In just about any manufacturing facility, overhead operations continue in the background that most workers never think about — until something needs to be moved.
For instance, a 5-ton injection molding machine or large CNC machine needs to be repositioned on the factory floor. Or heavy components involved in the production process need to be assembled. For such operations, hoisting and rigging systems provide the necessary lifting and handling capability required to move these objects in a safe and efficient manner. Different forklift operations, hoisting, and rigging largely concern themselves with overhead operations.
Act First Safety provides certified hoisting and rigging training in Ontario to ensure material handling in manufacturing facilities can take place incident-free.
Far from being just "heavy lifting", our course covers proper hoisting and rigging practices that form the backbone of manufacturing efficiency, safety, and productivity. Here’s why these systems are absolutely critical to effective and safe manufacturing processes.
Why Is Safety Non-Negotiable During Hoisting & Rigging?
The most critical reason for getting proper hoisting and rigging training is workplace safety.
Seems obvious, right? After all, safety is critical when dealing with the repositioning of extremely heavy objects. That too is overhead movement.
But, often in small businesses, when processes have been repeated so often that they seem second-nature, workers may not follow best practices or renew their certification.
In fact, if any onsite training happens at all, it might be restricted to an orientation on how to use the crane, not the actual lift. This leaves enormous gaps in worker knowledge when it comes to safe material handling.
Manufacturing environments deal with loads that can weigh from hundreds to thousands of pounds. A single failure in rigging equipment or using improper lifting techniques can result in catastrophic accidents, severe injuries, or fatalities.
Truth be told, improper material handling accounts for a significant percentage of workplace injuries in manufacturing. Since these accidents happen within the walls of private businesses, they may not always make the 6 o'clock news, keeping our awareness of hoisting and rigging accidents in manufacturing understandably low.
However, a recent incident at a Toronto construction site hit the national press (and all the social media platforms) in minutes. The worker became entangled on the tag line during a lift and was suspended for several minutes, hundreds of feet in the air, until the crane operator could lower him to the ground. Talk about unwanted publicity! This moment was widely captured on cellphones, leaving onlookers both captivated and terrified. Fortunately, the worker survived.
Professional hoisting and rigging practices protect workers by ensuring loads are secured correctly, weight limits are respected, and lifting operations follow established safety protocols. This is achieved through:
- Effective corporate policies and procedures (standard operating procedures)
- Excellent communication
- Competent supervision
- Effective safety training specifically designed for the hoisting and rigging operations of the business.
- Organizational Safety Culture
These factors, when implemented effectively, play an important role in ensuring that every lift is a testament to putting worker safety first.
How Hoisting & Rigging Training Protects Products and Equipment
Manufacturing involves precision-engineered components and expensive machinery. A dropped load doesn’t just create a safety hazard—it can destroy products worth tens of thousands of dollars and damage critical production equipment.
Proper rigging techniques ensure that delicate components are lifted with the right balance points, that loads don’t swing uncontrollably, and that products arrive at their destination in the same condition they left.
This protection extends to the hoisting equipment itself. Using the correct rigging hardware for each application prevents damage to cranes, hoists, and lifting devices, thus maximizing their operational life.
However, understanding the right techniques and selecting the right hardware requires prior training. If your team doesn’t have the required certification or if their certificate has expired, you must schedule a rigging and hoisting training to ensure compliance and safety.
Boost Operational Efficiency & Productivity With Hoisting & Rigging Training
Time is money in manufacturing. Especially in the current market conditions of high inflation. With the threat of tariffs looming large, every component can get quite expensive, not rare or difficult-to-get parts. This makes efficient material handling critical as it can positively impact your bottom line.
Investing in properly designed hoisting and rigging systems can help you streamline production workflows by enabling smooth, quick transfers of materials and components between workstations.
Furthermore, operator training combined with access to the right equipment can aid in the quick and confident execution of the most complex tasks. This reduces downtime, eliminates bottlenecks in the production process, and keeps manufacturing lines moving at optimal speed.
The alternative — improvised lifting methods or inefficient rigging—creates delays that ripple through the entire operation.
How The Right Hoisting & Rigging Techniques Aid Complex Lifting Challenges
More often than not, manufacturing involves moving awkwardly shaped components, fragile assemblies, or loads with unusual weight distributions. Professional rigging expertise is essential for these complex lifting scenarios.
Think of a historically significant statue for an art installation. It includes a horse and a rider. The statue is heavy, awkward, and one-of-a-kind. Riggers must understand the intricate setup to ensure the statue arrives in one piece and not damaged. They need to determine and calculate load weights, identify the centre of gravity, select the right slings and hardware, and plan lifting paths that avoid obstacles. This requires excellent safety training and worker experience – the kind that only Act First Safety’s hoisting and rigging training can provide.
