21 Standards & Regulations Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. A lift uses a wire rope sling, a shackle, the crane's load block hook, and a lifting beam. Which matching of each item to the ASME B30 volume that covers it is correct?

   • A.Wire rope sling B30.10; shackle B30.26; load block hook B30.9; lifting beam B30.20
   • B.Wire rope sling B30.9; shackle B30.26; load block hook B30.10; lifting beam B30.20✓ Answer
   • C.Wire rope sling B30.26; shackle B30.9; load block hook B30.20; lifting beam B30.10
   • D.Wire rope sling B30.9; shackle B30.20; load block hook B30.26; lifting beam B30.10

   Each B30 volume owns one class of equipment and states the markings, rated load, and use requirements for that class: B30.9 covers slings, B30.26 covers detachable rigging hardware such as shackles, B30.10 covers hooks, and B30.20 covers below-the-hook lifting devices such as lifting beams. A rigger has to know which volume to open because the requirements for a sling do not answer a question about a shackle or a lifting beam.

   Source: ASME B30.9 Slings; ASME B30.10 Hooks; ASME B30.20 Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices; ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

2. 2. Which group of items is covered by ASME B30.26 Rigging Hardware?

   • A.Lifting beams, spreader bars, plate clamps, lifting magnets, and vacuum lifters
   • B.Load block hooks, sling hooks, choker hooks, and self-locking safety hooks
   • C.Alloy chain slings, wire rope slings, synthetic web slings, and synthetic round slings
   • D.Shackles, links, rings, swivel hoist rings, eyebolts, turnbuckles, and wire rope clips✓ Answer

   B30.26 is the volume for detachable rigging hardware that goes between the hook and the load, and it requires every such item to carry the manufacturer's identification and its rated load. The other groups belong to their own volumes: slings to B30.9, below-the-hook lifting devices to B30.20, and hooks to B30.10.

   Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

3. 3. A rigger attaches a load to a mobile crane on a construction site. Which ASME B30 volume sets the requirements for the crane itself, as opposed to the rigging hung from its hook?

   • A.ASME B30.20 Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices, because the crane lifts by means of its hook
   • B.ASME B30.26 Rigging Hardware, because the crane's load block is detachable hardware
   • C.ASME B30.5 Mobile and Locomotive Cranes, which covers the crane and its operation✓ Answer
   • D.ASME B30.9 Slings, because the crane's hoist rope and the slings work as one system

   B30.5 is the volume written for mobile and locomotive cranes, so it governs the machine, while the sling, the shackle, and any below-the-hook device attached to the crane remain under their own volumes. The dividing line matters because the crane's rating and the rigging's rating are two separate limits, and a lift must satisfy both.

   Source: ASME B30.5 Mobile and Locomotive CranesReport a problem with this question

4. 4. Under OSHA's rigging rules, what sets the maximum load that may be placed on a sling or other item of rigging equipment?

   • A.The recommended safe working load shown by its permanent identification markings✓ Answer
   • B.The heaviest load it has carried before without visible damage or permanent stretch
   • C.The value stamped on the shackle at the end of the leg, which rates the whole rig
   • D.The rated load of the crane hook it hangs from, since that governs the whole assembly

   Both the general industry and construction rigging rules tie the working limit to the recommended safe working load carried on the equipment's own permanently affixed identification, and forbid loading above it. Past performance proves nothing, because a sling can be overloaded and damaged internally without showing it, and the rating of a hook or shackle elsewhere in the assembly does not raise the rating of the sling.

   Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.184; OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251Report a problem with this question

5. 5. Slings, shackles, and wire rope are being used for material handling at a construction site. Which OSHA standard states the requirements for that rigging equipment?

   • A.29 CFR 1926.251, which covers rigging equipment for material handling in construction✓ Answer
   • B.29 CFR 1926.1431, which covers all rigging hung from construction hoisting equipment
   • C.29 CFR 1910.184, which covers slings wherever they are used in any industry
   • D.29 CFR 1910.184 for the slings and 29 CFR 1926.1431 for the hardware attached to them

   Part 1926 is OSHA's construction standard, and 1926.251 is the section written for rigging equipment used in material handling on construction work. Part 1910 is the general industry standard, and 1926.1431 deals with hoisting personnel rather than with ordinary material rigging.

   Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251Report a problem with this question

6. 6. What does OSHA 29 CFR 1910.184 cover?

