What a Good Rigger Actually Looks Like

A good rigger is often quiet at the wrong time for people who confuse confidence with competence. They are looking at the load. They are looking at the hardware. They are not performing for the pickup truck.

You can see it in the first five minutes. They want the weight, the drawings if they exist, and a walk around the piece. They do not grab the first sling that looks long enough.

The gear is the truth. The guess is the hazard.

THINGS THEY DO WITHOUT BEING ASKED

• Inspect slings, shackles and hooks as if the last person might have missed a cut.
• Protect gear from sharp edges instead of hoping the wrap holds.
• Set hardware so it sits straight under load.
• Keep people out of the fall line before the test lift, not after someone gets nervous.
• Stop the job when the information is incomplete.

THINGS THEY DO NOT DO

They do not choke a sling off a guess. They do not stand under the load to 'keep an eye on it.' They do not tell the operator to take it because the superintendent is watching. They do not treat a signalperson as optional because the lift is small.

Watch the setup. Ask what they would refuse. A rigger who cannot name a refusal has not been in enough real work — or has been in the wrong rooms.

06 — RIGGING →