A rigger training course should teach sling selection and tags, hitch types, sling angle and load math, hardware inspection and removal-from-service criteria, and the rigging plan required for the lift — and if it's billed as combined rigger and signal person training, it should also cover standard hand signals and the signal person's communication duties under 29 CFR 1926.1419. If a "rigger class" skips the math (sling angle, D/d ratio, working load limit) and jumps straight to a quiz, it's not teaching what OSHA's qualification criteria actually require.
Rigger classes online range from a 20-minute video with ten questions to a structured, multi-module course with inspection criteria and a rigging plan walkthrough. Both will hand you a certificate. Only one of them gives a supervisor or an auditor something they can point to as evidence of the knowledge OSHA's rigger qualification is built on.
The Curriculum a Real Rigger Course Covers
1. Sling types and reading the tag
Synthetic, chain and wire rope slings each carry different working load limits and different failure signs. The tag is the legal record of that rating — a course that doesn't spend real time on reading a tag correctly is skipping the single most-cited rigging violation.
2. Hitches: vertical, choker and basket
The same sling rated for 2,000 lbs vertical can carry significantly less in a choker hitch and more in a basket — and that math changes again with the angle of the legs. This is where a lot of informal "I was shown by the last guy" training falls apart.
3. Sling angle and load math
As the angle between a sling leg and vertical increases, the tension in that leg increases — dramatically past 45 degrees. A rigger who can't estimate this in their head is guessing at the single biggest variable in whether a lift holds.
4. Inspection and removal from service
Cuts, abrasion, chemical damage, heat damage, and the specific removal criteria for each sling and hardware type. This should be hands-on or at minimum photo-based, not a paragraph of text.
5. The rigging plan
Who writes it, who signs it, and what has to be in it before the first lift of the day. On communication structures this follows ANSI/ASSP A10.48's construction classes specifically — a generic rigging course built around yard or dock lifts usually skips this entirely.
Recommended certification
Basic Rigging Principles on Communication Structures
$95 · ~4.5h online · certificate issued same day · valid 2 years
Also read: Preventing Trench Fatalities: Key Takeaways from NUCA's Safety Month · Louisiana's Broadband Boom: Opportunities and Safety for Telecom Crews
Where Signal Person Training Fits In
A lot of the search traffic for "rigger training course" actually means "qualified rigger and signal person training" — crews that need both because the same technician often rigs the load and then signals the hoist or crane operator during the lift. Signal person duties are governed separately, under 1926.1419, and cover the standard hand signal set, voice signal protocol, and what to do when the load goes out of the signal person's sight. A combined course is efficient — one sitting covers both qualifications — but check that it actually tests signal competency separately rather than folding one multiple-choice quiz over both topics.
What to Check Before You Enroll in Any Rigger Class
- Does it name the actual OSHA section (1926.1401 for rigging, 1926.753 for steel erection, 1926.1419 for signals) rather than just saying "OSHA compliant"?
- Does it cover sling angle math, not just hitch names?
- Does it include removal-from-service criteria with specifics, not "inspect before use"?
- Is there a rigging-plan section if the work is on a structure, not just a crane yard?
- Does the certificate list what scope of rigging it covers?
What BuildRight's Course Covers
Basic Rigging Principles on Communication Structures ($95, 4.5 hours) is built specifically for tower crews, not generalized crane-yard rigging. It covers sling types and tags, hitches, sling angle and leg tension, D/d ratio, inspection and removal criteria, the A10.48 rigging plan and plan classes, and load control on the structure — including the gin pole, blocks and hoists, and the signal person's role during the lift. It finishes with a final test and a certificate of completion valid for 24 months.
If your crew also needs dedicated signal person training with the full standard hand-signal set, pair this with the crane signal and hand signals course — together they cover both halves of "qualified rigger and signal person" without duplicating content. For crews running their own hoisting with a rigging lab simulator, it's a free way to practice sling angle and load math before the written test.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between "rigger training" and "rigger certification"?
Training is the instruction itself. Certification (or more precisely, a certificate of completion) is the document that proves the training happened. Neither one is a government license — OSHA leaves the qualification determination to the employer, based on documented training plus demonstrated skill.
Can one course cover both rigger and signal person training?
Yes, if it treats them as two separate skill sets with distinct content and testing. Be wary of a course that mentions signals in passing inside a rigging module — that's not enough to document signal person competency on its own.
How long are rigger classes?
Online rigger classes for a single scope (like tower rigging) typically run 3–5 hours of real instructional content. A course that claims to cover sling selection, load math, inspection and a rigging plan in under an hour is almost certainly skipping material.
Is this course accepted by my employer or the site owner?
Acceptance of any training certificate is always the employer's or site owner's call — BuildRight is an independent training provider, not a government body. The certificate is verifiable online by its unique number, which most sites and GCs will check.
Do I need to retake rigger training if I switch from crane rigging to tower rigging?
You should get qualification specific to the new scope. Tower rigging introduces gin poles, guyed-structure load paths and A10.48 plan classes that a crane-yard rigging course doesn't cover, and OSHA's qualification standard is scope-specific, not a blanket credential.
