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.

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.

Work places are not the same, especially in industries like construction and mining. These industries often have special situations that call for specific skills, skills that are not always readily available in the general workforce. To cater to the needs of these workplaces, employers are often forced to recruit employees who are well suited to the situation, and to then train them in the specific skills required.

Associated Training Services (ATS) has a long history of working with employers to deliver training that meets these specific needs. Our training can be designed specifically for your work environment and the equipment or work required. We deliver training in areas such as:

• NCCCO Crane Operator Training, Testing and Certification
• OSHA Compliant Rigging & Signal Person Training, Testing and Qualification
• NCCER Heavy Equipment Training, Testing and Qualification
• Class-A CDL Commercial Driver Training, Testing and Licensing

Our instructors are certified and they work from the latest in training methods, up-to-date curricula, and where necessary, to national accreditation standards. Training can be delivered on-site, or in our training facilities. Designing a training program to meet specific requirements can be challenging, however, our instructors are experienced and work closely with employers to ensure that training meets their needs, the regulatory requirements, and any specific requirements such as insurance.

If you require specialized training for your workplace, contact us to discuss your needs. Our long history of success (over 40 years) is based on customer satisfaction and industry relationships we have built. By working closely with industry, national accreditation organizations, and regulatory authorities, and we are able to deliver no matter how specialized your requirements.

To the untrained eye, a construction site often looks quite a bit like controlled chaos. Dump trucks driving all over the construction site and cranes moving loads from one location to another. It truly seems as though every worker has his own agenda to complete his own task. In reality, there is a lot more going on than this, especially in regards to the cranes and their proper operation. For each crane, there is a highly trained Rigger and a Signalperson involved in every movement they are making to ensure safety and proper execution.

At first glance, the crane operator seems to be the person with the most responsibility on a work site, and in fact, they are accountable for the safety of the entire work site. But, the Rigger is just as responsible for the safety of the crane operations. This includes the proper rigging of loads prior to them being lifted. To perform this properly, weight charts must be read and the proper rigging equipment used. This is an essential piece of the site’s overall safety as some of these loads can be extremely heavy and dangerous to coworkers.

Once the load is appropriately secured, it is then the Signalperson’s duty to safely guide the crane operator to perform the proper movement of the load from the rigging location to its final resting spot. Much like the director of an orchestra, the Signal person has to keep the flow of work moving to ensure the job is completed, but even more importantly, he must make certain that all crane activities are performed safely. This is performed using hand signals that must become second nature to the Signal person and the crane operator.

The Rigger and Signalperson have a great deal of responsibility to ensure the crew on the work site is safe, while at the same time, ensuring the job is correctly completed. Due to this responsibility and the importance of this position, it is mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that Rigger and Signalperson training must be performed, and a worker must be qualified or certified prior to performing this duty.

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.

One of the most demanding jobs on a construction site is that of a rigger or signal person. While crane operators are responsible for lifting and placing loads, it is the rigger/signal person who directs those crane operators. To be employed as a rigger or a signal person, you now need to meet the new OSHA crane mandated qualifications.

Associated Training Services (ATS) has developed one of the most effective and affordable OSHA compliant rigger/signalperson training programs in the market today. There are three areas that should stand out from that statement – the training is OSHA compliant, the training is effective, and the training is affordable. All are important considerations for those either looking to enter a career as a rigger or signal person, or for those already in the industry looking to become OSHA compliant.

The ATS rigger and signal person certification program:

1. Exceeds OSHA qualification standard for rigging and signal persons.
2. Includes written and practical training and testing.
3. 32 to 36 hours (4 days) depending on number of candidates.
4. Certification issued by National Commission for Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO).
5. NCCCO Rigging Level One and NCCCO Signal Person Certifications.

This is one of the easiest paths to becoming a certified rigger or signal person. You don’t have to undertake training at one organization while seeking certification in another. You will also find the employers will place a premium on your certification because of the reputation that ATS has earned over the years. In fact, we have been training for over 40 years, a record that few training organizations can boast.

If you are looking to become a certified rigger or signal person, then let ATS show you the easy path to gain that certification.