A certified rigger is a worker who has undergone the proper training to become certified to move loads. The specific certification level depends on the individual’s training, knowledge, experience, skill base, and ability to handle functions that pertain to the proper selection, use, and inspection of rigging equipment.

A rigger is a skilled worker who specializes in the lifting, landing, and assembly of heavy or large objects. The task often requires the help of a block and tackle and pulley, crane, derrick, chain hoists, or capstan winch. Riggers are needed for a variety of building and construction projects, so it is a role that is in high demand.

Riggers work in various roles, including construction and shipbuilding. Vacancies in the construction field for riggers have increased by 9.46 percent across the U.S., and there is an average growth of 1.58 percent in the field per year, which means that there is a need for trained rigging professionals. According to recruiter.com, the average salary of a rigger is $43,500 per year. Those who work in professional, scientific, and technical services are paid somewhat more, averaging $62,680 per year for their services.

Rigger Certificate Training

To become certified so you can seek employment as a rigger, you will need to go to an established school where you can receive professional training. Associated Training Services (ATS) includes heavy equipment operation, trucking, mobile crane operation, and rigger/signalperson certification. ATS has an OSHA-compliant rigger training program that provides students with the optimal level of expert instruction, and practical and written testing.

With the ATS rigger training program, you will become qualified to be certified with the new OSHA crane mandate while having the skills that you need to perform rigging tasks. You will have the knowledge, the skills, and the capabilities to handle the job safely and help protect other workers from being injured while you are performing your job duties. To learn more about ATS Training programs, please call (800) 383-7364 today.

As of September 2009, there were 63,012 jobs in the oil and gas well drilling industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the Gulf Coast is most concentrated in several Louisiana parishes and Texas counties. In these areas, rigging job or jobs account for a bigger portion of employment in these localities than the whole nation. Almost one-fourth of those employed in this field in the U.S. are in Harris County, Texas, which is in the Houston area. That totals about 14,881 jobs and equals about .9% of private sector employment in that specific county. Lafayette Parish in Louisiana had about 3.2% of the nation’s employment in the oil rigging industry.

In 2009, Baker Hughes reported that it had 1,281 active rigs, with 55 of them being offshore. The specific position of rigger in the oil and gas industry is held by 21,000 workers. Riggers have a mean hourly wage of $24.17, which totals about $50,270 per year. Riggers tend to make anywhere from $13.91 per hour to as much as $36.22 per hour. There are several industry subdivisions in the oil and gas industry that require riggers. Here is a breakdown:

Ship and boat building employs 2,270 riggers, support activities for mining employs 1,900 riggers, and the federal executive branch (OES designation) employs 1,590. Other industries with high concentrations of employment in the role of rigger include inland water transportation, ship and boat building, other support activities for transportation, and building equipment, and contractors.

Location Effects Salary

If you are employed as a rigger, your location can affect your salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 45 of the 50 states have riggers employed in some form or fashion. Washington State has 900 people employed in rigger positions with an average annual wage of $55,470 while Minnesota has only 230 riggers with an annual average salary of $55,860. In New York, the average rigger salary is $75,910 while in Michigan, the average salary for a rigger is $65,490 per year.

What is a Rigger? What is a Rigging job?

A rigger is a person who specializes in the moving and lifting of extremely heavy or large objects. Often, they do the moving or lifting with the help of a crane, chain hoist, or derrick. To become a rigger, an individual must undergo extensive training both in and out of the classroom. ATS offers OSHA-compliant rigger and signalperson training and certification. The program includes written and practical training and testing. To learn more about the program, call ATS at (800) 383-7364.

Signalperson

Safety is crucial on any site, and this is especially true where there are cranes in operation. When we think of cranes, it is the crane operator that is the job that comes to mind, but there are several other positions that are crucial to safe crane operation, and one of those is the crane signalperson. The crane signalperson is not new, it has been part of construction since industrial cranes became common, and were sometimes called spotters, but what is it they do?

It is the crane signalperson’s job to ensure the safe operation of a crane, working in tandem with the crane operator, to move large loads safely around a site. There are two aspects of the job, the first is the physical inspection of the load and equipment, and the second is guiding the operator during a lift. Beginning with the load itself, the crane signal person should be able to spot issues with the load itself, such as incorrect weight distribution, the load hook is correctly positioned, the rigging chain is set correctly without twists, and so on, and that load weight, position relating to the boom and other factors are all correct.

They also play an important part in the lift itself, firstly, before the load is moved, assessing the hoisting path, including whether it means being too close to any hazards or traveling over the heads of site workers causing a safety issue that must be highlighted and measures are taken to avoid. Once the lift is in progress, the crane signal person directs the crane operator, using a series of special hand signals or a hands-free radio system. In this way, the operator is always kept aware of the precise position of the load, its movement including direction and speed, when to stop, if there are any dangers, and so on. It is a partnership that allows cranes to operate safely.

