Riggers play a vital role in multiple sectors, including construction, oil, drilling, mining, and demolition. They have invaluable skills in operating heavy machinery and equipment in large-scale projects.
If you’d like to start your career as a rigger in the mining industry, read on to learn about the basics of this career and the professional qualifications you need.
What is a rigger?
In Australia, riggers are people who are skilled and licensed in setting up, aligning, and reinforcing structures using gear such as winches and pulleys. In construction, riggers are responsible for lowering, lifting, moving and positioning loads.
Many riggers work in the construction and mining industry and other heavy industrial businesses. Specialised riggers also work in entertainment, mines, oil & gas, docks, factories, and shipyards.
What does a rigger do in mining?
In the mining sector, a rigger’s work involves various forms of lifting and loading. It’s a crucial aspect of any project as improper rigging can jeopardise the safety of people working on the site as well as damage expensive equipment or supplies.
A rigger’s primary duties include:
Selecting the right rigging gear
Different jobs require different types of machinery and equipment. It’s a rigger’s responsibility to identify the most appropriate lifting equipment for that specific job.
First, the rigger must assess the loads depending on their shape, weight, size, and lifting method to determine the best equipment to use. He or she will then sling the load or set up the equipment to ensure safety and efficiency during use.
Examining and testing the rigging gear
A rigger must abide by all safety guidelines at all times, and evaluate and test the gear to determine its safety, efficiency, ease of use and functionality. The rigger should also handle any repairs and maintain the equipment.
Additional duties include:
- Attaching, connecting or disassembling components of heavy machinery
- Controlling and ensuring the machinery remains functional during use
- Erecting temporary lifting devices like hoists, and installing lifting tackle
- Setting up mobile cranes and adjusting the height of tower cranes using rigging gear
- Constructing scaffolding by lifting, aligning, and bolting machinery
- Selecting sling equipment such as hooks, clamps, and slings and connecting it to the hoisting equipment to lift loads
Licenses and training for rigging
As a high-risk job, rigging requires high skills and competency levels. Before working as a rigger in the mining industry, you’ll need comprehensive training and licenses, including:
Standard 11 Course
The Standard 11 course is a requirement for anyone stepping onto a mine site in Australia. The goal is to ensure that all people that come into this high-risk environment have the training to stay safe. The mining induction course offers training and evaluation as specified by Standard 11. The course includes the Resources and Infrastructure Industry (RII) Units of Competency.
Before you start the induction course, it’s best to confirm the induction requirements of the specific site you’ll be working on. This ensures that the training process is in line with the site processes.
Dogging License
To become a rigger, the first course you need to attend is dogging. It covers the basic requirements for a national High-Risk Work Licence (Class DG) to handle dogging tasks.
With this license, you’ll have the skills to inspect lifting equipment like synthetic slings and beams. You can also guide movements to help crane operators move their loads, being their ‘eyes’ when the load is out of view.
The next step after you complete your dogging course is to obtain a High-Risk Work Licence to conduct rigging tasks.
Rigging Courses: Basic, Intermediate or Advanced
Rigging covers all forms of mechanical load shifting like transporting and securing equipment. Dodging is more about using slinging techniques to sling loads safely.
You’ll need a basic, intermediate or advanced rigging course based on the specific work you’ll be handling. You’ll need your dogging ticket as a prerequisite for this training.
Find out more
Riggers are responsible for keeping people and machinery safe on site. It’s therefore essential to have the proper training and qualifications as simple mistakes can cause severe losses.
Kallibr Training (RTO 32365) offers formal training and assessment on these courses including the Standard 11 course. We have one of the largest collections of realistic training equipment in Australia and modern training facilities at various locations including Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Get in touch today and fast-track your career as a rigger in the mining industry.
