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newSchoolWorks.com › VoTechWorks › Building & Construction › Construction (general) › Rigging: Load Handling, Slings, and Lifting Safety › Lesson 8
BLD-CONS02-04 · Lesson 8 · 11 clock hours · lab

Rigging Capstone Lab: Full Lift Evolution

Objective. Students will plan, document, rig, signal, and execute a complete supervised lift from a pre-lift plan through set-down, demonstrating integration of all course skills without instructor prompting.

⚠ Pending professional review

This lesson, its worked examples and its practice questions has not yet been verified by a licensed professional engineer or master tradesperson or by a certification or approval body. It is a study draft and may contain errors. Do not use it as instructions for work on a job site or on live equipment. Always follow your instructor, your supervising professional, and current official references and regulations.

VoTechWorks program approval and accreditation are still in progress. Credentials are issued only by the certifying bodies named in each program, after their own exams.

Rigging Capstone Lab: Full Lift Evolution

This lab is your opportunity to demonstrate every rigging skill you have built across this course—without prompting. You will plan, inspect, rig, signal, and set down a real load from start to finish, just as you would on a job site. The instructor observes and scores; they do not coach during the evolution.

What a Full Lift Evolution Means

A complete lift evolution is not simply hooking a load and pulling. It is a disciplined sequence: pre-lift planning, hardware selection, inspection, crew briefing, execution, and controlled set-down. Skipping or rushing any step creates conditions for dropped loads, sling failure, or struck-by incidents. On a real site, those conditions injure or kill workers.

For this capstone you own the evolution. You select your slings and hardware from inventory, complete the paperwork, present your plan for instructor review, and then direct the lift. Your classmate operating the hoist follows your hand signals only—they will not move the load unless you give a clear, standard signal.

Pre-Lift Planning

You have 30 minutes to complete your pre-lift plan. Work efficiently but do not guess. Your plan must include:

Inspection Before the Lift

After planning and before touching the hoist, inspect every piece of equipment you selected. Use your inspection checklist—do not rely on memory.

For wire rope slings, reject any sling with broken wires, kinking, bird-caging, crushing, corrosion, or missing or damaged end fittings. The manufacturer's rejection criteria take precedence; when in doubt, tag out and select a different sling.

For synthetic slings (web or round), reject cuts, tears, burns, chemical damage, excessive wear, or missing identification tags. A sling without a legible capacity tag must not be used.

For chain slings, check for stretched links, cracks, gouges, and hook latch function.

For shackles and hardware, verify the pin seats fully, the safety pin or cotter is in place, and the rated load marking is legible.

Record every finding—even "no defects noted"—on your inspection form. If you find a defect, remove the item from service (tag it out), select a replacement, and inspect the replacement before proceeding. Inform the instructor of any tagged-out equipment.

Pre-Flight Review

Present your completed plan and inspection form to the instructor before rigging anything. This mirrors the jobsite requirement that a qualified rigger or lift supervisor review the plan before operations begin. The instructor checks your load calculations, hardware ratings, and exclusion zone—they will not approve a plan with an unsafe hardware selection or an undefined exclusion zone. Address any corrections before proceeding.

Executing the Lift

Rig the load exactly as your plan shows. Do not improvise on the fly; if you realize an adjustment is needed, stop, update your plan, and notify the instructor.

Before signaling hoist up, verbally confirm with the hoist operator that the load is rigged, everyone is clear, and the zone is established. Then:

1. Give the take up slack signal and watch the slings come taut.

2. Signal a slow hoist and observe the load a few inches off the ground. Check that the load is level, slings are seated correctly, and all hardware is loaded as expected. Call hold and inspect again.

3. If everything looks correct, signal hoist to target elevation. Maintain visual contact with the load; watch for swing.

4. At target elevation, signal hold and confirm the load is stable.

5. Signal the repositioning move (your scenario will specify direction and distance).

6. Signal lower to the set-down point. Lower slowly and guide the load to a controlled set-down. Do not release tension until the load is stable and blocking (if required) is in place.

