5 Free Crane and Rigging Training Resources for Your Toolbox

Thanks to computers, the internet, smartphones and tablets we now have instant access to any kind of information we could ever ask for.  This, of course, has spawned a new problem: wasting time wading through all bad information out there to get to the good stuff. With that in mind, rather than send you on a scavenger hunt across the internet, here are five free crane and rigging training resources that can most definitely be classified as “the good stuff.” 

Sling Protection eBook

ITI Field Services has investigated the cause of eight fatalities in the past three years. The leading reason for the fatalities can be tracked back to a lack of sling protection. In most cases, synthetic slings had been properly selected but not well protected, as web slings and roundslings can be quickly damaged from cutting and friction.

ASME B30.9 states: “Slings in contact with edges, corners, protrusions, or abrasive surfaces shall be protected with a material of sufficient strength, thickness, and construction to prevent damage”.  

The Sling Protection eBook includes a number of image examples, as well as a sling protection poster for easy reference.

ITI Showcase Webinar Archive

The Showcase Webinar Series is a free, monthly educational webinar presentation hosted by ITI President/CEO Mike Parnell.  Each episode focuses on a single topic and is intended to be a resource for any individual or organization that conducts lifting activities. 

In a perfect world, everyone would be able to take an hour out of their day once a month to attend a live Showcase Webinar, and take advantage of the Q&A portion of the event. Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. The workday can change on a moment’s notice, turning even the best planned schedule on its head. 

To combat the ever changing timeline of the workplace, someone at ITI had the ingenious idea to record every episode of the Showcase Webinar Series and make it available to everyone.  Resources in the Showcase Webinar Archive include:

• Webinar Recordings
• Presentation Files
• Full Webinar Transcription

Click here to access the Showcase Webinar Archive now!

RigIT App

The RigIT mobile app allows for engineers, operators, riggers, and anyone else involved with a lift, access to rigging capacity charts on your smart phone or tablet.  Available on both the Apple and Android Operating Systems, this free app includes chart information on vertical, choke and basket hitches and the load capacities for each.  To download, search “RigIT” in your device’s app store.

Cost of Training Worksheet

You have come to the conclusion that your organization requires training.  You have a general idea of what you are looking for, but what is the next step?  If only there was a worksheet that allowed you to weigh multiple training providers’ pros and cons, complete with a method to score those providers!

Incredibly, such a worksheet actually exists!  Download the worksheet for your own use here.

LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn is a social networking community specifically for professionals in every industry imaginable.  The crane and rigging industry is no different, and there are a number of LinkedIn Groups to prove it. 

LinkedIn Groups allow for members to post discussion questions and job openings, promote industry events and contact fellow group members on an individual basis.  LinkedIn Groups are free to join and a fantastic resource for information, as well as networking.  Here are some recommended groups specific to cranes and rigging:

• Industrial Training International
• Associated Wire Rope Fabricators
• Association of Crane & Rigging Professionals
• Crane & Rigging Training
• Crane Certification Association of America
• Cranes and Lifting Professionals
• Heavy Lift & Transport Global Network
• Lifting and Rigging
• Offshore Construction
• Rigging & Lifting Professionals