A certified rigger is a worker who has undergone the proper training to become certified to move loads. The specific certification level depends on the individual’s training, knowledge, experience, skill base, and ability to handle functions that pertain to the proper selection, use, and inspection of rigging equipment.

A rigger is a skilled worker who specializes in the lifting, landing, and assembly of heavy or large objects. The task often requires the help of a block and tackle and pulley, crane, derrick, chain hoists, or capstan winch. Riggers are needed for a variety of building and construction projects, so it is a role that is in high demand.

Riggers work in various roles, including construction and shipbuilding. Vacancies in the construction field for riggers have increased by 9.46 percent across the U.S., and there is an average growth of 1.58 percent in the field per year, which means that there is a need for trained rigging professionals. According to recruiter.com, the average salary of a rigger is $43,500 per year. Those who work in professional, scientific, and technical services are paid somewhat more, averaging $62,680 per year for their services.

Rigger Certificate Training

To become certified so you can seek employment as a rigger, you will need to go to an established school where you can receive professional training. Associated Training Services (ATS) includes heavy equipment operation, trucking, mobile crane operation, and rigger/signalperson certification. ATS has an OSHA-compliant rigger training program that provides students with the optimal level of expert instruction, and practical and written testing.

With the ATS rigger training program, you will become qualified to be certified with the new OSHA crane mandate while having the skills that you need to perform rigging tasks. You will have the knowledge, the skills, and the capabilities to handle the job safely and help protect other workers from being injured while you are performing your job duties. To learn more about ATS Training programs, please call (800) 383-7364 today.

As of September 2009, there were 63,012 jobs in the oil and gas well drilling industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the Gulf Coast is most concentrated in several Louisiana parishes and Texas counties. In these areas, rigging job or jobs account for a bigger portion of employment in these localities than the whole nation. Almost one-fourth of those employed in this field in the U.S. are in Harris County, Texas, which is in the Houston area. That totals about 14,881 jobs and equals about .9% of private sector employment in that specific county. Lafayette Parish in Louisiana had about 3.2% of the nation’s employment in the oil rigging industry.

In 2009, Baker Hughes reported that it had 1,281 active rigs, with 55 of them being offshore. The specific position of rigger in the oil and gas industry is held by 21,000 workers. Riggers have a mean hourly wage of $24.17, which totals about $50,270 per year. Riggers tend to make anywhere from $13.91 per hour to as much as $36.22 per hour. There are several industry subdivisions in the oil and gas industry that require riggers. Here is a breakdown:

Ship and boat building employs 2,270 riggers, support activities for mining employs 1,900 riggers, and the federal executive branch (OES designation) employs 1,590. Other industries with high concentrations of employment in the role of rigger include inland water transportation, ship and boat building, other support activities for transportation, and building equipment, and contractors.

Location Effects Salary

If you are employed as a rigger, your location can affect your salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 45 of the 50 states have riggers employed in some form or fashion. Washington State has 900 people employed in rigger positions with an average annual wage of $55,470 while Minnesota has only 230 riggers with an annual average salary of $55,860. In New York, the average rigger salary is $75,910 while in Michigan, the average salary for a rigger is $65,490 per year.

What is a Rigger? What is a Rigging job?

A rigger is a person who specializes in the moving and lifting of extremely heavy or large objects. Often, they do the moving or lifting with the help of a crane, chain hoist, or derrick. To become a rigger, an individual must undergo extensive training both in and out of the classroom. ATS offers OSHA-compliant rigger and signalperson training and certification. The program includes written and practical training and testing. To learn more about the program, call ATS at (800) 383-7364.

Did you know that Associated Training Services can travel and bring our top-rated Rigging/Signalperson Qualification and Certification Programs to the job site? It’s true, and it works very well for the specialized training your work crews might require for that site. ATS will train your work personnel using classroom and written curricula, including testing and practical instruction. Our training standards include:

Rigging/Signalperson Qualification Program

• Designed to meet all OSHA qualification standards
• Written curriculum and testing
• Practical training and exam
• A minimum of 8 hours of rigging/signalperson instruction
• Up to 12 hours of rigging/signalperson instruction
• Every student is issued a qualification compliance card by ATS after completing the course

Rigging/Signalperson Certification Program

• We exceed the OSHA qualification standard for rigging/signalperson training
• Students receive written tests to match in-class curriculum
• Students are administered practical training followed by practical examinations
• 4 days of training includes 32-36 hours of training
• Students receive NCCCO Rigging Level One as well as NCCCO Signalperson Certifications after successfully completing the training

This is a great way to ensure that your worksite meets the requirements of OSHA. It’s also a great way to get everybody on the same page for procedures and standards. With the spring construction season, the demands for rigging and signalpersons who are able to meet NCCCO standards will just keep growing faster than the grass sprouting everywhere.

Associated Training Services has been providing heavy equipment operator training for a long time, and our Rigging/Signalperson Qualification and Certification Programs are part of our tradition. Nobody should be operating heavy equipment without the appropriate safety standards, and the person doing the rigging and signaling is an essential part of those safety standards. Keep your crews safe by providing the training they need and make it happen by letting ATS travel to your site for custom training.

Under OSHA regulations, all riggers must now have, as a minimum, a qualification compliance card. Whilst this is the minimum standard, many workplaces are now preferring riggers that have rigger certification, which is the next level up. Qualification compliance cards are issued once a rigger has demonstrated the skills, knowledge and safety consciousness required to work as a rigger.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools deliver training and assessment of both riggers and signal persons. The training and assessment program meets the OSHA qualification standard for rigging and signalpersons. The program takes between 8 and 12 hours depending on number of candidates and includes written and practical training and testing. A qualification compliance card is then issued to verify the successful completion of the training program.

For those looking to gain a certification, the ATS training program more than meets the OSHA qualification standard for rigging and signalperson. The training program takes between 32 to 36 hours (depending on number of candidates) and includes both written and practical training and testing. On completion, participants are eligible to receive certification – this is issued by the National Commission for Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO). Participants will be certified as either NCCCO Rigging Level One or NCCCO Signal Person Certifications.

Training is available for both individuals or for employer groups. Training can be undertaken in our training rooms, or in the workplace for employer groups. If your employees do not have the minimum qualification standard, then you could be liable for severe penalties under the OSHA regulations. Contact us for more information if your employees require training and/or assessment to meet the minimum requirements.