Rigging Safety: Rigging & Lifting Safety Training

Rigging safety is essential to protecting the health and lives of workers on the job site moving heavy or awkward items. Every employee on a job site, whether an operator, rigger, or signaler, should have up-to-date rigging safety training and certification.

Rigging Safety: Factors for Rigging and Lifting Safety

You and your crews should adhere to the basic riggers safety rules to move every load on the job site. Lifting safety should take primary importance when moving a heavy load at your work site. Keep these important rules in mind for every lift:

1. Only use certified operators, riggers, and signal personnel when lifting and transporting a load.
2. Inspect all rigging equipment before attaching a load.
3. Inspect the work area to look for hazards before performing the lift.
4. Balance the load properly between all load points.
5. If you must work around power lines, you must have someone qualified in electrical work to help crews maintain a safe distance of ten feet or more.
6. After a lift is complete, re-inspect your equipment.
7. Store used equipment safely.

6 Elements that Affect Lifting and Rigging Safety

Certified rigging personnel should understand the six key factors in maintaining a safe working environment, including:

1. Work load limit. You should review the lifting capacities of your crane boom and arm, slings, wire cables, hook, and other equipment and compare it to your load weight calculations.
2. Weather conditions. Conditions like wind can affect the load capacity of the crane or slings, while cold temperatures can make equipment brittle and more likely to tear or snap.
3. Proper rigging method. Adhere to OSHA and other government and contracting company guidelines for how to properly secure, lift, move, or tow a load.
4. Proper rigging equipment. Choose the right equipment for the job according to the work load limit and proper application of each piece of equipment.
5. Rigging equipment inspection. You should regularly inspect your equipment between lifts, and immediately before and after each lift. Discard of any damaged equipment properly.
6. Certified operators. As the operator in charge of cranes, forklifts, and other heavy machinery, the hoist and rigging operator has a responsibility to maintain job site safety.

Rigging Safety Toolbox Talk

Improper management of equipment, a job site, or keeping certifications updated can cause serious harm to workers. In this rigging safety toolbox talk section, make sure you keep an eye out for these dangerous practices that can cause serious or fatal job site accidents.

• Equipment stored improperly
• Failing to inspect equipment before use
• Shock loading a crane or other pulley system
• Working near live power lines
• Slip, trip, or fall risks
• Unsecured loads that could cause crushing injuries or death

Contact Greenshields Industrial Supply for Rigging Equipment and Supplies

You can get your rigging safety certificate from several industrial education providers across the country. When you complete your rigging safety training, turn to us at Greenshields Industrial Supply in Everett, WA, for all of your rigging supplies and assemblies. Contact us for over 60 years of experience supplying our customers with the best parts for the job.