CCO Signalperson Certification

Accomplishing that needs a good understanding of the cranes themselves, and in many ways, a crane signalperson needs to have as good an understanding of crane operation as the operator themselves, and of course, that means training. Becoming an NCCCO certified crane signalperson is a requirement for employment, and the approved courses that get you certified provide the skills and understanding of both crane operation and the safety aspects of moving large loads on site that are needed to perform the tasks required properly. To be a qualified crane signalperson, there are a few requirements. Passing both the written and practical examinations are essential, without proof of those qualifications you cannot be employed as a crane signal person, you must also be over eighteen years of age and drug-free.

Those qualifications and the skills needed to get them can be learned through a variety of training approaches, however, the best training includes both classroom training and a chance to put those newly learned skills into practice on-site, not only giving the technical understanding needed but the confidence gained from real-world experience to get out there and launch a lucrative career as a crane signalperson.

The rigger is a very important part of any heavy equipment team. More than just a driver, a rigger performs six different but essential heavy equipment tasks every day. Here are those six tasks.

1. Lifting – A rigger uses hoists and pulleys to lift heavy items such as equipment, loads, and cargo. To accomplish this task, they may provide the mechanical, electrical, and other tools to accomplish the lifting on the job site.
2. Moving – A rigger is responsible for moving heavy loads from one end of a work site to another. This may entail using a crane to lift and move large boxes, vehicles, or other heavy cargo on a dock, in a warehouse, or across a construction site.
3. Transporting – Riggers are also responsible for transporting heavy equipment, machinery, and cargo. This could involve the use of flatbed trucks, cargo ships, and other heavy industrial equipment.
4. Positioning – Sometimes, loads shift. A rigger is responsible for ensuring heavy loads do not shift during transport or, in the event that a shift has occurred, re-positioning loads for further transport.
5. Pulling – Riggers are responsible for pulling loads and heavy equipment or cargo. That may entail the use of wenches, pullies, dollies, jacks, and other useful mechanical equipment.
6. Security – Equipment security is very important. A rigger must ensure a load is safe and secure before, during, and after transport. This may involve securing a load with straps, bands, weights, and other equipment designed to keep cargo from shifting during transport or to ensure cargo isn’t burglarized or vandalized.

Heavy equipment riggers are a very important part of the heavy equipment team.

One of the most important jobs on the construction work site is that of a rigger. The rigger is responsible for the safety of personnel working on the site, especially mobile crane operations. But they are subject to regulation and the regulatory authority for riggers is OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The Heavy Equipment School Rigging/Signalperson training program will prepare you to be a world-class rigger and pass all certification tests and safety requirements of OSHA. We have the best program in the industry.

So what makes it such a good training program? All of the below:

• It meets and exceeds the OSHA qualification standards for rigger and signalperson training
• You’ll receive written and practical training and testing on those standards
• The qualification program offers 8 to 12 hours of instruction, depending on the number of students in class
• The certification program offers a 4-day intensive of 32 to 36 hours, again depending on the number of students in the program
• All graduating students will receive a qualification compliance card upon successful completion of the Rigger/Signalperson Qualification Program
• Students graduating from the Rigger/Signalperson Certification Program will be certified by the National Commission for Certification of Crane Operators

Associated Training Services (ATS) offers several ways to take this training. You can come to us and be trained in our world-class facilities, or, if your company is certifying several riggers and signalpersons at once, then we’ll arrange to come to your work site and administer the training.

OSHA standards are tough, but they are necessary for a safe work site. ATS is committed to training riggers and signalpersons in the latest qualification and certification standards for crane operations.

Heavy equipment operators have a difficult job, and sometimes it’s as thankless as it is difficult. You could be a mobile crane operator, a rigger/signalperson, a truck driver, or a heavy equipment operator. But who are the people that support these positions and keep the work site operating while guys like you are operating the equipment? Here are five of them:

1. Payroll/human resources – Someone has to process your paycheck and make sure your insurance paperwork is completed so that you have the proper benefits. Your company’s human resources department will assist you with any questions you have about benefits and issue your paychecks.
2. Dispatch – In trucking companies, one person is usually responsible for dispatching truckers. They receive manifests and notify drivers of their next delivery route. They may even be responsible for assigning you your truck. You typically do not want to upset this person. They have a lot of power and you could find yourself without work easily if you cross the wrong one.
3. Rigger – The rigger is your construction work site’s safety person. He is responsible for making sure all of your equipment, especially lifting equipment, is safe to operate. He may even be responsible for performing some maintenance duties.
4. Supervisor – Your work site supervisor will likely be a former heavy equipment operator. He could have started out with your job. They rarely operate the equipment anymore, but their main task is to ensure that the work site is managed well and managed efficiently. They could be your direct line supervisor or two or three steps above you.
5. Maintenance – If your equipment breaks down during operation, you may have to create a work order and call in the maintenance crew. Unless the situation involves a safety violation, the rigger is not usually involved. What we’re talking about here is any maintenance issue above routine operator maintenance. You’re supposed to perform your own equipment checks before you operate it.

There may be a good chance you’re cut out for one of these jobs. If not, you should respect those who are.

