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ConstructionQualified Rigger and the Fall Zone
Twenty flashcards on who may stand under a crane load and who must rig it, under federal rules.
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20 cards
- What is the fall zone?
- The area, including right under the load, where partly or fully suspended materials could foreseeably fall in an accident.
- What does directly under the load mean?
- That part or all of a worker is directly beneath the load.
- What does the rule on keeping clear of the load protect against?
- Workers being struck by a moving or falling load.
- Which hoisting routes must be used where available?
- Routes that keep workers' exposure to hoisted loads as low as possible, consistent with public safety.
- While a suspended load is not moving, who may be in the fall zone?
- Only workers hooking, unhooking or guiding it, making its first attachment, or running a concrete hopper or bucket.
- Workers in the fall zone are hooking or guiding a load: how must the materials be rigged?
- To prevent unintentional displacement.
- In that same case, what kind of hooks are required?
- Hooks with self-closing latches or their equivalent.
- When may J hooks be used instead, and why?
- For setting wooden trusses, so a worker does not need to go onto the truss to open the hook.
- And who must rig the materials in that case?
- A qualified rigger.
- Who may be in the fall zone while a load is being landed?
- Only the workers needed to receive the load.
- During a tilt-up or tilt-down operation, who may be directly under the load?
- No one.
- In that operation, who may stay in the fall zone?
- Only workers essential to it, such as those guiding, monitoring, or attaching or detaching the load, when it cannot be done from outside.
- When is boom free fall prohibited?
- When any worker is in the fall zone of the boom or the load.
- What is a qualified rigger under the federal crane rule?
- A rigger who meets the criteria for a qualified person.
- What makes a person qualified for rigging?
- A recognized degree, certificate or professional standing, or extensive knowledge, training and experience, plus proven ability to solve rigging problems.
- When is a qualified rigger required?
- For hoisting during crane assembly and disassembly, and when workers in the fall zone hook, unhook or guide a load or make its first connection.
- During assembly or disassembly rigging, what must synthetic slings be protected from?
- Abrasive, sharp or acute edges, and setups that could cut their rated capacity, such as distortion or local crushing.
- Must a qualified rigger be certified by an accredited organization?
- No. A third-party assessment is optional; the employer may choose it but does not have to.
- Is a certified crane operator automatically a qualified rigger?
- No. It depends on the load, lift and equipment, and on the operator's own rigging knowledge and experience.
- Does years of rigging structural parts qualify someone for every lift?
- No. It does not automatically cover unstable, unusually heavy or eccentric loads that may need tandem lifts or custom rigging.
Official sources
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), via GovInfo (GPO)
29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC: Cranes and Derricks in Construction (CFR 2025 edition)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA 3433: Small Entity Compliance Guide, Cranes and Derricks in Construction
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Fact Sheet: Subpart CC Cranes and Derricks in Construction, Qualified Rigger
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