Who this course is for
- Riggers, slingers and banksmen who attach loads and signal to a crane operator
- Maintenance and shutdown teams who rig plant, motors and structural components
- Warehouse and yard staff who prepare loads for lifting
- Supervisors who have to appoint competent slingers on a lift
What you will be able to do after this course
- Inspect and evaluate slings, shackles, eyebolts and other lifting tackle
- Select the right gear for the mass, shape and centre of gravity of the load
- Prepare, attach and balance a regular load ready for lifting
- Direct a crane operator using standard hand and radio signals
What the course covers
The course covers the two competencies that sit between the load and the crane: rigging it correctly and communicating clearly while it is in the air.
Learners cover types of sling and their safe working loads, inspection and rejection criteria for slings, shackles and hooks, estimating load mass and finding the centre of gravity, sling angles and how they change the load in each leg, attaching and balancing regular loads, tag lines, and the standard hand signals and radio discipline used to direct an operator through a lift. The rigging work is assessed practically.
How you are assessed and what you receive
Assessment covers a written knowledge test and a practical, where the learner inspects the gear, rigs a load and signals a lift under supervision. On successful completion the learner is certificated against SAQA unit standard 253638, and the certificate can be downloaded from the Fundza portal as well as issued directly.
What this certificate is worth
Most lifting incidents come from the rigging and the communication, not the crane. This certificate is what shows a site that the person attaching the load and giving the signals is competent to do it, and it is checked at induction alongside the operator certificate. Learners can download it from the Fundza portal at any time.
Duration, dates and fees
| Option | Duration | Fee | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full course | 2 Days | R1,628 | First-time certification |
| Refresher | 1 Day | R814 | Already certified, renewing |
On-site delivery at your own operation is available and is usually the better option for a crew, because the practical work is done with your own lifting gear and load types. For group bookings, tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based.
Where and how the training runs
Training runs at the Fundza Training Institute centre in Mokopane, and on site at your own operation. On-site delivery is generally better for a lifting crew, since the operator, rigger and banksman can be trained together and end up using the same signals. For a group booking, tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based, and we will come back with dates and a quotation.
Sling and communicate and sling loads: how they differ
| Sling and communicate (this course) | Slings load | |
|---|---|---|
| What it certifies | Rigging the load and signalling the operator | Selecting and attaching slings to a load |
| Unit standard | SAQA 253638 | SAQA 12481 |
| Includes signalling | Yes | No |
| Duration | 2 days | 2 days |
If the person rigging the load is also the one directing the crane, this is the course. If they only prepare and attach the load, Slings Load covers it.
Where this course can take you
Slinging and communicating sits in the middle of the lifting stack at Fundza. It is normally booked alongside Mobile Crane Operator, Operate Heavy Crane or Operate a Pendant Controlled Overhead Crane so the whole lifting team is certificated. Working at Heights is a common addition where rigging happens on structures.
Enquire about this course
Tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based, and we will come back with dates and a quotation.