If you’ve been working as a heavy equipment operator and are looking for ways to increase your income, have I some ideas for you. The surest way to increase your income is to specialize in a particular skill. Here are 5 particular heavy equipment skills you can specialize in to increase your work income.

1. Mobile crane – Become a mobile crane operator and you’ll immediately be in demand. That’s because this special skill requires additional education. Get the training to become a mobile crane operator and you’ll see your pay increase.
2. Rigging – Riggers are highly sought after on the construction site. Their job is to ensure safety and to come up with the best ways to lift heavy loads. Riggers can specialize in a particular type of equipment or loads, or they can work in construction at the general level. The higher your specialization the more likely you are in demand for the big bucks.
3. Truck Driving – Truck drivers are highly paid on the construction site, as well. That’s because it’s a special skill with a special license requirement.
4. Get a CDL – Just by holding a commercial drivers license, you make yourself more employable and can demand a higher salary. It’s good that you know how to drive a dump truck. It’s better if you have a CDL to prove it.
5. Become A Certified Signalperson – OSHA has very strict requirements for signalpersons. If you can get your certification, you’ll demand higher pay right off the bat.

There is no substitute for skills and certification. Whether you seek a license or certification, if you specialize in a heavy equipment skill, then you’ll demand higher pay.

Who are world-class Riggers are important people on the work site? Often employed in shipping yards, loading docks, construction sites, industrial warehouses, transportation depots, and other places where extraordinarily large and heavy objects or machines need to be lifted and moved from one place to another, riggers are responsible for much of the movement of consumer goods in the world.

We’re not talking about moving a piano here. We’re talking about moving huge pallets of pianos, computers, or other goods all at once. Heavy stuff.

Typically, riggers operate the machinery, hoists, pulleys, and ropes–and are responsible for their safe “rigging”–that lift and move material that ways thousands or millions of pounds. Huge, heavy stuff.

World-Class Rigger Steps

If you want to be a rigger and enjoy a long career in industry, you’ll need to seek OSHA-compliant training. You won’t get hired by the best employers in the workplace if you aren’t trained by the best schools. So here’s how you become a world-class rigger.

1. Sign up for rigger training at an approved heavy equipment school
2. Complete and graduate from your rigger training
3. Take the rigger certification exam
4. Receive your qualification card

Once you’ve been trained and qualified as a rigger, you can then begin to seek employment. Associated Training Services will assist you in finding your first job as a world-class rigger. In fact, we’ll not only feed your job leads, but we’ll train you on the soft skills you need to land job interviews and ace them. You’ll be gainfully employed and upwardly mobile before you know it.

Training to be a heavy equipment operator is not something you could take lightly. As Baby Boomers begin to retire, more positions for operators will open up. Now is the time to start your equipment training if you want a lucrative career in heavy equipment.

But you should know that there are different types of heavy equipment and, therefore, different types of heavy equipment training.

Here are 4 types of heavy equipment training. Pick the one that is right for you.

1. Heavy equipment – First off, let’s define what we mean by heavy equipment. On the typical job site, you’ll run into these types of big machines — Backhoes, wheel loaders, scrapers, excavators, bulldozers, road graders, dump trucks, skid steers, and forklifts. At Heavy Equipment School, you’ll learn how to operate them all.
2. Mobile crane – Mobile crane operators are a different breed. You’ll learn how to operate fixed and swing cab hydraulic cranes, lattice booms, articulated booms, and get your rigger/signalperson certification.
3. Rigging – If you desire to become a rigger or a signalperson, then you can take training and receive certification just for that career position. Riggers make darn good money and enjoy a long, fulfilling career–especially if they excel at the job.
4. Truck driver – Finally, if you have any desire to be a long haul truck driver or a construction site driver, then you can get your CDL license and be a huge asset to any work crew. No construction site can do without a truck driver, and these positions require special certification so they pay more.

You can start your career as a heavy equipment operator on the right foot with the right training.

There are several categories of job openings this week. That’s because the springtime construction season is upon us and a huge variety of jobs are out there. At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School, every one of these positions has a training program and gets you prepared to make money right away–whether it’s as a mobile crane operator, rigger, CDL Class-A truck driver, or heavy equipment operator. The Employment Assistance department works with students to make sure you connect with the jobs that are a good fit for your goals.

Here are this week’s job listings:

MAPLE GROVE, MN — hiring CDL Class-A truck drivers

MADISON, WI — hiring CDL Class-A truck drivers and heavy equipment operators

WAPAKONETA, OH — hiring mobile crane operators

BATON ROUGE, LA — hiring heavy equipment operators

MARSHFIELD, WI — hiring CDL Class-A truck drivers

HENRICO, VA — hiring mobile crane operators and riggers

KNAPP, WI — hiring CDL Class-A truck drivers

RICHMOND, VA — hiring heavy equipment operators

AVON, MN — hiring mobile crane operators

HOUSTON, TX — hiring mobile crane operators

WILLISTON, ND — hiring CDL Class-A truck drivers

Another great benefit of ATS is free to access to Total Resources Network, a job site that truly does offer all the resources you need to network in the skilled trades industries.