The only crane and rigging handbook that is a jobsite field reference AND an NCCCO-aligned certification prep — with every standard hand signal illustrated, plus free online practice tests.
600+ practice questions with explained answers. 4 full-length mock exams. All 19 standard hand signals, illustrated one per page. A field reference you keep in the gang box and an exam prep that gets you certified — in one book. Written for working riggers and signal persons, with a free companion practice-test website.
Most rigging books make you choose. The dense reference manuals have no exam prep and no online tests. The certification books are questions-only — no reference depth, no illustrations. This one does both, and shows you the signals.
Built for the field first. Estimate a load, find the center of gravity, read a sling-angle tension multiplier, pick the right hitch, inspect gear against the removal-from-service criteria, and read a mobile-crane load chart — the things a rigger actually does on the job. Then it turns that same knowledge into a clean, NCCCO-aligned path to the Rigger Level I and Signal Person certifications.
What’s inside:Part 1 – Rigging Gear & Inspection: wire rope, chain, synthetic web and round slings; shackles, eyebolts, hoist rings, wire-rope clips, hooks and master links; below-the-hook devices; every hitch (vertical, choker, basket, bridle); and the ASME B30.9 removal-from-service inspection criteria, illustrated.Part 2 – Rigging Math & Lift Planning: estimating load weight, center of gravity, the sling-angle tension multiplier with worked examples, reading mobile-crane load charts, the standard vs. critical lift plan, and jobsite hazards including power-line clearance distances.Part 3 – The Signal Person: all 19 standard hand signals fully illustrated (one clean panel each), signal-person qualification and stop-authority, voice and radio protocol, and real judgment-call scenarios.Part 4 – NCCCO-Aligned Certification Prep: the Rigger Level I and Signal Person exams, how to study, a rapid gear-ID and removal-criteria drill, plus 4 timed mock exams and a mixed-review drill — every answer explained.600+ practice questions across the chapters and mocks, each with a plain-English explanation.Quick-reference appendix: unit-weight table, sling-angle multiplier table, and a full hand-signal chart page you can photograph and keep on your phone.A free companion website comes with the book. Every question is also an interactive online practice test — drill by topic, run the timed mock exams, and track your scores from your phone. A code inside the book takes you straight there.
Grounded in the public standards. OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC for the rules, ASME B30 concepts for gear and inspection logic, and the current NCCCO/CCO candidate handbooks for the exam alignment. Capacities and values shown are illustrative teaching numbers — on the job you use the manufacturer’s tag and chart, every time.
Whether you are a new rigger learning the gear, a signal person getting qualified, an NCCCO candidate prepping for the exam, or a foreman who needs the answers in one place — this is the book that lives in your bag.
This is an independent study and field reference. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the NCCCO/CCO, OSHA, or ASME. “NCCCO” and “CCO” are trademarks of the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators; “ASME” and “B30” are trademarks of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers — used here only to describe the standards and exams this book prepares you for.
