RIGGING SAFETY
Rigging is both a noun, the equipment,
and verb, the action of designing and
installing the equipment, in the preparation
to move objects. A team of riggers design
and install the lifting or rolling equipment
needed to raise, roll, slide or lift objects
such as with a crane, hoist or
block and tackle.
TOOLS OF RIGGING
• Hoists
• Cranes
• Slings
• Special lifting
devices
HOISTS AND CRANES
• Different types of hoisting
equipment
• Manual and powered
devices
• underhung and top
running cranes
• monorails
• various types of jig
cranes
SLINGS
• Main purpose is to suspend a load from a hoist
• Commonly made of wire rope or welded link
chain
• Can be constructed from fiber rope,synthetic
webbing or metal mesh
• Most slings are assembled by sling manufacturers
• Can be assembled at the job site
The rigging system
• Load
• Sling
• Hoisting equipment
• Rigger (Designer and
Operator of the system)
• = Single, complex rigging
system
The Rigger
• Must apply intelligence, common sense and experience
• Anticipate what will happen when the load is moved
• Thought process must take place before the work is
started
• Must answer the following questions…..
Questions that must be answered by
rigger
• What is to be done with the load?
• What tools are needed?
• Do the tools have the capacity to
handle the loads and forces
involved?
Questions that must be answered by
rigger
• How can the hookup be made?
• What will happen when the load is first
moved?
• What will be the travel path of the load
to reach the desired location?
Questions that must be answered by
rigger
• How will the load be set down at the desired location?
• What other factors are involved (weather, electrical wires,
sloping grades, visibility)?
• Are additional personnel needed to control the load
safely during the process?
Planning a rigging system
• Determine the weight of the load
• Locating the center of gravity of a load
• Distinguishing the force components (horizontal and
vertical) at work in a diagonal force(loads at some
angles other than 90 degrees to the horizontal)
• Limitations of each component of the rigging system
Determining the weight of the load
• Shipping paper
• Manufacturers information attached to the load
• Catalogs or blueprints
• Tables of weights from manufacturers or handbooks
• Make sure the weight has not changed
Volume & Area Formulas
Calculating an allowable load
• Determine the breaking strength of the rope
• Load which will cause the rope to break
• Refer to standard tables in rigging handbooks
• Listed according to the diameter and kind of rope
• Design or safety factor usually 5
Calculating an allowable load
• Find the load limit by dividing the breaking strength of
the rope by the design factor
• Example-
• If the table indicates that the breaking strength of the rope you
are using is 27,000 pounds. Dividing this figure by the design
factor of 5 gives you a 5400 pound maximum allowable load.
Determine the center of gravity
• The point at which the load will balance
• Whole weight of the load is considered concentrated
at this balance point
• When suspended from a point, the load tends to
move so that the center of gravity is directly below
the point of support.
• Make sure the center of gravity is located directly
below the hoisting hook
Determine the center of gravity
• Stable load
• Balanced about its center of gravity
• Directly below the hoisting hook
• Unstable load
• has a tendency to tip or topple
• Creates a hazard to personnel and
equipment
Before Lifting any load check for
hazards
• If not directly below the
hook the load is unstable
• If the sling is free to slide
across the hook the center
of gravity will shift directly
below the hook
• If two slings are used one
will assume the greater
share of the load
Before Lifting any load check for
hazards
• The sling must not be
attached to the load at a
point lower than the loads
center of gravity
• Exception to this rule
when lifting loads on
pallets or skids
• Then apex of sling
must be above the
center of gravity
Determining the center of gravity
• Marked on the load by manufacturer
• Located in catalogs or blueprints
• Some objects have lifting lugs
• Calculate or estimate it
• Make an educated guess and correct
through trial and error before making the
lift
Procedures to determine center of
gravity
• Connect slings and hoist based on estimate of
object’s center of gravity
• Take up slack in slings or hoist
• Lift the load just enough to check stability
• If stable, continue to lift
• If unstable, lower load and adjust the rigging
• Lift point should be moved closer to end that dips
• Repeat until load is stable
Horizontal Force
• Very often sling legs are attached at an angle less than
900
• Then a horizontal force is added to the vertical force
• Resulting Combined force is greater than the weight of
the load
• Horizontal force increases as the angle becomes smaller
Horizontal Force
• When a sling angle
is 300 the total
force is twice that
of the load
• Sling Angles of 45 0
are not
recommended
Horizontal Force
• Horizontal forces act on
the load causing damage
by compression or
buckling
• Horizontal forces are
absorbed by using a
spreader beam making the
sling legs between beam
and load vertical
Sling Components
• Hooks
• Coupling Links
• Fittings
• Sling Legs
• Can be assembled at the job site but must use
recommended components and assembly procedures
• May also require some sort of weight test
Hook Hazards
• Attachments should never be field welded to a hook
• Heat should not be applied in an attempt to reshape a
hook
• Can reduce strength of hook
• Could result in hook failure at loads lower than the rated
load
• If handles or attachments are required they should be
obtained from the hook manufacturer
Purpose of a latch?
• Purpose is to retain slings in the hook
• Not intended to support the load
• Should be sturdy enough to retain the sling if the moving load should catch on
something
• Latches are used to close the throat opening
• Must be provided on hoist and crane hooks
Reasons For Removing a Hook
From Service
• Hook throat has increased by
more than 15%
• Wear exceeds 10% of the original
hook section dimension, or there
is a bend or twist of more than
10% from the plane of the unbent
hook
• Hook shows cracks, excessive
nicks, or gouges
Factors Affecting Wire-Rope
Strength
• Three major signs of loss of strength
• Flat spots worn on outer wires
• Broken wires
• reduction of rope diameter
• Other factors that can reduce strength
• Bending the rope over a curved surface
• Temperature
• Corrosion and environment
• Rope fittings or terminations
Bending The Rope Over A Curved
Surface
• Normal curved surfaces that ropes are curved over
include sheaves, pins and other curved surfaces
• The rope is subjected to bending stress
• Reduces rope efficiency/nominal strength by a
certain percentage
• Efficiency depends upon the:
• D = Diameter of curved surface
• d = Nominal diameter of rope
Example (You will need to refer to Fig.
2-5 and Table 2-1)
• Fiber-core 6 x 37
wire rope, 1” in
diameter (d)
• Sheave with a 30”
diameter (D)
• D/d ratio is 30/1
• Efficiency is 95%
• Load Rating
dropped 95% from
83,600 lb. To 79,420
lb.
Wire Rope Clips
• Two basic designs
• U section contacts dead end of the rope
• Tends to crush some wires
• Affects strength if u-bolt clip is installed wrong
• Fist Grip can be installed either way
• Use only forged steel for lifting slings
Removal From Service
• Rope Distortion such as kinking,
crushing, unstranding,
birdcaging or core protrusion
• Heat Damage from any source
• Look for damage from weld
and weld splatter
• Cracked or deformed end
fittings(hooks particularly)
• Corrosive failure of one wire
adjacent to end fitting
Removal From Service
• One broken or cut strand
• Pitting due to corrosion
• For Single Wire Rope Either:
• 10 broken wires in a section the length of one rope lay
• 5 broken wires in one strand within a distance of one rope lay
Chain Hazards
• Similar force acts on the
links if the chain is
knotted or twisted
• Never shorten a sling by
twisting or knotting
• Never use bolts and nuts
or other fasteners to
shorten a sling
