Rigging training teaches a crew to estimate load weight, select and inspect slings and hardware, rig the right hitch and control the pick. Under OSHA’s crane rule, a qualified rigger must rig any load that workers hook, unhook or guide inside the fall zone, and all assembly and disassembly rigging, so employers train, evaluate and document every rigger.
This page maps every rigging class we run for employers: who on your crew needs which class, what OSHA actually requires, how on-site training works and what drives the price. Each class has its own page with the full outline, and the table below links to all of them. We train and qualify your people; where a crew needs a third-party card, NCCCO certifies and we prepare the candidates.
Which Rigging Class Does Each Person on Your Crew Need?
Match the class to what the person does on the lift, not to the job title. A laborer who chokes a bundle of pipe needs the fundamentals. The person hooking loads in the fall zone has to be a qualified rigger. The lead rigger on a tandem pick needs the math. Whoever directs the operator has to be a qualified signal person. Most crews need two or three of these classes, and we run them in the same visit.
| Class | Best for | What your crew learns | What it supports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Rigging | New hands, laborers, apprentices and plant crews who hook or guide loads | Sling types, the three basic hitches, sling angle, reading rated-load tags, tag lines, basic hand signals | A shared foundation and an employer training record; not a qualified-rigger credential |
| Qualified Rigger Level I | Riggers on routine, pre-planned lifts | Gear inspection, load weight, standard hitches, sling angle factors, rigging routine picks | The qualified-rigger tasks in 1926.1404(r)(1) and 1926.1425(c)(3); written test plus practical demonstration |
| Qualified Rigger Level II | Lead riggers on complex, multi-crane and critical lifts | Center of gravity, sling tension at angle, below-the-hook devices, critical-lift rigging | Qualified rigger for non-routine lifts; calculation-heavy written test plus a lead-rigger practical |
| Qualified Rigger & Signal Person | Crews where the same hands rig the load and signal the pick | Rigging plus Standard Method hand signals and voice signals, evaluated together | Rigger qualification plus signal person qualification under 1926.1428, in one visit |
| Qualified Signal Person | Anyone who directs the operator | Standard Method hand signals, voice signals and crane dynamics, in a one-day class | 1926.1428: an oral or written test plus a practical test, documented and available at the site |
| Rigging Gear Inspection | The person who inspects slings and hardware before use | Removal-from-service criteria for wire rope, chain and synthetic slings, hooks and shackles; inspection records | 1926.251(a): gear inspected before use each shift, slings each day by a competent person the employer designates |
| Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices | Crews using spreader bars, lifting beams, plate clamps and vacuum lifters | Device markings, rated loads, inspection and safe use | ASME B30.20 (below-the-hook lifting devices) and 1926.251(a)(4) for custom lifting accessories |
| Rigger & Signal Person Train-the-Trainer | Employers that qualify riggers every hiring cycle | How to teach, test and document riggers and signal persons in-house | Your own qualified evaluator for signal persons (1926.1428(a)(2)) and in-house rigger training records |
| NCCCO Rigger Exam Prep | Riggers whose owner or contract asks for the CCO card | Study plan and practice for the NCCCO Rigger Level I and Level II written and practical exams | A voluntary third-party certification; NCCCO certifies, we prepare candidates |
Not sure where a person fits? Train to the hardest lift your crew actually does, not the average one. Our Rigger Level 1 vs. Level 2 guide walks through the difference between the two rigger levels, and the class pages above carry the full outlines.
What Does OSHA Require From Riggers and Signal Persons?
