Typical duties
- Prepare slings, shackles and lifting accessories
- Banksman and signalling duties
- Inspect equipment before use
- Maintain exclusion zones and lift communications
Controlled lifts
Riggers & lifting
Evidence-led profiles for workers who understand lift plans, exclusion zones, communications and the discipline required around suspended loads.
What the work can involve
Typical evidence
- OPITO-approved lifting competence where specified
- Banksman/slinger training
- Offshore medical
- BOSIET/FOET and MIST where required
Profile fields
- Lift categories
- Equipment experience
- Logbook evidence
- Banksman/slinger competence
Progression
Lifting operative → competent rigger → lifting supervisor.
Training routes
Training for this role
Riggers & lifting training options.
Training must reflect whether the target role is rigger, banksman-slinger, crane-and-hoist user or lifting supervisor and whether the asset uses OPITO or GWO standards.
3t lifting routes
Review OPITO rigger and banksman-slinger training, competence assessment and broader lifting categories.
View provider guideOEG lifting routes
Review published GWO slinger-signaller and crane-and-hoist categories for relevant wind duties.
View provider guideRole pathway guide
Building a credible riggers & lifting profile.
Offshore lifting depends on disciplined teamwork between riggers, banksmen, slingers, crane operators and lifting supervisors. The work involves selecting and inspecting lifting accessories, controlling loads and maintaining clear communication throughout the task.
Employers assess the categories of lifting work a person has performed, their competence route and the quality of logbook or project evidence. A generic training certificate cannot demonstrate experience with every lift type.
Working environment
Lifting takes place on exposed decks, inside modules and during shutdowns where several trades may share a constrained area. Weather, vessel movement, overhead hazards and simultaneous operations can change or stop a lift.
What employers check
- Recognised competence for the lifting position being filled
- Recent logbook or project evidence for comparable lifts
- Understanding of lift plans, exclusion zones and communications
- Current offshore prerequisites and task-specific medical fitness
A practical starting sequence
- Identify whether the target is rigger, banksman, slinger or supervisor
- Record lift types, equipment and responsibilities accurately
- Keep competence assessments and logbooks available
- Do not claim supervisory authority without supporting evidence
Keep evidence current
Certificate names, numbers, issuing bodies, dates and files must agree. Offshore Personnel records expiry and review status, but the employer and certificate issuer decide whether evidence is accepted for a particular assignment.
Never alter documents or describe supervised exposure as independent competence. Accurate profiles are easier to assess and safer to mobilise.
Common questions
Riggers & lifting questions
Requirements vary by employer, asset and jurisdiction. These answers explain the recruitment approach and the evidence employers commonly assess.
What is the difference between training and lifting competence?
Training introduces knowledge and practical skills. Competence normally requires assessment and evidence that the person can perform the defined role safely in relevant conditions.
Do riggers need offshore survival and medical evidence?
Offshore assignments commonly require current survival and medical-fitness evidence, but the exact standard depends on the client, asset and location.
Why does Offshore Personnel ask for logbook details?
Logged experience helps recruiters compare previous lifting work with the actual scope instead of relying on a certificate title alone.