7. Slack the slings, de-rig, and inspect hardware after the lift. Note any damage that occurred during the evolution.

Safety Rules That Are Non-Negotiable

Capstone Scoring

The rubric uses a 30-point scale across six domains: pre-lift plan completeness, inspection accuracy, hardware selection, signal accuracy, load control, and zone management. You need 24 of 30 points (80%) to pass. Any safety violation results in an automatic failure and a required remediation session before you may retest.

Key terms10

Lift evolutionThe complete sequence of a lifting operation from pre-lift planning through set-down, including all inspection, rigging, signaling, and de-rigging steps.
Pre-lift planA written document prepared before a lift that records load weight, center of gravity, sling and hardware selection, rigging geometry, sling angles, exclusion zone, and signal plan.
Sling angleThe angle formed between a sling leg and the horizontal; lower angles increase tension in each leg and reduce the effective rated capacity of the rigging.
Angle reduction factorA multiplier applied to a sling's rated capacity to account for the increased leg tension that occurs when the sling angle falls below 90 degrees from the horizontal.
Exclusion zoneThe area beneath and surrounding a suspended load that must be kept clear of all personnel during lifting operations to prevent struck-by injuries.
Stop-work authorityThe recognized right and responsibility of any worker to halt an operation when an unsafe condition is observed, without fear of reprisal.
Pre-flight reviewAn inspection of the completed pre-lift plan and equipment inspection records by a qualified person or supervisor before rigging operations begin.
Tag out (equipment)Removing defective rigging hardware or slings from service by attaching a warning tag and physically setting the item aside so it cannot be inadvertently used.
Rated capacityThe maximum load, established by the manufacturer and verified by testing, that a sling, shackle, hook, or hoist is permitted to handle under specified conditions.
Load pathThe route through which force travels from the lifted load through each component of the rigging assembly to the hoist hook; every component in the path must be rated for the forces it will experience.

Worked examples4

1. Your assigned load weighs 1,200 lb. You plan a two-leg wire rope sling basket hitch with each leg forming a 60-degree angle from horizontal. What is the tension in each sling leg, and what minimum vertical rated capacity must each leg have?
  1. Step 1 – Find the load factor for 60 degrees. At 60 degrees from horizontal the angle factor is 0.866 (sine of 60°).
  2. Step 2 – Divide the total load equally between the two legs: each leg carries 1,200 ÷ 2 = 600 lb of vertical component.
  3. Step 3 – Calculate actual leg tension: leg tension = vertical component ÷ angle factor = 600 ÷ 0.866 = approximately 693 lb per leg.
  4. Step 4 – Apply a safety margin. Select slings rated for at least 693 lb in the vertical hitch configuration; in practice, select the next standard capacity above this value from the manufacturer's load chart.
Answer: Each sling leg experiences approximately 693 lb of tension. Select slings with a vertical rated capacity that meets or exceeds 693 lb.
2. You have a 2,000 lb load and one synthetic round sling with a rated capacity of 2,100 lb in a straight (vertical) hitch. You want to use it in a choker hitch. Is this sling acceptable for the lift?
  1. Step 1 – Identify the capacity reduction for a choker hitch. A choker hitch typically reduces a sling's rated capacity to approximately 75% of its vertical (straight) hitch rating, per standard rigging practice.
  2. Step 2 – Calculate the choker hitch capacity: 2,100 lb × 0.75 = 1,575 lb.
  3. Step 3 – Compare to the load: 2,000 lb load exceeds 1,575 lb choker capacity.
  4. Step 4 – Conclusion: the sling is not acceptable in a choker configuration for this load. Select a sling with a straight-hitch rating high enough that 75% of that rating still exceeds 2,000 lb (minimum straight-hitch rating needed: 2,000 ÷ 0.75 ≈ 2,667 lb).
Answer: No. The choker hitch reduces capacity to approximately 1,575 lb, which is below the 2,000 lb load. A sling rated at least approximately 2,667 lb in a vertical hitch is needed.
3. You are selecting a shackle for a rigging point where each sling leg pulls with 693 lb of tension. The shackle connects two sling legs to one hook point. What minimum rated capacity must the shackle have?
  1. Step 1 – Determine the total load the shackle must support. The shackle carries the combined force of both legs resolved through it; in a symmetric two-leg lift the shackle at the master link sees the full load weight: 1,200 lb.
  2. Step 2 – The shackle must be rated at or above 1,200 lb. Hardware ratings must never be less than the maximum force in the load path at that connection point.
  3. Step 3 – Select the next standard shackle size above 1,200 lb from the manufacturer's catalog. Do not interpolate between catalog sizes—always round up.
Answer: The shackle must be rated at a minimum of 1,200 lb; select the next standard catalog size at or above that value.
4. During your post-lift inspection you count 8 randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay of a wire rope sling. Using the general rejection criterion for wire rope slings, should this sling be returned to service or removed?
  1. Step 1 – Recall the widely accepted rejection threshold for wire rope slings: a common standard rejection criterion is 10 or more randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay, or 5 or more broken wires in one strand of one rope lay.
  2. Step 2 – Evaluate: 8 broken wires distributed across one lay is below the 10-wire threshold for randomly distributed wires.
  3. Step 3 – However, also check whether any single strand contains 5 or more of those 8 broken wires. If any strand has 5 or more, rejection is required regardless of total count.
  4. Step 4 – If no single strand has 5 or more broken wires and total random broken wires per lay is 8 (below 10), the sling is not yet at the threshold—but it is approaching it and should be flagged for close monitoring. Document findings; follow employer and manufacturer guidance, and when in doubt remove from service.
Answer: Eight randomly distributed broken wires in one lay is below common rejection thresholds, but if any single strand contains 5 or more broken wires, the sling must be removed from service. Document findings and monitor closely; when in doubt, tag out.

