RIGGING IT RIGHT
Rigging is a highly specialized skill set, and we most certainly are not talking about politics or the Olympic games. Rigging involves the preparation of crane equipment, hoists and other machinery that is commonly used on construction sites, shipyards, oilfields, etc., to assist with very heavy lifts. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the construction industry worldwide sees many injuries, fatalities and delays on projects every year due to improper training, faulty equipment and failed rigging. There is a clear way to mitigate this by following some basic rules for rigging.
To begin with, all riggers on site must be well trained and qualified. Well-experienced riggers are able to foresee an imminent rigging issue when they are well aware of the ground conditions, weight of the load and the capacities of the crane and rigging gear that is on site for a job. Once this is done, they must do a full inspection and evaluate all the safety aspects of the equipment, the site and also the weather conditions. Strong winds or sandstorms in this region can hamper a lift and could lead to serious damages.
Another key aspect of rigging is having a well-qualified and observant spotter. Spotters are people who act as a second set of eyes for riggers and operators on site as they have a higher vantage point and can immediately alert the riggers and crane operators about issues by using their walkie-talkies or hand signals. Spotters also need to maintain a safe distance from the equipment so as to not harm or injure themselves.
Finally, watch those toes and fingers! We tend to focus on all the bigger aspects of safety, but a split second of carelessness could result in injuries such as fingers, hands and feet getting trapped under equipment or jammed in doors. Riggers, spotters and crane operators must remain alert and highly aware of their surroundings at all times, because such small injuries could happen to anyone irrespective of following every safety protocol. Although such injuries may not be life threatening, they certainly cause project delays.