The construction industry has gone through considerable change over the last five years. A lot of changes have been forced through legislation that now mandates employers in respect to safety training, compliance, and the certification of many occupations. Crane operators were amongst the first to feel the effect of these changes, and in recent years riggers and signal persons have felt its effects.

To be employed on a construction site as a rigger, you now need some form of recognition of your skills and safety knowledge. This is generally achieved through training and certification. Many heavy equipment operators have been in the construction industry for years and have managed to seek certification (or qualification) based on that experience and the currency of their knowledge. Those who are now looking to take up positions as riggers (or signal persons) need the appropriate training and assessment in order to formally receive certification.

Training and certification is not a long process (three to four days depending on experience and knowledge) and can be completed as part of a group training exercise onsite, or as part of a class at a training school. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training Schools has been certified to deliver both the training and certification of riggers and signal persons. Certification is a nationally recognized award, which means successful individuals can work in any state without further training or assessment.

If you require OSHA-compliant rigger certification, then you (or your employer) should contact us for details on our training programs. If OSHA inspectors determine that employees have not met the minimum requirements to work as riggers, then that employer could be liable to large fines. The construction industry is constantly changing and the emphasis now is only making these workplaces safer for all. Rigger and signal person training is one of those areas that was targeted for change – are you OSHA compliant?

Construction sites rely on people working together in teams. Crane operators rely on those on the ground around them to provide directions, however, the only way a crane operator can understand those directions is if everyone is talking the same language. On a construction site, verbal communication can be difficult, so a special set of signals has been created that operators and those designed as signal persons learn. In today’s workplace, riggers and signal-persons need to trained and they must be able to prove they are competent before they can work in those areas. To be OSHA compliant, riggers and signal-persons need to be certified as competent, this may include training followed by an assessment of a person’s skills and knowledge.

Employers are responsible for ensuring their workers are all OSHA compliant. This includes arranging training and assessments of employees to achieve certification. ATS has developed OSHA Certified Crane Rigging training that is both affordable and accessible. Most importantly, it’s not taxing when it comes to time away from the workplace.

Our Rigger and Signal-Person Certification program:

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

If your employees are experienced, then they may only require assessment and certification, which makes the process even quicker. If you’re an employer who employs people in the positions of rigger and/or signal-person, and you need to have them certified, then contact one of our enrollment officers. They will be able to advise you on the best training options available, and provide you with a competitive quote.

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.