OSHA doesn’t prescribe a rigging course. It names the tasks that need a qualified person, defines what “qualified” means and makes the employer responsible for training and evaluating. These are the rules our classes are built around, with the paragraph to cite when an inspector or a prime contractor asks:
| Rule | What it says | Who it lands on |
|---|---|---|
| 1926.1401 (definitions) | A qualified rigger is a rigger who meets the criteria for a qualified person: a recognized degree, certificate or professional standing, or extensive knowledge, training and experience, plus a demonstrated ability to solve problems in the work | Every rigger you call qualified |
| 1926.1404(r)(1) | Rigging used for crane assembly or disassembly must be done by a qualified rigger | Assembly and disassembly crews |
| 1926.1425(c)(3) | When workers hook, unhook or guide a load, or make the initial connection, inside the fall zone, the materials must be rigged by a qualified rigger | The hook-up crew on most picks |
| 1926.753(c)(2) and (d)(2)(iii) | Steel erection: a qualified rigger inspects the rigging before each shift, and all loads must be rigged by a qualified rigger when work goes on under suspended loads | Ironworkers and connectors |
| 1926.1428 | Each signal person must be qualified before giving signals, by a third-party or employer’s qualified evaluator, through an oral or written test plus a practical test, with the documentation available at the site | Signal persons |
| 1926.1430(d) and (g) | The employer trains each competent and qualified person on the Subpart CC requirements for their role, evaluates that the training was understood, gives refresher training when needed and provides required training at no cost to the employee | The employer |
| 1926.251(a) | Rigging gear is inspected before use on each shift, and slings and their fittings each day before use by a competent person the employer designates; gear must carry legible rated-load markings, and defective gear comes out of service | Whoever inspects and uses the gear |
| 1910.184(d) | General industry: slings and fastenings are inspected each day before use by a competent person designated by the employer, and damaged slings come out of service immediately | Plant and maintenance crews |
On federal projects, the rigging chapter of the EM 385-1-1 edition your contract cites applies on top of OSHA (Chapter 15 in the 2024 edition); our EM 385-1-1 crane and rigging training covers it. ASME’s consensus standards carry the detailed inspection and removal-from-service criteria we teach alongside OSHA: B30.9 for slings, B30.10 for hooks, B30.26 for rigging hardware and B30.20 for below-the-hook lifting devices. For the whole crane rule in one place, see our OSHA Subpart CC guide.
Plants and shops under the general industry rules (29 CFR 1910) rig under overhead cranes too. OSHA’s sling standard puts the daily sling inspection on a competent person the employer designates (1910.184(d)), and a plant that wants one rigging program for every crew can train to the construction standard above. Our general industry crane training page covers the 1910 side.
Is There an OSHA Rigging Certification?
No. OSHA doesn’t issue rigging cards or certify riggers. What the crane rule asks for is a qualified rigger: a person the employer can show meets the qualified-person test in 1926.1401. When a job posting or a spec says “rigging certification,” it usually means one of three things:
- An employer qualification record. That is what our Qualified Rigger Level I and Level II classes and the rigger and signal person class produce: a written test, a practical demonstration and a record for your file. These are 3P Safety qualification classes, not certifications.
- A third-party certification. NCCCO certifies riggers at Rigger Level I and Rigger Level II through written and practical exams; there is no Rigger Level III. When an owner or contract asks for the CCO card by name, our NCCCO rigger exam prep gets candidates ready, and NCCCO grants the certification.
- A state or local license, where a jurisdiction issues one for rigging or hoisting work. Check the rules where the job is.
Qualification is what Subpart CC requires of riggers, and it is the part an employer controls. A certification can be part of the evidence that a rigger meets the qualified-person test for the work in front of them.
How Does On-Site Rigging Training Work?
We come to your site, train your crew on the gear and loads they rig every day, and evaluate each person before anyone signs off. The sequence is the same for every class:
- Scope call. Headcount, who rigs and who signals, the gear on site, the lifts coming up and the rules you work under: OSHA 1926 or 1910, the EM 385-1-1 edition your contract cites, or an owner’s spec. We pick the classes from the table above.
- Classroom, then hands-on. Load weight, hitches, sling angles, hardware and inspection in the room, then the same skills on your slings, shackles and real loads.
- Evaluation, person by person. A written knowledge test plus a hands-on practical demonstration for each candidate. Signal persons demonstrate the Standard Method signals they will actually use.
- Records you can produce on demand. A wallet card for each qualified rigger and signal person, and the employer qualification record for your file. Signal person documentation has to be available at the site (1926.1428(a)(3)).
- A requalification date. OSHA sets no fixed expiration for a qualified rigger. We build toward requalification every three years, sooner after an incident, a near miss or a change in gear or tasks.
Prefer to send people to us? Small groups can train at our partner yard in Goldsboro, NC, where we provide the slings, hardware, loads and classroom; school dates are on the class schedule. For larger crews, on-site is usually the better value: no travel for your people, no downtime and one mobilization for every class. Our employer-based crane training page covers how on-site programs run end to end, and our training locations page lists rigging training near you.
Free download: Qualified Rigger & Signal Person Employer Evaluation Checklist (PDF). The two-page form we use to document each person’s knowledge test and practical demonstration under 1926.1404 and 1926.1428. Use it for your own crews. Download the checklist →
What Does Rigging Training Cost?
