Rigging and Signaling: Why Proper Training Is Essential

When it comes to construction sites, safety should be a priority and one way that this can be achieved is by making sure that the riggers and signalmen in your site are competent, considering that they both deal with the lifting of heavy equipment.

People who are designated as riggers are responsible for making sure that heavy loads are secured before they get transported using the crane. They possess the skills and technical know-how on various tying techniques, identifying the center of gravity for certain loads, balancing them out and making sure that they are stable as they are lifted off the surface, and more. Signalmen on the other hand are the people who help the crane operator move the load from one spot to another. They help the crane maneuver safely through the use of specific hand signals or communicating through radio transmitters.

So, read on to understand the reason why providing adequate training for workers doing rigging and signalling is crucial.

Why should you make sure that your riggers and signalmen are skilled?

Lifting operations pose a unique set of hazards than other construction practices. Since this operation deals with transporting heavy loads from one rigging location to another, you have to make sure that the people getting their hands into this know what they are doing – they know how gravity works, how to make sure that the crane doesn’t succumb to the load’s weight, how to estimate and guide the crane operator in transporting the load, and so much more.

The competencies that both rigger and signalmen possess or lack can either make or break an entire lifting operation, and you wouldn’t want the latter to happen because it will pose serious threats to the safety of your workers and compromise the construction site. That’s why if you feel like your riggers and signalmen could use a bit of training or just a refresher, you should see that it gets taken care of as soon as possible with the appropriate safety courses.

The importance of acquiring certification/training

While qualifying to be a signalman or riggers requires less preparation than is necessary for certification - it may not serve as sufficient training. With no minimal training required, the qualification procedure may not offer the means to completely assess if a rigger and/or signalman really possess the technical know-how and hands-on skills to be capable of executing crane signaling or rigging operations safely.

To be competent enough to manage rigging and signalling duties safely, comprehensive training is mainly necessary to acquire hands-on skills and sufficient technical knowledge. It lets individuals learn about the basic hand and voice signals as well as the different rigging techniques utilising various types of loads and slings. Once the training or course is completed, it will let them gain the ability to perform their duties more effectively and safely.

Hence, if you’re keen on getting construction training in regards to rigging and signalling - Wong Fong Academy (WFA) can assist you with our “Performing Rigger and Signalman Task” course, which is a 17.5-hour session that is designed to make sure that your workers are equipped with the appropriate skills and knowledge to help with crane and lifting operations, and see that it gets done with efficiency and safety in mind.

As the eyes and hands of people who operate cranes, riggers and signalmen are entrusted with a huge responsibility to make sure that the entire process of loading, transporting, and unloading goes smoothly, and the training that WF Academy provides is geared to help signalmen and riggers be more competent with their task.