Industrial rigging is an inherently hazardous discipline, but with the right safety practices in place, these hazards can be systematically managed. The industry has developed a well-established body of best practices for safety in industrial rigging — grounded in South African law, engineering principles, and the hard lessons learned from decades of operational experience. This article summarises the key safety best practices that every industrial rigging operation should follow.
Have a Plan Before You Lift
The most important safety practice in industrial rigging is simple: plan every lift before you execute it. This means confirming the load weight and centre of gravity, selecting the correct rigging configuration and crane, identifying all hazards on site, assigning roles to every team member, and briefing the team before operations begin. Improvised lifts — carried out without adequate planning — are a leading cause of rigging incidents in South Africa. No production schedule justification overrides the requirement to plan safely.
Practice Good Risk Management
Effective risk management in rigging involves identifying all potential hazards before the lift begins, assessing the likelihood and severity of harm from each hazard, implementing controls to eliminate or reduce unacceptable risks, and monitoring those controls throughout the operation. A formal risk assessment should be completed for every rigging project and shared with all team members during the pre-lift briefing. Risks should be reviewed if site conditions change during the operation.
Inspect Equipment Before Every Use
Every piece of rigging equipment must be physically inspected before use — not just when it is assigned to a project, but immediately before each use session. This pre-use inspection is the last line of defence against equipment failure during a live lift. Riggers must know the discard criteria for each type of equipment they handle and must have the authority and responsibility to remove any item that fails inspection — regardless of production pressure or deadline demands.
Maintain Clear, Unambiguous Communication
Poor communication is a recurring cause of rigging incidents worldwide. Best practice requires designating one banksman per lift, using pre-agreed signals consistently, briefing all team members on the signal protocol before operations begin, and establishing clear radio communication protocols where radios are used. The crane operator responds only to the designated banksman’s signals — any ambiguity in communication requires the operation to be stopped until clarity is re-established.
Create and Follow a ‘Best Practices Plan’ for Your Operation
Organisations that consistently achieve safe rigging operations don’t leave safety to individual judgment on the day — they document their best practices in a safety management system, train all personnel to follow them, and hold teams accountable for compliance. For industrial operations that involve frequent rigging activities, a formalised Best Practices Plan — covering equipment management, lift planning requirements, personnel qualifications, and incident reporting — reduces the risk of ad hoc decisions that create avoidable hazards.
Reef Rigging follows documented safety management procedures on every project. Explore our health and safety approach or contact the team for professional rigging services.
Frequently Asked Questions: Rigging Safety Best Practices
What is a toolbox talk and why is it important in rigging?
A toolbox talk is a short, focused safety briefing conducted at the start of each work session — typically 5 to 15 minutes long. In rigging operations, toolbox talks cover the specific tasks planned for that day, the hazards associated with those tasks, the control measures in place, any changes to the planned sequence, and any site conditions that require special attention. Toolbox talks ensure that all personnel begin each work session with a shared understanding of the day’s activities and the safety requirements. They are required by South African safety regulations on construction sites and are best practice across all rigging operations.