NYC DOB CRANES AND DERRICKS TRAINING
16-Hour Rigging Worker
The NYC DOB-approved course for workers who rig or signal loads hoisted on the outside of a building. Finish it to get the Rigging Worker certification on your Worker Wallet card.
- In person · Hybrid
- 16 hours
- English
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Contact usCourse at a glance
- Format
- Instructor-led. In person, or hybrid: lectures and demonstrations live online, hands-on parts in person. Not available fully online or self-paced.
- Length
- 16 hours of instruction, not counting breaks and meals. No session may run longer than 9.5 hours including breaks.
- Assessment
- Written multiple-choice test at the end of the course.
- Credential
- Rigging Worker certification on your DOB Worker Wallet card, issued by your training provider.
What the 16-hour rigging worker course in NYC covers
The 16-Hour Rigging Worker course is NYC DOB-approved training for people who rig or signal loads that are hoisted or lowered on the outside of a building, when they are not employed by a licensed rigger. It covers rigging equipment and how to inspect it, signaling, fall protection, and the NYC rules for hoisting in a dense city.
The requirement comes from NYC Building Code section 3316.9.2. Rigging crew members, their supervisors, and the signal persons who communicate with them must either hold an accepted national certification for both rigging and signaling, or finish a DOB-approved 16-hour course and then an 8-hour refresher every 4 years. DOB has required this training since July 1, 2016. For workers, DOB accepts NCCCO Rigger Level I plus NCCCO Signalperson as the certification route.
When you pass, your training provider issues the Rigging Worker certification on your DOB Worker Wallet card. Since July 1, 2025, the Worker Wallet card is the only card accepted on NYC job sites for this certification. It does not replace your SST card. You carry both.
This course is instructor-led. It is taught fully in person, or as a hybrid where lectures and demonstrations are live online and the hands-on parts are in person. The hands-on parts are rigging equipment inspection, signaling, and harness inspection and fitting. DOB does not allow this course fully online or self-paced. It ends with a written multiple-choice test.
Hands-on training
Inspecting ropes and rigging equipment, signaling with radios, hand signals and flags, and inspecting, putting on and taking off a fall arrest harness. These parts are done in person.
What you'll learn
Drawn from the training objectives in DOB's outline.
- Inspect ropes, slings, shackles, hooks, and other rigging gear, spot wear and defects, and know what to do when you find a hazard.
- Choose common ropes, knots, hitches, and hardware, and understand how hitches and angles reduce rope strength.
- Communicate with the crew and supervisor using radios, hand signals, and flags.
- Recognize hazards of hoisting in NYC: high winds, power lines, drifting loads, and the ban on hoisting over people, traffic, and adjoining buildings.
- Apply fall protection basics, including fall clearance and total fall distance, and inspect and wear a harness correctly.
- Know the NYC Building Code Chapter 33 rules, DOB filings and logs, and when a licensed rigger or a critical pick plan is required.
Course topics
Everything in DOB's outline for this course.
Part 1 · Rigging basics and incidents
- What rigging is and its uses: material hoisting, suspended scaffolds, and industrial rope access (this course focuses on material hoisting)
- Inspection, maintenance, repair, use, and installation of rigging equipment
- Common causes of crane and rigging incidents, with NYC and other big city history
- Rigging incident statistics for the latest 24 months and a close review of two failures
Part 2 · Codes and DOB procedures
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M (fall protection) and Subpart CC (cranes and derricks)
- 2022 NYC Building Code Chapter 33, 1 RCNY 3316-01 and 1 RCNY 3319-01
- DOB permits, notifications, forms, site documents, plans, and inspection logs
- Wind and weather advisories
Part 3 · Loads, ropes, and equipment
- Hoisting steel, concrete buckets, rebar, masonry, and curtain walls; maneuvering and drifting loads
- Exclusion zones, sidewalk sheds, barriers, flag persons, guardrails, netting, and securing rigging platforms
- Wire and fiber rope grades, knots, hitches, and manufacturer limits
- Hooks, shackles, thimbles, tackle blocks, slings, come-alongs, pulleys, and chains
- Crane and hoisting machine hazards and setup: ground conditions, mini-crane tiebacks, outrigger cribbing
Part 4 · Hands-on practice and site safety
- Hands-on inspection of ropes and rigging equipment
- Hands-on signaling with radios, hand signals, and flags
- Fall protection principles, then hands-on harness inspection, donning, doffing, and care
- General site hazards and how to report unsafe conditions to 311
- Full review and a written multiple-choice test
Credit & certificate
Rigging Worker certification on your DOB Worker Wallet card, issued by your training provider through DOB Training Connect. It meets the NYC Building Code training requirement for rigging crew members and signal persons.
Renewal: 8-Hour Rigging Worker Refresher every 4 years after you finish this course.
Who it's for
- Workers who attach, detach, or rig loads hoisted or lowered on the outside of a building in NYC and are not employed by a licensed rigger
- Signal persons who communicate with a rigging crew by radio, hand signals, or flags
- Trade workers on crane and hoisting jobs who need the Rigging Worker certification on their Worker Wallet card
- Workers who do not hold NCCCO Rigger Level I and Signalperson certifications
Before you buy
- Format and schedule
- Taught by an instructor in scheduled classes, in person or live online. The dates, times and place of each class are listed under Upcoming classes; registered students in a live online class get the join link.
- Certificate and credential
- When you finish, Training Directory issues a course certificate.
- Identity verification
- No identity verification or proctoring is required for this course.
Questions
Can I take this course online?
Only part of it. DOB allows a hybrid format where lectures and demonstrations are live online, but the hands-on parts must be done in person, and it cannot be taken fully online or self-paced. For the live online sessions, your identity is confirmed before you get access, you attest that you will complete the training without help, your participation is monitored, and your webcam must stay on for the whole class.
What do I get when I finish?
Your training provider issues the Rigging Worker certification on your DOB Worker Wallet card through DOB's Training Connect platform, and may charge an administrative fee for the card. The Worker Wallet card is the only card accepted for this certification on NYC job sites, and supervisors can verify it with the Training Connect app.
Who needs this course?
Anyone not employed by a licensed rigger who does rigging or signaling for loads hoisted or lowered on the outside of a building in NYC. Signal persons who communicate with the rigging crew are covered by the same requirement.
Can I use an NCCCO certification instead?
Yes. Instead of this course, DOB accepts NCCCO Rigger Level I together with NCCCO Signalperson. The Building Code requires a certification that covers both rigging and signaling.
How often do I need a refresher?
Take the 8-Hour Rigging Worker Refresher 4 years after you finish this course, and every 4 years after that.
Are there prerequisites?
DOB's outline does not list any. You need to attend all 16 hours of instruction and pass the written test.
Does this course cover suspended scaffold work?
No. The course focuses on material hoisting. Suspended scaffold and industrial rope access work need separate training, such as the Suspended Scaffold User course.
Does the Worker Wallet card replace my SST card?
No. The Worker Wallet card holds certifications like Rigging Worker. You still need your SST card, so you carry both.
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