Awareness training for construction workers and riggers who signal cranes or rig loads: when a signal person is required, how signals must be given, how signal persons are qualified, and how to inspect slings and rigging and keep defective gear out of service.
Based on OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1419 (signals), 1926.1428 (signal person qualifications) and 1926.251 (rigging equipment for material handling) · about 6 min read
Need proof of training? The full course (20 min) adds practice questions, a job scenario, the final quiz and a certificate your employer can verify.
Signals are by hand, voice, audible, or new signals. New signals (anything other than hand, voice or audible) may be used only where the employer demonstrates they provide at least equally effective communication as voice, audible, or Standard Method hand signals, or comply with a national consensus standard that does.
Hand signals must use the Standard Method (Appendix A to Subpart CC). Non-standard hand signals are allowed only where the Standard Method is infeasible or does not cover the operation or attachment. Then the signal person, operator and lift director (if there is one) must agree on them before the operation.
Only one person may give signals to a crane at a time. The one exception is the stop or emergency stop signal (next page).
Give all directions from the operator's direction perspective, not your own.
Talking to more than one crane? Before each signal, identify which crane it is for, or use an equally effective method.
Anyone can stop the liftAnyone who becomes aware of a safety problem must alert the operator or signal person by giving the stop or emergency stop signal.
Lost contactIf the ability to transmit signals is interrupted at any time, the operator must safely stop until it is reestablished and a proper signal is given and understood.
Right means for the siteThe signals and the way they reach the operator (line of sight, video, radio) must be appropriate for the site conditions.
Operator sees a problemThe operator must safely stop. Work does not resume until operator and signal person agree the problem is resolved.
The employer of the signal person must ensure each signal person meets the qualification requirements before giving any signals, using one of two options:
Option 1: Third partyThe signal person has documentation from a third party qualified evaluator.
Option 2: Employer's evaluatorThe employer's qualified evaluator assesses the person and documents it. This assessment is not portable: other employers may not use it.
The documentation must be available at the site and must list each type of signaling (hand, radio, etc.) the person is qualified for.
What a signal person must do
Know and understand the type of signals used (the Standard Method, if hand signals)
Be competent in applying those signals
Have a basic understanding of equipment operation and limitations, including swinging and stopping loads and boom deflection
Know the relevant requirements of 1926.1419 through 1926.1422 and 1926.1428
Prove it through an oral or written test and a practical test
If later actions show the person does not meet these requirements, the employer must not let them keep signaling until re-training and a re-assessment confirm they do.
Rigging equipment must be inspected before use on each shift and as necessary during use. Defective rigging must be removed from service.
Each day before use, the sling and all fastenings and attachments must be inspected for damage or defects by a competent person designated by the employer. More inspections are done during use where service conditions warrant.
Damaged or defective slings are immediately removed from service.
Rigging must have permanently affixed, legible markings showing the recommended safe working load. No legible tag, no use.
These are the removal conditions the rule lists for these three sling types. Find any one of them and the sling comes out of service.
Web sling
Synthetic web (nylon, polyester, polypropylene)Acid or caustic burns; melting or charring of any part of the surface; snags, punctures, tears or cuts; broken or worn stitches; distortion of fittings.
Fiber rope
Natural and synthetic fiber ropeAbnormal wear; powdered fiber between strands; broken or cut fibers; variations in size or roundness of strands; discoloration or rotting; distortion of hardware in the sling.
Wire rope
Wire ropeNot used if, in any length of eight diameters, visible broken wires exceed 10 percent of the total wires, or if it shows other signs of excessive wear, corrosion or defect. Fiber core wire rope slings of all grades are permanently removed from service if exposed to temperatures in excess of 200 °F (93.33 °C).
Fact-checked against the regulation text on October 09, 2026. This certificate records completion of awareness training based on OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1419, 1926.1428 and 1926.251. It is not an OSHA card or license, it does not qualify anyone as a signal person or rigger, and it does not by itself meet the training requirements of 29 CFR 1926.1430(b) and (g). Your employer must still train each employee who will be assigned to work as a signal person who does not meet the requirements of 1926.1428(c) in the areas addressed in that paragraph, evaluate each employee required to be trained to confirm that the employee understands the information provided in the training, and, under 1926.1428(a), ensure each signal person meets the Qualification Requirements before giving any signals, through documentation from a third party qualified evaluator or an assessment documented by the employer's qualified evaluator, including an oral or written test and a practical test. 29 CFR 1926.251 has no training paragraph; it requires each sling and all fastenings and attachments to be inspected each day before use by a competent person designated by the employer.
This guide explains the rule in plain words. Always read the regulation itself and your employer's site-specific procedures.