The math in this lesson1

Learners compute basket-hitch leg tension at 60° for a 1,200 lb load and size a shackle for combined legs.
G-SRT.8
Brush up in the math halls at newSchoolWorks.com:
In class: Each student receives a unique capstone scenario (different load, geometry, and rigging configuration from peers); student completes a full pre-lift plan independently in a timed 30-minute planning session, selecting slings and hardware from available inventory. · Student conducts a pre-lift inspection of all selected slings and hardware, records findings on an inspection form, and presents the plan and inspection results to the instructor for a pre-flight review before proceeding. · Student executes the lift—acting as both rigger and signalperson with a designated classmate as hoist operator—raising the load to a target elevation, holding, repositioning, and setting down; instructor evaluates the entire evolution against a comprehensive rubric covering planning accuracy, hardware selection, signal accuracy, load control, and adherence to exclusion zone.
Materials: Capstone scenario packets, pre-lift plan forms, inspection checklists, full sling and hardware inventory, rigging frame with certified chain hoist, labeled test loads, PPE, comprehensive capstone rubric, stop-watch for planning phase
Check: Capstone rubric (30-point scale) covering pre-lift plan completeness, inspection accuracy, hardware selection, signal accuracy, load control, and zone management; passing score 80% (24 of 30 points); any safety violation (load over personnel, incorrect stop-work response) results in automatic failure and remediation before retest.

Practice check8

Answer each question, then check it. Nothing is recorded; this is your own practice.

Rigging and load handling safety
1. During the pre-lift planning timed session, you cannot read the weight tag on your assigned load. What is the correct action?
Rigging calculations and hardware selection
2. A two-leg sling is used in a basket hitch at a 45-degree angle from horizontal. Compared to using the same sling at 60 degrees, the tension in each leg at 45 degrees is:
Equipment inspection and rejection criteria
3. You are rigging and you notice a synthetic web sling has a cut through approximately half its width. You have no replacement sling in inventory that matches the required capacity. You should:
Lift execution and load control
4. You have signaled hoist up and the load rises two inches, then you notice one sling leg appears to be shifting toward the edge of the lift point. Your immediate action is to:
Pre-lift planning and hardware selection
5. Which capstone rubric category would be directly affected if you select a shackle rated at 800 lb for a load path that experiences 1,100 lb of force?
Exclusion zone and struck-by hazard prevention
6. A classmate who is not part of your lift crew walks into your exclusion zone while the load is suspended at target elevation. You should:
Rigging calculations and sling angle effects
7. During your pre-flight review, the instructor notes that your pre-lift plan sketch shows a sling angle of 30 degrees from horizontal. The most likely consequence the instructor is flagging is:
Safety compliance and stop-work authority
8. According to the capstone rubric, which of the following results in automatic failure regardless of total point score?
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