Priced per class (or per day), not per seat — one price covers the crew you put in the room. Request a quote or call (252) 274-0583.
What moves the quote: which classes you stack (basic rigging, Level I or Level II, signal person, gear inspection), how many people need the hands-on evaluation, how many days on site that takes and where the site is. Because the price is per class, the fifth person in the room doesn’t add a seat fee, which is why it pays to train the whole crew at once and to put the riggers and signal persons through in the same visit.
Free Rigging Checklists and Pocket Cards
Use these on your own jobs, before or after a class. Each one is a free, printable PDF:
- Qualified Rigger & Signal Person Employer Evaluation Checklist — documents each person’s knowledge test and practical demonstration.
- Rigging Red-Tag Checklist — the pre-use check for every shift, and the red tag for gear that fails it.
- Sling Angle Pocket Card — the sling angle formula and a load angle factor chart for the gang box.
- Load Weight Card — how to estimate a load’s weight when nothing is marked.
- Load Chart 10-Step Card — reading a crane load chart in order, with a pick worksheet.
- Lift Plan Worksheet — a two-page lift plan your riggers and lift director fill out before the pick.
- Signal Person Qualification Checklist — one checklist per signal person per site, built on 1926.1428.
- Crane Hand Signals Chart — the Standard Method signals, ready to post at the operation.
The Three Roles on Every Regulated Lift
Walk up to any compliant crane operation and you’ll see three distinct jobs. Sometimes three people do them. Sometimes two people share them, wearing more than one hat. Knowing where one role ends and the next begins is the foundation of crane rigging training. OSHA holds each role to its own standard, and the duties do not swap.
The crane operator runs the machine. They confirm the setup, read the load chart, and manage the crane’s capacity against radius and configuration. They control the hoist, swing, boom, and trolley. On construction cranes covered by 1926.1427, the employer must make sure each operator is trained, certified or licensed (certification comes from an accredited body such as NCCCO) and evaluated. For permanently installed overhead and gantry cranes, which fall under 1910.179, it means a designated operator the employer has selected as qualified (1910.179(b)(8)).
The qualified rigger builds the connection between the load and the hook. They estimate the load weight and find its center of gravity. They select slings and hardware with the right working load limit, choose the hitch, and inspect every piece of gear before it carries weight.
The qualified signal person is the operator’s eyes and voice when the load leaves the line of sight. They direct the pick with the Standard Method hand signals, judge distance and depth, and anticipate how the load will swing and settle.
The legal lines matter here. A signal person qualification does not authorize anyone to run a crane. A rigger qualification does not make someone a signal person. An operator certificate does not make someone a qualified rigger. OSHA built these as separate requirements on purpose, because each one carries its own way to kill someone when it’s done wrong. Training all three under one roof means your people understand every part of the lift, even the parts they don’t personally perform.
- Operator: runs the crane, manages capacity and the load chart, controls the lift – verified by certification and the employer’s evaluation
- Qualified rigger: weighs and rigs the load, selects and inspects gear, designs the hitch
- Qualified signal person: directs the pick, judges distance and depth, anticipates load behavior
- Each is a separate requirement under OSHA – none substitutes for another
How Rigging Integrates With Crane Capacity and Load Charts
This is the connection most siloed training programs skip. It’s also the single best reason to learn crane and rigging together. The rigging is part of the load. Everything hanging below the boom tip counts against the crane’s rated capacity – the hook block, the headache ball, the slings, the shackles, the spreader bar, the lifting beam, the tag lines, even a portion of the wire rope. A crew that weighs only the object and ignores the gear underneath it is reading the load chart wrong from the very first number.
Here is how the two disciplines lock together in practice. The operator reads the load chart and finds the gross capacity for the planned radius and boom configuration. From that gross number, the crew subtracts the weight of every below-the-boom-tip item to reach the net capacity – the amount actually left for the load itself.
That deduction list is rigging. The rigger knows what the slings, shackles, and lifting devices weigh, and that weight comes straight off the top. Meanwhile, the rigger’s hitch choice changes the geometry. A two-leg bridle at a wide sling angle multiplies the tension in each leg far beyond the simple load weight (our sling angle math, with worked examples, shows the numbers). That tension dictates the size of slings and shackles needed. A heavier sling package is, in turn, more weight deducted from net capacity. The operator and the rigger are solving the same equation from two ends.
