Determine when a qualified rigger is required for hoisting activities on a steel erection project and how to document that qualification

Steps

1. Identify hoisting activities requiring a qualified rigger: crane/derrick assembly-disassembly work, and any activity where workers are in the fall zone hooking, unhooking, guiding a load, or making the initial connection of a load to a structure, per 1926.1401.
2. Confirm the individual meets the 1926.1401 definition of 'qualified person' for rigging tasks — via recognized degree/certificate, or extensive knowledge/training/experience demonstrated on the specific rigging problem at hand.
3. Recognize that OSHA does not require third-party rigger certification (unlike crane operators); the employer is responsible for determining and documenting qualification itself.
4. Match the rigger's demonstrated qualification to the complexity of the specific task (e.g., multiple-lift rigging under 1926.753(e) may demand more demonstrated skill than routine single-member picks).
5. Retain the employer's qualification determination on file, since there is no OSHA-standardized card format that automatically satisfies the requirement.