   • A.Personnel platforms and the hoisting of employees by cranes in general industry work
   • B.Below-the-hook lifting devices and the structural beams hung from a crane's load hook
   • C.Slings used in general industry to handle material together with other handling equipment✓ Answer
   • D.Every item of rigging hardware used in construction, including shackles and eyebolts

   1910.184 sits in OSHA's general industry standard and is written for slings used in conjunction with other material handling equipment, covering alloy steel chain, wire rope, metal mesh, natural and synthetic fiber rope, and synthetic web slings. Construction rigging is addressed by 1926.251 instead, which is why a rigger must know which side of the fence the job is on.

   Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.184Report a problem with this question

7. 7. Under ASME B30.9, what must a sling's identification convey to the user?

   • A.The manufacturer's name or trademark, the rated loads for the hitches, and the sling's size✓ Answer
   • B.The ultimate breaking strength of the sling material and the design factor used to derive it
   • C.The chemical family of the fiber, the country of manufacture, and the sling's own weight
   • D.The date of manufacture, the serial number, and the name of the person who last tested it

   The identification exists so the rigger can size the sling to the pick without looking anything up, so it carries the maker's name or trademark, the rated load for each hitch the sling is rated in along with the angle the basket or choker rating is based on, the sling's size or diameter, and the number of legs. Breaking strength and design factor are design data, not working figures, and using them would invite loading the sling far above its rated load.

   Source: ASME B30.9 SlingsReport a problem with this question

8. 8. The identification on a synthetic round sling has worn until it can no longer be read. What does ASME B30.9 require?

   • A.The crew may copy the figures from an identical tagged sling of the same colour and diameter
   • B.Any competent person on site may write the rated load on a new tag from the figures for that size
   • C.The sling is taken out of use, and only a qualified person may restore identification✓ Answer
   • D.The sling may keep working at half its marked rated load until a replacement tag is received

   A sling whose identification is missing or illegible must not be used, because nothing on the sling then tells the rigger what it is rated for in the hitch being planned. B30.9 puts the replacement of that identification in the hands of the sling manufacturer or a qualified person, since only they can tie the sling back to the rating it was built and tested to; on round slings the jacket colour is a convenience, not a capacity.

   Source: ASME B30.9 SlingsReport a problem with this question

9. 9. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.184, what must the permanent, durable identification on an alloy steel chain sling state?

   • A.The grade, the breaking strength, the design factor, and the country where it was made
   • B.The size, the grade, the rated capacity, and the reach of the assembled chain sling✓ Answer
   • C.The reach, the maker's mailing address, the sling's own weight, and its rated capacity
   • D.The size, the date of manufacture, the proof-test load, and the employer's asset number

   Alloy steel chain slings must carry a permanent durable marking giving size, grade, rated capacity, and reach, and a sling without that marking must not be used. Those four items are exactly what the rigger needs at the load: size and grade identify the chain, rated capacity sets the working limit, and reach tells whether the sling will make the geometry of the pick.

   Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.184Report a problem with this question

10. 10. Under ASME B30.26, what identification must appear on an item of rigging hardware such as a shackle or a turnbuckle?

    • A.The date of manufacture, together with the design factor used to set its rated load
    • B.The catalogue part number, together with the ultimate breaking strength of the item
    • C.The name of the manufacturer, together with the proof-test load and the material grade
    • D.The name or trademark of the manufacturer, together with the rated load of the item✓ Answer

    B30.26 requires rigging hardware to be marked by the manufacturer with its name or trademark and its rated load, so the rigger can read the working limit off the piece in hand instead of guessing from its size. Hardware that carries no legible identification cannot be shown to be within rating and therefore cannot be used in the lift.

    Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

11. 11. Under ASME B30.20, what must be marked on a below-the-hook lifting device, and how does that affect the capacity available for the load?

    • A.Rated load and design factor; the device's weight is already deducted from its rated load
    • B.Rated load, the device's own weight, and manufacturer identification; that weight counts✓ Answer
    • C.Rated load and proof-test date; the device's weight counts only when it is over 500 lb
    • D.Rated load and serial number only; the device hangs free and is not counted against capacity

    B30.20 requires the device to be marked so the user can read its rated load, its own weight, and who made it, and the device must be used only in the configuration it was designed for. The marked weight matters because a lifting beam or spreader hangs on the hook along with the load, so it consumes part of the hoisting equipment's capacity before the load is even attached.

