Certification-level work below the hook
Riggers decide how a load is attached and whether it will stay balanced in the air. Signal persons decide when and where the crane moves. Both jobs carry real responsibility, and OSHA's crane rules for construction expect the people doing them to be qualified (signal persons under 29 CFR 1926.1428). NCCCO certification is a widely recognized way to show it.
This course prepares you for two NCCCO certifications: Rigger Level I and Signalperson. Each needs a written exam and a practical exam, and the course gets you ready for all four.
The two skills belong together. On many crews the person who hooks up the load is also the one who walks it out and directs the operator, so training them side by side mirrors how the work is actually done. Understanding rigging makes you a better signal person, because you know what the load is likely to do once it leaves the ground.
Is this the right rigging course for you?
Choose the 28-hour course when you want an NCCCO credential. It goes well past the basics.
- Riggers and ground crew who already rig loads and want that experience backed by a recognized certification
- Signal persons who direct operators and want to do it with confidence and the correct signals every time
- Crane operators who want to understand what happens below the hook and add another credential
Our 4-hour Level I course is a different thing: a short introduction that earns a Miller Crane Works qualification, not an NCCCO certification. It is a helpful warm-up but entirely optional; you can enroll straight into the 28 hours.
Course content
Rigging
- Selecting rigging hardware and the inspection criteria that decide whether it stays in service
- Hitch types and how sling angle changes the tension in each leg
- Estimating load weight from dimensions and material
- Finding the center of gravity and keeping the load under control
- Rigging safety rules, tag lines and keeping the crew clear of the load
Signaling
- The standard hand signals for mobile and tower cranes
- Voice communication and when it is used
- The duties of a signal person before and during a lift
Hands-on
You inspect real hardware and rig loads with an instructor checking your work, then practice signals the way you will use them on the exam. Practical exam-style rigging and signaling tasks run through the course.
How the course leads to the exams
- Classroom foundations. Hardware, hitches, load weights and what a signal person is responsible for.
- Load calculations. Weight estimates, sling angles and center of gravity until they come quickly.
- Hands-on rigging. Inspect and rig with instructor feedback.
- Signal practice. Hand and voice signals, repeated until they are clean.
- NCCCO exams. Written and practical exams for Rigger Level I and for Signalperson.
In broad terms, the written exams test what you know: hardware, hitches, inspection, load weights and the signal chart. The practical exams ask you to show it with your hands and voice: inspecting and rigging for the rigger exam, and directing crane movements with hand and voice signals for the signalperson exam. Always check the current NCCCO candidate handbooks for exact content and rules, since NCCCO updates them.
NCCCO sets and grades the exams and awards the certifications. Our role is preparation. chart practice before class help with the written side.
Tuition, requirements and enrollment
Tuition is $2,550. Miller Crane Works is approved for GI Bill® benefits, so eligible veterans should ask about using them here. Others use workforce funding through a local Workforce Solutions office, employer sponsorship or self-pay. Details are on the funding page. Contractors sending several crew members can look at company classes.
NCCCO requires certification candidates to be at least 18 and to follow its substance abuse policy. We also review the school's admission requirements with you. Then it is a matter of telling us your role on the job site, confirming funding, choosing class dates and coming to Seagoville. See admission and what to expect, and read our grievance policy before you enroll.
Plan to be on your feet for the hands-on parts. Bring a government-issued photo ID, wear work boots and clothes you can get dirty, and pack layers for the weather. A notebook and a basic calculator help with load weight and sling angle problems.