NCCER Core Rigging Fundamentals & Material Handling 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a tag line in a rigging operation?
- To secure the load to the crane hook
- To control the load and prevent it from spinning or swinging (Correct answer)
- To indicate the weight capacity of the rigging
- To connect two sling legs together
Correct answer: To control the load and prevent it from spinning or swinging
Tag lines are ropes used by ground workers to guide and control a suspended load, preventing dangerous spinning or swinging during a lift.
Question 2: What does the abbreviation 'SWL' stand for in rigging?
- Standard Wire Length
- Safe Working Load (Correct answer)
- Steel Wire Limit
- Sling Weight Limit
Correct answer: Safe Working Load
SWL stands for Safe Working Load, which is the maximum load that rigging equipment is designed to handle under normal working conditions.
Question 3: As the angle of a sling leg from vertical increases, the tension on each leg of the sling:
- Decreases
- Remains the same
- Increases (Correct answer)
- Becomes equal to the total load weight
Correct answer: Increases
As the sling angle from vertical increases, the tension in each leg increases because the vertical component of each leg must still support the full load.
Question 4: What is a shackle most commonly used for in rigging?
- Measuring load weight
- Connecting sling components and lifting devices (Correct answer)
- Marking the safe zone around a load
- Determining the center of gravity
Correct answer: Connecting sling components and lifting devices
Shackles are hardware connectors used to link slings, hooks, and other rigging components together in a lifting assembly.
Question 5: Which of the following is the correct first step before performing any rigging lift?
- Attach the sling to the crane hook
- Inspect all rigging equipment for defects (Correct answer)
- Signal the crane operator to take up the slack
- Determine the number of workers needed
Correct answer: Inspect all rigging equipment for defects
Inspecting all rigging equipment for defects before a lift is the critical first step to ensure safe operation and prevent equipment failure.
Question 6: What is the minimum recommended sling angle from horizontal when using a two-leg bridle sling?
- 15 degrees
- 30 degrees
- 45 degrees (Correct answer)
- 60 degrees
Correct answer: 45 degrees
A minimum 45-degree sling angle from horizontal is recommended because shallower angles dramatically increase tension in the sling legs and can cause overload.
Question 7: When a wire rope sling has been used in a choker hitch configuration, the rated capacity of the sling:
- Remains the same as a vertical hitch
- Increases by 25%
- Is reduced to approximately 75% of the vertical hitch rating (Correct answer)
- Is reduced to approximately 50% of the vertical hitch rating
Correct answer: Is reduced to approximately 75% of the vertical hitch rating
A choker hitch reduces a wire rope sling's rated capacity to approximately 75% of its vertical hitch rating due to the bending and pinching of the rope around the load.
NCCER Core Rigging Fundamentals & Material Handling 1
What is the primary purpose of a tag line in a rigging operation?