    Source: ASME B30.20 Below-the-Hook Lifting DevicesReport a problem with this question

12. 12. A crew needs a connecting link and a worker offers one bent up from threaded rod in the shop. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251, what must the crew do?

    • A.Use the shop-made link for this pick only, then tag it out and return it to the shop
    • B.Use the manufactured link marked with its rated load; links made from rod are not allowed✓ Answer
    • C.Use the shop-made link once a certified welder has load tested it and stamped a rating
    • D.Use the shop-made link derated to half the rated load of the nearest manufactured link

    The construction rigging rule bars job or shop hooks and links and makeshift fasteners formed from bolts, rods, or similar stock, so a shop-bent link has no place in the rig no matter how it is tested afterwards. Such a part has no known rated load, no traceable material, and no manufacturer standing behind it, which is exactly what the marking requirement is meant to guarantee.

    Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251Report a problem with this question

13. 13. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251, what governs eye splices in fiber rope slings?

    • A.Eye splices may be replaced by a double half hitch on any load under half the rated load
    • B.Eye splices must follow the rope manufacturer's instructions, and no knot may replace a splice✓ Answer
    • C.Eye splices may be replaced by a bowline knot as long as the standing part is seized back
    • D.Eye splices may be replaced by a square knot where the rope ends are too short to tuck

    Splices in fiber rope slings must be made as the rope manufacturer directs, and knots are never accepted in place of a splice. A knot bends the fibers sharply and crushes them against each other, so it removes a large share of the rope's strength at exactly the point carrying the load, while a correctly made splice distributes the load through the tucked strands.

    Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251Report a problem with this question

14. 14. U-bolt wire rope clips are used to form a termination in wire rope. How must the clips be applied?

    • A.The U-bolt bears on the dead end and the saddle on the live end, spaced as OSHA tabulates✓ Answer
    • B.The U-bolt may face either way, provided every nut is retightened after the first loaded lift
    • C.The U-bolt bears on the live end and the saddle on the dead end, spaced one rope lay apart
    • D.The clips alternate direction along the termination, two clips whatever the rope diameter

    The rule is that the U section of the clip contacts the dead end of the rope, with the saddle seated on the live end that carries the load, and the number and spacing of clips come from the OSHA table for the rope diameter. The U-bolt crushes and distorts whatever it grips, so putting it on the live end damages the very part of the rope the load depends on.

    Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251Report a problem with this question

15. 15. A shop makes a special custom-design lifting clamp for one job. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251, what must happen before it is put into service?

    • A.It is marked with the fabricator's name and load tested with the weight of the actual load
    • B.It is marked to show its safe working load and proof tested to 200 percent of its rating
    • C.It is marked to show its safe working load and proof tested to 125 percent of its rating✓ Answer
    • D.It is covered by a drawing kept on file and used at no more than half its design load

    Special custom-design grabs, hooks, clamps, and other lifting accessories must be marked to show their safe working load and proof tested to 125 percent of that rating before use. A one-off part has no production history behind it, so the proof test and the marking are what give the rigger a rating he can rely on at the load.

    Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251Report a problem with this question

16. 16. A wire rope sling is longer than the available headroom allows. What is the correct way to deal with the extra length?

    • A.Wrap the excess around the hook shank and secure the tail with a wire rope clip
    • B.Pass a bolt through the sling body and cinch it, using the same grade as the end fittings
    • C.Tie a knot in one leg to take up the slack, keeping the knot clear of the load's edges
    • D.Fit a rated shortening device or pick a shorter sling; knots and bolts may not shorten it✓ Answer

    The construction rigging rule forbids shortening a sling with knots, bolts, or other makeshift devices and forbids kinking a sling leg, so the extra length has to be taken up by hardware made for it or by choosing a shorter sling. A knot or a bolt forces a sharp local bend into the wire rope and concentrates the whole load into a few wires, which is how a sling that is rated well above the pick still fails.

    Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251Report a problem with this question

17. 17. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1431, when may employees be hoisted in a personnel platform by equipment covered by the construction crane standard?

