BASIC RIGGING

MSHA REGULATIONS
56/57.16007 Taglines, Hitches, and Slings

(a) Taglines shall be attached to loads that may

require steadying or guidance while
suspended.
(b) Hitches and slings used to hoist materials
shall be suitable for the particular material
handled.

56/57.16009 Suspended Loads

Persons shall stay clear of suspended loads.

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 objects 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
450 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