With the right expertise, even the most demanding lifts are completed safely and efficiently. In fact, if every lift is backed by thoughtfulness and precise calculations, instead of rushed efforts, the entire job can be finished that much faster.
That said, proper lifting might require collaboration with team members or between departments. But the result will be the same with skilled rigging transforming seemingly impossible tasks into everyday operations. This expertise ensures even the most challenging lifts are executed safely and efficiently.
Hoisting & Rigging: Regulatory Compliance
Manufacturing facilities must comply with safety legislation and industry standards like CSA, along with insurance requirements for material handling to cover all grounds. Proper hoisting and rigging programs can help you understand regulatory compliance so you can reduce liability exposure.
Key regulatory points training touches upon include regular equipment inspections, operator training and certification, documented lifting procedures, and maintenance records. Facilities that take these requirements seriously avoid costly fines and legal issues and cultivate a culture of safety that attracts and retains quality employees.
Maximizing Facility Layout & Space with Overhead Hoisting Systems
Limited floor space is a common challenge in manufacturing. You can mitigate this challenge by investing in overhead hoisting systems. These maximize usable space by utilizing vertical clearance for material movement. This, in turn, allows manufacturers to optimize their facility layouts, position equipment for maximum efficiency, and keep work areas clear of obstacles.
You could also streamline material movement with the help of additional equipment. For example, bridge cranes, jib cranes, and overhead hoists enable movement along multiple axes without requiring floor space for forklifts or other ground-based equipment. This three-dimensional approach to material handling is especially valuable in facilities where every square foot of floor space contributes to production capacity.
However, if you have a smaller space, things can get complicated due to the presence of hazards like obstacles, inventory, or even people. But you shouldn’t skimp on getting a proper hoisting and rigging system or investing in training. Savings in one area, like physical space, shouldn’t become costly mistakes in another area of the business due to a lack of safety training.
Adapting Your Hoisting & Rigging System To Different Manufacturing Needs
Manufacturing operations vary across industries, and hoisting and rigging systems adapt to these diverse needs.
For instance, in automotive manufacturing for instance, robotic hoists move body panels with precision timing. In aerospace, special rigging handles composite materials that require gentle, controlled lifting. In steel fabrication, heavy-duty cranes position massive structural components.
Another great example of their adaptability can be witnessed in small, mid-sized HVAC businesses that may have regularly shaped but heavy units and tall cooling towers that make outdoor installations complicated by weather. Hoisting and rigging systems can help with that.
The versatility of contemporary hoisting and rigging equipment means manufacturers can customize solutions to their specific processes. Customization of process and equipment may be specialized in industries where food, pharmaceuticals, or chemicals are manufactured.
The Bottom Line
Hoisting and rigging isn’t just about moving heavy objects from point A to point B. It’s a sophisticated, safety function that enables efficient manufacturing operations while protecting workers, products, and equipment.
In addition, manufacturers don’t want to disappoint customers with late or damaged products. When repeat orders and growth in the business are the goal, making sure that products are delivered on time and meet the necessary quality assurances is a must.
Investing in the right hoisting equipment, professional rigging expertise, and comprehensive operator training pays dividends in better safety records, higher productivity, less product damage and regulatory compliance.
In an industry where margins are thin and competition is tough, manufacturers who understand the strategic value of proper hoisting and rigging practices have a competitive edge.
Next time you see a load moving safely overhead in a manufacturing facility, remember that it’s not just heavy lifting—that’s solid engineering, planning, and hoisting and rigging safety training combining to create operational excellence.
Looking for certified training programs in Ontario? Act First Safety provides a 2-day hoisting and rigging training program that’s held both publicly at our Scarborough facility or privately at your premises. Contact us to enquire about our program and to earn your wallet-sized certificate.
FAQs
Who needs to take hoisting and rigging training?
Anyone involved in lifting operations – especially in manufacturing facilities should take hoisting and rigging training. Operators, supervisors, maintenance staff, and even managers should take this course if they are involved in the process of material handling.
How often should workers renew their hoisting and rigging certification?
It is recommended that workers take a refresher course every 3 years before their previous license expires to ensure continued validity. However, organizations may require a refresher course sooner in the aftermath of an incident or if regulations change.
What does hoisting and rigging training cover?
Act First Safety’s comprehensive hoisting and rigging training program covers best lifting practices, load calculations, equipment inspection, sling selection, rigging configurations, effective communication practices, and legal compliance standards, among others.