    • A.Whenever erecting a scaffold or bringing in an aerial lift would take longer than the hoist
    • B.Only where the work is more than 25 ft above grade and no ladder will reach the work area
    • C.Whenever the platform is rated for the number of occupants and a signal person is posted
    • D.Only where conventional means of reaching the work area would be more hazardous or impossible✓ Answer

    Hoisting employees is treated as a last resort: it is permitted only where conventional means of reaching the work area, such as a personnel hoist, ladder, scaffold, or aerial lift, would be more hazardous or are not possible because of structural design or site conditions. Convenience and schedule are not qualifying reasons, because the equipment was designed to lift material, not people.

    Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1431Report a problem with this question

18. 18. A personnel platform with its occupants, their tools, and the rigging is to be hoisted under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1431. What limit applies to that total load?

    • A.It must not exceed 80 percent of rated capacity, or 50 percent with the boom extended
    • B.It must not exceed 75 percent of the rated capacity for the configuration in use
    • C.It must not exceed 50 percent of the rated capacity for the configuration in use✓ Answer
    • D.It may reach the full rated capacity, because the platform itself has been proof tested

    When people ride the load, the total weight of the platform, occupants, tools, materials, and rigging must stay at or below 50 percent of the rated capacity for the radius and configuration in use. The halved limit is a deliberate extra margin, because a failure or an upset that would only drop material becomes a fatality when the load is a person.

    Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1431Report a problem with this question

19. 19. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1431 requires the personnel platform and its rigging to be proof tested at each jobsite before employees are hoisted. What does that test consist of?

    • A.A load of 125 percent of the platform's rated capacity, held suspended for five minutes✓ Answer
    • B.A load of 150 percent of the platform's rated capacity, held suspended for one minute
    • C.A load of 100 percent of the platform's rated capacity, held suspended for ten minutes
    • D.A load of 125 percent of the equipment's rated capacity, raised and lowered three times

    The platform and its rigging are loaded to 125 percent of the platform's rated capacity, with the test load spread evenly over the floor, and held in the suspended position for five minutes. The test has to be repeated at each jobsite and after any repair or modification, because it is proving this platform, this rigging, and this set-up rather than the design in general.

    Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1431Report a problem with this question

20. 20. A sling manufacturer's instructions give a lower rated load for a hitch than a rule of thumb the crew has used for years. Which one governs the lift?

    • A.The crew supervisor chooses, provided the two figures differ by less than ten percent
    • B.The rule of thumb governs, because it comes from published industry training material
    • C.The higher of the two figures governs, since the maker leaves margin above what it publishes
    • D.The manufacturer's rated load on the sling identification governs, and the lift stays within it✓ Answer

    Both the ASME volumes and the OSHA rules require rigging to be used within the rating the manufacturer assigned and in the manner the manufacturer intended, and the sling's own identification is the authority for that figure. A rule of thumb is a teaching aid written for the general case, while the manufacturer's number reflects the actual construction, fittings, and test data of that specific sling, so where they disagree the lower manufacturer figure controls.

    Source: ASME B30.9 Slings; OSHA 29 CFR 1910.184Report a problem with this question

21. 21. In the ASME B30 volumes, what is the difference between a provision written with 'shall' and one written with 'should'?

    • A.'Shall' states a requirement that has to be met, while 'should' states a recommendation✓ Answer
    • B.Both state requirements; 'should' is only the softer wording used where the point is obvious
    • C.'Shall' marks provisions new in the current edition, while 'should' marks ones carried over
    • D.'Shall' binds the equipment owner, while 'should' binds the individual rigger doing the work

    In the B30 volumes 'shall' introduces a mandatory requirement, while 'should' introduces a recommendation whose advisability depends on the facts of the situation. Reading the two as equivalent goes wrong in both directions: a rigger who treats a recommendation as binding may reject a workable plan, and one who treats a requirement as optional is out of compliance.

    Source: ASME B30 seriesReport a problem with this question

Practice questions built from the published NCCCO Rigger Level I written examination outline and the consensus rigging practices of the ASME B30 series and the OSHA rigging regulations. CCO and NCCCO are marks of the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators; this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by NCCCO. This bank covers the WRITTEN examination only — Rigger Level I certification also requires a hands-on practical examination that no multiple-choice question can prepare you for, and there is no substitute for supervised practice with real gear. Capacity always comes from the identification tag and the manufacturer's rating for the specific sling, shackle or device in your hands, never from a practice question. Confirm current requirements with NCCCO before testing. Official exam outline →