RSP Rigging Procedures & Equipment 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A rigger notices the working load limit tag is missing from a sling. What should the rigger do?
- Estimate the WLL based on sling appearance and proceed
- Remove the sling from service until it can be identified and tagged (Correct answer)
- Use it for lifts under 1,000 lbs only
- Ask a co-worker to estimate the capacity
Correct answer: Remove the sling from service until it can be identified and tagged
ASME B30.9 requires all slings to have legible identification showing the rated capacity; a sling without proper identification must be removed from service.
Question 2: Which factor does NOT affect the rated capacity of a wire rope sling?
- The hitch configuration used
- The angle of the sling legs
- The color of the plastic sleeve on the sling (Correct answer)
- The diameter of the wire rope
Correct answer: The color of the plastic sleeve on the sling
The color of a protective sleeve is a cosmetic feature and has no bearing on the wire rope sling's rated capacity.
Question 3: A load is being lifted using a four-leg bridle sling. Under normal practice, how many legs are assumed to share the load equally for WLL calculations?
- All four legs equally
- Three legs (one is considered a redundant backup) (Correct answer)
- Two legs (the other two are assumed slack)
- Depends entirely on the symmetry of the load
Correct answer: Three legs (one is considered a redundant backup)
Industry practice assumes only three of four legs in a bridle sling share the load equally, because slight variations in leg length mean one leg may carry little or no load.
Question 4: The minimum distance a rigger should stand from a load being lifted is:
- Exactly 3 feet from the load edge
- Far enough to avoid being struck if the load swings, falls, or the rigging fails (Correct answer)
- At the operator's line of sight
- Inside the crane's swing radius on the upwind side
Correct answer: Far enough to avoid being struck if the load swings, falls, or the rigging fails
OSHA and ASME standards require personnel to stand clear—far enough that they cannot be struck by a swinging, falling, or shifting load.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of using a tag line (guide rope) during a lift?
- To increase the load's travel speed
- To control the load's rotation and prevent uncontrolled swinging (Correct answer)
- To act as a secondary rigging attachment if the primary fails
- To allow the rigger to climb to the load
Correct answer: To control the load's rotation and prevent uncontrolled swinging
Tag lines are used to control load rotation and prevent uncontrolled swinging or spinning, keeping the load away from obstructions and people.
Question 6: When must a pre-lift meeting (toolbox talk) be conducted before a critical lift?
- Only if the load exceeds 10,000 lbs
- Before every critical lift, regardless of load weight (Correct answer)
- Only on the first lift of each work week
- Only when a new crew member is present
Correct answer: Before every critical lift, regardless of load weight
ASME B30.5 and employer safety plans require a pre-lift meeting before every critical lift to review the lift plan, roles, signals, and emergency procedures.
Question 7: A lifting lug welded to a load fails during a hoist. The MOST likely cause is:
- The hook was too large for the lug hole
- The lug was not designed, sized, or inspected for the actual load and rigging angle (Correct answer)
- The crane operator moved too slowly
- The sling was too long
Correct answer: The lug was not designed, sized, or inspected for the actual load and rigging angle
Lifting lug failures are most often caused by inadequate design, improper load angle exceeding lug specifications, or failure to inspect the weld before lifting.
RSP Rigging Procedures & Equipment 4
A rigger notices the working load limit tag is missing from a sling.
What should the rigger do?