Crane Institute of America founder and CEO James Headley teaches a classroom session on signalperson training.
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-thetrainer 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.”
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