Proper Rigging Techniques: 5 Rigging Tips & Best Practices

Safe rigging requires proper rigging techniques to ensure a balanced load distribution. By following proper rigging practices, your job site can protect workers, products, and equipment from injury or damage. Check out the rigging tips in the paragraphs below to ensure you’re using proper rigging setups.

What Make Up Safe Rigging Practices?

Safe rigging practices are those actions that adhere strictly to OSHA and other government and company guidelines for proper rigging, including securing a load, lifting or towing loads, and maintaining or replacing old or faulty rigging equipment. Your company or job site might require additional rigging regulations as well as government regulations for a higher safety standard.

Top 5 Proper Rigging Techniques and Tips

The rigging tips below will help ensure that you’re maintaining proper rigging practices for optimal safety. Note that this is not an all-inclusive guide to proper rigging techniques and that you should seek training and certification or updated certification before working on a job site.

Qualified, Competent, Designated, or Certified

Your authorized sling or rigging technician should be the only person signaling the crane operator or attaching or detaching loads from the rig. Your equipment operators and designated rigging expert should communicate about operations, potential failures, and other lift planning notes.

Examine Rigging Hardware

Other connecting hardware require an inspection to determine the parts' safety before use. If a part fails during a lift or tow, the load poses a danger to people, equipment, and nearby property.

You should remove any parts from use immediately if they fail your inspection, including:

• Nicks, cracks, gouges, or heavy corrosion
• Stretching, twisting, or shearing
• Missing or illegible load rating

Examine Lifting Slings

Before lifting with a synthetic sling, ensure that there are no tears, cuts, stretching, wear, or indications of burns due to heat or chemicals. Don’t forget to pad any sharp edges to prevent abrasion or tearing of the sling material.

Slings come in various materials, each with their own lifting regulations. Consult the manufacturer guidelines to choose a sling with enough load capacity. Sling types include:

• Wire rope or cable slings
• Chain slings (alloy, galvanized, other)
• Synthetic web poly, polyester, or nylon slings
• Metal mesh slings
• Synthetic round slings

Determine the Proper Sling Type and Sling Hitch

There are three main hitch styles to consider when lifting a load. Many sling types can accommodate any hitch, although some face some limitations. Hitches include:

• Vertical hitches
• Choker hitches
• Basket hitches

Check All Rigging Gear Has the Proper Identification or Markings

Ensure you know where to look for the appropriate stamps or tags with rigging safety courses. Check out Crosby Rigging Training, Columbus McKinnon Training, and the OSHA Rigging Certification courses to get certified.

Choose Greenshields Industrial Supply for All of Your Rigging Equipment Needs

Learn more about the proper rigging techniques and choose Greenshields Industrial Supply to order your rigging equipment. We offer over 60 years of experience helping customers find the right rigging solutions. Contact us today to find out more about ordering rigging equipment from our store in Everett, WA.