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I’m Ron Wittmeyer, and today we’re going to talk about rigging safety in construction. OSHA does not require that riggers be certified. However, OSHA does set forth particular standards for riggers. OSHA defines and requires that what’s called a qualified rigger must be used under certain circumstances.

When a qualified rigger must be used

Here’s when OSHA says a qualified rigger must be used:

During hoisting activities for assembly or disassembly work.
Whenever workers are within the fall zone and hooking, unhooking or guiding a load, or doing the initial connection of a load to a component or structure.

This means that during any hoisting and rigging operation on a construction site, a qualified rigger must be used under the OSHA standards.

OSHA’s definition of a qualified rigger

Here’s how OSHA defines a qualified rigger: a person who possesses a recognized degree, certificate or professional standing, or someone who has extensive knowledge, training, and experience in rigging. In either case, that person must be able to successfully demonstrate the ability to solve problems related to rigging loads.

OSHA also says that a qualified rigger does not necessarily have to have a broad range of experience and knowledge of rigging all sorts of different types of loads but must simply be qualified to rig the particular job that they’re doing.

Particular job criteria

Each particular job depends on the nature of the load, the type of lift that’s performed, as well as the type of hoisting equipment and the type of rigging equipment that’s being used. In a job with these particular criteria, that’s where a qualified rigger must have the training, knowledge, and experience to be able to safely perform the job.

Of course, it is the employer’s responsibility to make sure the person doing the rigging on that job meets OSHA’s criteria for being a qualified rigger. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email.