers 8 to 12 hours of instruction, depending on the number of students in class
• The certification program offers a 4-day intensive of 32 to 36 hours, again depending on the number of students in the program
• All graduating students will receive a qualification compliance card upon successful completion of the Rigger/Signalperson Qualification Program
• Students graduating from the Rigger/Signalperson Certification Program will be certified by the National Commission for Certification of Crane Operators

Associated Training Services (ATS) offers several ways to take this training. You can come to us and be trained in our world-class facilities, or, if your company is certifying several riggers and signalpersons at once, then we’ll arrange to come to your work site and administer the training.

OSHA standards are tough, but they are necessary for a safe work site. ATS is committed to training riggers and signalpersons in the latest qualification and certification standards for crane operations.

Who are world-class Riggers are important people on the work site? Often employed in shipping yards, loading docks, construction sites, industrial warehouses, transportation depots, and other places where extraordinarily large and heavy objects or machines need to be lifted and moved from one place to another, riggers are responsible for much of the movement of consumer goods in the world.

We’re not talking about moving a piano here. We’re talking about moving huge pallets of pianos, computers, or other goods all at once. Heavy stuff.

Typically, riggers operate the machinery, hoists, pulleys, and ropes–and are responsible for their safe “rigging”–that lift and move material that ways thousands or millions of pounds. Huge, heavy stuff.

World-Class Rigger Steps

If you want to be a rigger and enjoy a long career in industry, you’ll need to seek OSHA-compliant training. You won’t get hired by the best employers in the workplace if you aren’t trained by the best schools. So here’s how you become a world-class rigger.

1. Sign up for rigger training at an approved heavy equipment school
2. Complete and graduate from your rigger training
3. Take the rigger certification exam
4. Receive your qualification card

Once you’ve been trained and qualified as a rigger, you can then begin to seek employment. Associated Training Services will assist you in finding your first job as a world-class rigger. In fact, we’ll not only feed your job leads, but we’ll train you on the soft skills you need to land job interviews and ace them. You’ll be gainfully employed and upwardly mobile before you know it.

Riggers are important people on the heavy equipment job site. If you are working heavy construction, a good rigger can save your life.

Recently, I spoke to a gentleman who told me a story about an accident he had on scaffolding. It wasn’t high off the ground, but he did step onto a plank that wasn’t secured properly and immediately was thrown into the scaffolding uprights. He hurt himself a little bit. No broken bones or serious injury, but it did bruise him fairly well.

His mistake: He didn’t inspect the scaffolding a fellow worker put together for him. If he had, he’d have seen his fellow worker’s error.

Rigger’s Save Lives

I don’t know if these workers were certified. They weren’t involved in the heavy equipment industry. They were painting a house. But on a heavy equipment job site, the rigger is the person who puts all the equipment together and inspects it for safety. They are usually an expert in tying knots, rigging hitches, and performing other tasks in lifting and securing heavy objects. That’s why they are so important.

Associated Training Services (ATS) offers a rigging certification course to train your riggers in all aspects of keeping your work team safe.

OSHA regulations require riggers to be certified. By enrolling in this course, you’ll learn how to be a good rigger and get your certification, which means you’ll be legal and qualified. There aren’t many schools that offer a rigging course. ATS is one of them.

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.

One of the more important jobs on a construction site is that of the rigger. A rigger does a lot of work that reduces the risk of injury to others working on that construction site. Riggers also work closely with crane operators to ensure the safe movement of materials by that crane. Because safety has become an important issue in all workplaces, steps were taken to ensure that all riggers meet a minimum standard of training and knowledge. To comply with these regulations, riggers are now required to complete a training program, or at least demonstrate their skills and knowledge and to be issued with a compliance card that verifies their skills and knowledge.

That is the very minimum requirement. Some employers look for a wider range of skills and knowledge, preferring to employ those who have become certified riggers. Certification is a longer, more in depth training program and is often the minimum requirement for those in positions of authority.

The ATS OSHA rigger training programs are designed to meet these minimum standards. You can either go through the certification program or opt for the shorter compliance card program, depending on your requirements. For employers, group training has many cost benefits, especially if undertaken in the workplace. Downtime is reduced, and all employees receive the same training – and that includes any modifications that may be required to suit your workplace.

If your employees do not meet the minimum requirements under OSHA regulations, then you can be fined. If someone is hurt or killed in a workplace incident and your workers don’t meet these regulations, then the cost could be much higher than a simple fine.

In heavy equipment, there is a huge need for people to hoist, lift, push, and pull heavy objects. There is special equipment for these large tasks and riggers are the people who operate that equipment. In order to secure advanced employment in the heavy equipment field as a rigger, you’ll need to be trained on this equipment.

ATS has a special training course just for riggers.

When you enroll in the ATS rigger course you’ll be trained according to the standards established by OSHA. There are two programs that will qualify you for work as a rigger on a heavy equipment operations team.

• Rigger Qualification Program – This training program includes written and practical training and testing. It includes 8 to 12 hours of training, and once you complete training ATS will issue you a rigger qualification compliance card.
• Rigger Certification Program – The ATS Rigger Certification Program consists of 32 to 36 hours of training and it also includes a written and practical training and testing portion during the course. ATS is not authorized to certify riggers so you’ll get your final certification certificate from the National Commission for Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO).

Both of these courses will train you and qualify you to work as a rigger and as a signalperson on a heavy equipment operations team. Once you receive your qualifications you can start work immediately upon finding an employer. You are just a few short hours of being a qualified or certified heavy equipment rigger.