Rigging Equipment: Types and Their Uses

Do you know what type of rigging equipment your company needs for future load lifts? Whether you need new wire or nylon slings, shackles, hooks, or other lifting and rigging equipment, you can’t forget any piece of the puzzle when you place your order.

What Is Rigging Equipment?

Rigging and lifting equipment includes any of the parts necessary to safely rig a load for lifting or moving. This includes slings, hooks, turnbuckles, wire rope, pulleys, and other types of rigging equipment. Professional riggers connect the appropriate parts to assemble their rigging equipment in a safe configuration for a lift.

Certified riggers should inspect their equipment, rigging assemblies, and plan their lifts before rigging. Lifting equipment wears out over time and should be tagged and removed from service if it shows signs of deterioration.

Types of Rigging Equipment and Their Uses

Some examples of rigging equipment you shouldn’t leave off your next equipment order include:

Blocks & Pulleys

Blocks and pulleys offer simple mechanical solutions to lifting heavy loads by reducing the force required. Block and pulley options include swivel blocks, snatch blocks, square blocks, single pulleys, and double pulleys.

Eye Bolts

These round, threaded anchors hold lines in place using cables looped through the eye.

Wire Ropes

Wire ropes are an essential piece of rigging equipment that can fashion into different shapes using accessories like sleeves, thimbles, hooks, shackles, and more, or riggers can use wire rope to create wire rope slings.

Steel Nuts

Often used with eye bolts or certain types of lifting shackles, steel nuts secure threaded bolts in place.

Turnbuckles

Rigging relies on tension to keep a load steady on the line or chain. Turnbuckles help riggers adjust the tension of wire ropes, chains, or cables to control a load safely.

Rigging Hooks

Hooks connect to your rigging assembly to lift the load. Your hook often includes a shackle or other locking mechanism to secure slings, ropes, chains, or mesh safely before lifting.

Safety Considerations for Operating Rigging Equipment

Your rigging equipment manufacturer must tag all equipment with load limits and other safety information. Before ordering from your rigging equipment supplier, make sure your new parts have the appropriate load ratings. Other rigging equipment safety tips you need to remember include:

• Inspecting equipment before each use and at regular intervals between uses to look for cracks, corrosion, kinks, pitting, or other signs of deterioration
• Tagging defective equipment and removing it from service
• Using rigging charts to calculate load constraints for different angles
• Staying away from hazards during a lift, including power lines and other equipment and structures
• Storing rigging equipment safely when not in use

Greenshields Industrial Supply: Lead Supplier for Your Rigging Equipment Needs

Don’t just search for “rigging equipment near me” online when you need new rigging equipment. At Greenshields Industrial Supply, we’ve helped our neighbors in the greater Seattle area choose new rigging equipment for over 70 years. Contact us today to learn more about rigging equipment from our professionals at our store in Everett, WA.