Offshore Rigger Course

Lesson 1 • Offshore Environmental Hazards

Identifies environmental conditions unique to offshore operations that affect rigging safety. Builds awareness of wind, sea state, and corrosion as constant risk factors.

Lesson 2 • Offshore Regulatory Framework

Introduces internationally recognized safety standards and competency requirements governing offshore lifting. Provides context for compliance expectations throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Offshore Facility Types and Functions

Covers fixed platforms, floating production units, jack-ups, and drill ships. Connects facility design to rigging access constraints and load considerations.

Lesson 1 • Equipment Identification and Marking

Teaches color-coding schemes, traceability markings, and documentation requirements for offshore rigging gear. Ensures students can verify equipment status before use.

Lesson 2 • Synthetic and Chain Slings

Covers polyester, nylon, and high-modulus fiber slings alongside chain grades and link profiles. Addresses offshore suitability, UV degradation, and chemical exposure risks.

Lesson 3 • Shackles, Hooks, and Connectors

Details bow, dee, and safety shackles, along with swivel hooks and master links. Emphasizes correct pin orientation, mousing, and working load limit markings.

Lesson 4 • Wire Rope Construction and Grades

Explains strand lay, core types, and grade classifications that determine wire rope strength. Connects construction choices to offshore corrosion resistance and flexibility needs.

Lesson 1 • Inspection Documentation and Reporting

Establishes record-keeping practices for pre-use checks and formal periodic inspections. Connects accurate documentation to regulatory compliance and incident investigation.

Lesson 2 • Sling and Textile Inspection

Covers cuts, abrasion, heat damage, and chemical degradation indicators on synthetic slings. Links visible defects to structural capacity loss and rejection decisions.

Lesson 3 • Wire Rope Inspection Techniques

Teaches visual and tactile inspection methods for broken wires, kinks, and corrosion. Establishes discard criteria based on wire loss per rope lay length.

Lesson 1 • Working Load Limit and Safety Factors

Defines working load limit, minimum breaking load, and design factor relationships. Applies these concepts to select correctly rated slings and hardware for calculated tensions.

Lesson 2 • Sling Angle and Tension Calculations

Explains how sling angle affects tension using trigonometric ratios and load angle factors. Students calculate sling leg tensions for two- and four-leg configurations.

Lesson 3 • Rigging Arrangement Sketching

Develops the ability to produce clear rigging sketches showing dimensions, angles, and component ratings. Sketches serve as communication tools and lift plan inputs.

Lesson 4 • Center of Gravity Determination

Teaches graphical and calculation methods to locate the center of gravity of regular and irregular loads. Connects COG position to lift point placement and load stability.

Lesson 1 • Multi-Leg Sling Configurations

Covers two-, three-, and four-leg bridle arrangements for balanced and unbalanced loads. Addresses load sharing assumptions and the risk of unequal leg loading.

Lesson 2 • Vertical, Choker, and Basket Hitches

Teaches the three primary sling hitches, their WLL adjustments, and appropriate applications. Connects hitch selection to load shape, surface, and required control.

Lesson 3 • Tubular and Pipe Bundle Slinging

Covers offshore-specific techniques for slinging tubulars, pipe bundles, and drill string components. Addresses rolling risk, end cap protection, and bundle integrity.

Lesson 4 • Fundamental Knots and Terminations

Covers eye splices, mechanical terminations, and essential knots used in offshore rigging. Emphasizes strength retention and correct dressing of each termination.

Lesson 1 • Lift Plan Components and Format

Covers the mandatory elements of a compliant lift plan including load data, rigging arrangement, and crane capacity verification. Teaches plan layout and review workflow.

Lesson 2 • Hazard Identification for Lifting

Applies structured hazard identification to lifting tasks, covering dropped objects, struck-by, and structural overload risks. Builds systematic thinking before every lift.

Lesson 3 • Toolbox Talks and Pre-Lift Briefings

Develops skills for delivering effective pre-lift briefings that communicate the plan, roles, and stop-work authority. Connects briefing quality to team situational awareness.

Lesson 4 • Lift Classification Systems

Explains routine, non-routine, and critical lift classifications and the planning requirements each triggers. Connects classification to approval authority and documentation depth.

Lesson 1 • Exclusion Zones and Load Path Control

Establishes principles for defining exclusion zones and controlling load swing over personnel and equipment. Connects tag line use to load path management.

Lesson 2 • Standardized Hand Signals

Teaches the full set of internationally recognized crane hand signals for all lift movements. Emphasizes clarity, positioning, and maintaining visual contact with the operator.

Lesson 3 • Radio Communication Protocols

Covers radio check procedures, lift-specific terminology, and communication discipline during lifts. Addresses radio failure contingency and handover between banksmen.

Lesson 4 • Lift Sequence Execution

Walks through the complete lift sequence from pre-lift checks to final set-down and unhooking. Builds procedural discipline and situational awareness throughout the lift.

Lesson 1 • Tandem and Tailing Crane Lifts

Covers load sharing calculations, communication protocols, and synchronization requirements for two-crane lifts. Addresses tailing crane use during upending operations.

Lesson 2 • Subsea and Below-Water Rigging

Introduces rigging considerations for equipment lowered through the splash zone and into subsea environments. Covers buoyancy effects, hydrostatic pressure, and wet rigging inspection.

Lesson 3 • Heavy and Critical Lift Execution

Applies critical lift planning to execution, covering pre-lift meetings, hold points, and real-time monitoring. Develops decision-making under pressure for high-consequence scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Night and Restricted Visibility Lifts

Covers lighting requirements, signal visibility adaptations, and additional controls for lifts in darkness or fog. Connects visibility limitations to enhanced communication discipline.