Add the signal person and the picture is complete. As the operator booms out to increase radius, capacity drops fast and the load swings wider. Those are exactly the moments when the signal person’s distance judgment and the rigger’s tag-line control keep the pick under command. A crew trained in isolation treats these as three separate concerns. A crew trained together treats them as one continuous pre-lift calculation, which is what they really are.
- Rigging is part of the load – slings, shackles, hook block, and lifting beams all deduct from capacity
- Gross capacity comes from the load chart; net capacity is what’s left after rigging deductions
- Sling angle multiplies leg tension, driving gear size – which feeds back into the weight deduction
- Radius, swing, and load behavior connect the operator, rigger, and signal person in real time
The Communication Triangle: How the Team Actually Moves a Load
The mechanical math gets you a safe plan. Execution comes down to communication, and that’s where the three roles become a single organism. We call it the communication triangle. The rigger hands off a load they’ve rigged and verified. The signal person takes control of its movement. The operator responds to one voice, and only one. The discipline of that triangle is what prevents the chaos that kills people on busy sites.
The handoffs are specific. Once the rigger has built the hitch, set the tag lines, and confirmed the gear, the responsibility for movement transfers to the signal person. From that point on, only one person gives signals to the operator (1926.1419(h)).
There is one exception, and it is sacred. Under OSHA, anyone who sees a safety problem must give the stop or emergency stop signal, and the operator must obey it no matter who gives it (1926.1419(j) and 1926.1417(y)). A green laborer who spots a frayed sling has the same stop authority as the lift director. Beyond that one rule, the signal person calls hoist, swing, boom, and trolley using crisp Standard Method signals. The operator reads them and moves the machine smoothly. The rigger manages the tag lines to keep the load from rotating or drifting into the structure.
Train this as a unit and the crew develops a shared vocabulary and a shared sense of timing. The operator learns to read a signal person’s body language and to refuse an unsafe command. The signal person learns how much momentum a load carries, so they call the stop early enough to let it settle on target. The rigger learns to position tag lines where they’ll actually control the swing the geometry creates. You don’t learn these things from three separate cards earned in three separate rooms. You learn them by training the lift together, which is exactly how we run it.
- The operator takes signals from one signal person – but anyone can give a stop or emergency stop signal
- Movement responsibility transfers from rigger to signal person once the load is rigged and verified
- Tag-line control, signal timing, and smooth machine response are learned as a team, not solo
- Shared vocabulary and timing are what turn three qualified individuals into one safe crew
Industries and Crews That Need Rigging Training
Anywhere a crane lifts a load with people working near it, the full team matters – a certified operator, a qualified rigger, and, whenever the operator can’t see the load or its path, a qualified signal person. The fundamentals travel across the entire construction and industrial spectrum. A steel beam, a chiller, a precast panel, and a transformer all obey the same physics of weight, center of gravity, sling angle, and crane capacity.
Typical audiences include structural steel erectors and ironworkers, general and heavy-civil contractors, industrial and plant maintenance teams, millwrights and machinery movers, precast and tilt-up concrete crews, shipyard and marine fabrication shops, oil, gas, and petrochemical turnaround crews, power generation and utility teams, wind and solar energy technicians, and military and federal contractors working stateside or OCONUS.
On most of these crews the roles overlap. The same worker rigs the load and then signals the pick, or an operator cross-trains into rigging. That overlap is precisely why training the whole team together pays off. We routinely stack classes so one worker can rig, signal, and run the machine, and we build the documentation to match. Start from our crane and rigging training home to see how every program connects.
- Structural steel, ironwork, and heavy-civil construction
- Industrial maintenance, millwrighting, and machinery moving
- Precast and tilt-up concrete, shipyards, and marine fabrication
- Petrochemical turnarounds, power, utilities, wind, and solar
- Military and federal contractors, including OCONUS operations
Why Train Your Riggers With 3P Safety
3P Safety Crane & Rigging Training is led by Patrick Salazar, and on a rigging program that matters. Patrick holds NCCCO Rigger Level I and Level II certifications, NCCCO operator certifications on mobile and tower cranes (LBC, TLL, TSS, STC and tower) and NCCCO Mobile and Tower Crane Inspector certifications. He is a lift director, holds OSHA 500 and 501 outreach-trainer authorizations, and has rigged, signaled and run real picks in the field since 2005. When your crew asks how a sling angle changes the pick or how a deduction eats into net capacity, the answer comes from someone who has done all three jobs, not someone reading from a binder.
