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ARTICLES ON SAFETY Working Under Rigging Loads

Daily rigging operations should be preplanned so that no employees are working under a loaded crane during operation.The only exception to this rule is trained crane company employees who are responsible for hooking and unhooking the steel to the crane, or who are helping to guide the steel into position. To prevent materials from falling, the steel must be rigged using self-closing safety latches. All rigging and latching must be done by qualified riggers or operators.

Rigging Multiple Items

In most cases, only one beam (or piece of material) can be lifted at a time. For cranes designed to lift multiple items in one load, up to five items can be lifted at once. This applies only to beams and other structural framing members. To complete this operation safely, all members of the rigging and operating team must have received training on multiple-item lifts and the special considerations associated with this process. Cranes designed for single-piece lifting may not be used for multiple-piece lifts in any scenario.

Total Loads

Each crane or piece of rigging equipment is rated by the manufacturer based on the load it is designed to lift. Lifting heavier loads than those recommended can result in the machine breaking down or hoisted materials falling to the ground below. Heavy loads can even put the machine off balance and cause it to tip over, despite stabilizers. This type of scenario can cause catastrophic damage to workers all over the site. To minimize this risk, OSHA requires cranes to come equipped with a rigging rating chart that specifies load capabilities for that particular model. Loads should never exceed those specified on this chart.

Rigging Requirements

All steel beams and equipment must be secured (rigged) to the crane according to OSHA Standard 1926. This states that rigging should be done by trained individuals. All items must be attached at a points that represent their centers of gravity. Items should be kept level to avoid the possibility of slipping out of the rigging. They should be rigged from the top down, and multiple items should be rigged at least 7 feet (2.1 m) apart from one another. Multiple items should be loaded from the bottom up, stacked evenly on top of one another.