Business Issues
By James Headley
Signaling Safely
A properly trained signalperson is vital to safe lifting. Here’ s what they need to know.
During a lift, the signalperson ranks right up with the crane operator as the most important person on the crew.
I say that because whoever is giving the signals that guide moving and placing a load is essentially the operator’ s eyes.
The clarity and accuracy of the directions the signalperson gives the operator play a huge part in making a lift safe and successful.
Before starting a training business, Crane Institute of America, I ran cranes for 16 years.
Those rigs ranged up to a Manitowoc 4100W with RINGER attachment and more than 300 feet of boom and jib.
Having spent considerable time in the seat, I can say that I really appreciated a signalperson who stood at the right location and gave clear and precise guidance to help me place a load.
That knowledge and skill was particularly vital for loads being set high up, at long reach, or in the blind.
Today, technology like boom-tip and load-block cameras can help an operator, but they can’ t replace a trained and skilled signalperson.
Who Can Signal?
That’ s why when I founded Crane Institute in 1987, I made sure to include signalperson training in the class offerings.
That was nearly two decades before OSHA, ASME and industry experts got together to formalize and standardize signalperson training and testing.
Because I knew first-hand the importance of properly trained signalpersons, I was among the industry experts who kept a close eye on the work of the C-DAC committee and volunteered insights as the committee helped created those standards.
Anyone can be a signalperson if they meet the OSHA-recognized requirements.
In fact, a signaler often also does some other job.
He or she may be a rigger, ironworker, boilermaker, pipefitter, carpenter, electrician, or other tradesperson, or even another crane operator or the lift director.
Because of that, Crane Institute offers signalperson training as part of its rigger training and its train-the-trainer course.
Regulatory Requirements
OSHA holds the employer responsible for choosing someone who is“ qualified” to be a signalperson.
To be considered qualified, a signalperson must pass assessment by a competent evaluator.
That competent evaluator can be from an independent company, or from the signalperson’ s employer. Regulation 29 CFR 1926.1401 defines who can be a competent evaluator.
The requirements a signalperson must meet to be considered“ qualified” are a bit different than those a crane operator must meet in order to be“ certified.”
Although a“ qualified” person must be judged competent by a competent evaluator, he or she does not have to pass nationally accredited exams like those that crane operators must pass in order to be“ certified.”
For example, a signalperson could be considered qualified if he or she can correctly answer oral or written questions about crane operation and safety asked by their company’ s lift director, and can also demonstrate that they know the required hand or verbal signals that will be used to communicate with the crane operator.
Even though the qualification process can be done orally, the employer must document it and keep a record on site.
Knowledge and Communication Skills
What must a signalperson know for OSHA to consider him or her qualified?
Most obviously, they must know how to
Crane Institute of America founder and CEO James Headley teaches a classroom session on signalperson training.
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June 2025 • www. cranehotline. com