We are built to come to you, with 150 instructors ready to deploy and a reach of 52 U.S. states and territories, 38 countries, 7 continents and 5 offices. Because we run the full curriculum (operator, rigger, signal person and inspection), we can train and qualify an entire lift team in one mobilization: one trip, one invoice, one crew that understands every link in the chain. Our documentation is referenced to OSHA’s published standards and to NCCCO, so the records you keep hold up to scrutiny.
When you’re ready, request a group quote with your location, headcount, equipment and timeline, or call (252) 274-0583. We’ll build the fastest path to a documented, qualified lift team.
- Field-credentialed instruction – taught by a working operator, rigger, signal caller, inspector and lift director
- Nationwide and OCONUS reach – we travel to your jobsite and train on your gear
- Whole-team capability – riggers and signal persons qualified and operators trained in one coordinated program
- Defensible documentation – written and practical records referenced to OSHA and ready for the file
Frequently Asked Questions
What rigging training does OSHA require?
OSHA doesn’t prescribe a course; it requires qualified people for specific tasks. Under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, rigging for crane assembly and disassembly (1926.1404(r)(1)) and any load that workers hook, unhook or guide inside the fall zone (1926.1425(c)(3)) must be done by a qualified rigger, and every signal person must pass an oral or written test and a practical test before signaling (1926.1428). Section 1926.1430 makes the employer train each qualified person on the requirements of their role, confirm the training was understood and provide it at no cost to the employee.
Is there an OSHA rigging certification?
No. OSHA doesn’t issue rigging cards or certify riggers. It asks for a qualified rigger: a rigger who, through a recognized degree, certificate or professional standing, or through extensive knowledge, training and experience, has demonstrated the ability to solve rigging problems (1926.1401). Our Qualified Rigger Level I and Level II are 3P Safety qualification classes. NCCCO’s Rigger Level I and Rigger Level II are separate third-party certifications; NCCCO certifies, and we prepare candidates for those exams.
What is the difference between basic rigging, qualified rigger and NCCCO rigger training?
Basic rigging is the foundation for anyone who handles loads: sling types, hitches, sling angles, rated-load tags and tag lines. It is not a qualified-rigger credential. Qualified rigger training (Level I for routine lifts, Level II for complex and critical lifts) ends in a written test and a practical demonstration that document a person as a qualified rigger for your file. NCCCO rigger exam prep gets a candidate ready for NCCCO’s written and practical exams when an owner or contract asks for the CCO card.
Can you run rigging training at our jobsite?
Yes. We come to your site anywhere in the U.S. and OCONUS, train your crew on your own slings, hardware and the loads they actually rig, and evaluate each person there. Small groups can also train at our partner yard in Goldsboro, NC, where we provide the gear, loads and classroom. Call (252) 274-0583 to scope either option.
How long does rigging training take?
It depends on the class and the crew. The signal person class is one day. Rigger classes are scoped to the level and your headcount: the on-site Qualified Rigger and Signal Person class is built to run in one day, and school dates at our Goldsboro yard are on the class schedule. Tell us how many people need which class and we’ll lay out the days.
How much does rigging training cost?
Priced per class (or per day), not per seat: one price covers the crew you put in the room. The quote depends on which classes you stack, how many people need the hands-on evaluation, how many days on site that takes and where the site is. Request a quote or call (252) 274-0583.
How often do riggers need to be requalified?
OSHA sets no fixed expiration for a qualified rigger, but the employer has to provide refresher training when an employee’s conduct or an evaluation shows it is needed (1926.1430(g)(2)), and a signal person who no longer meets the requirements can’t signal again until retrained and reassessed (1926.1428(b)). We build toward requalification every three years, sooner after an incident, a near miss or a change in gear or tasks.
Can the same person be the rigger and the signal person on a lift?
Often, yes, but they need both qualifications and they do one job at a time during the pick. Once the rigger has built and checked the hitch and set the tag lines, responsibility for the load’s movement passes to the signal person; if that is the same person, they switch roles deliberately. Only one person gives signals at a time, except that anyone who sees a safety problem can give the stop or emergency stop signal, and the operator must obey it (1926.1419(h) and (j), 1926.1417(y)).