Introduction to Material Handling and Rigging Techniques

Regarding personal attire, it is recommended to wear loose clothing when handling materials to ensure mobility and prevent snagging. Furthermore, materials and equipment should generally only be moved into long-term storage if they will not be in use for a week or more.

Safety Tip: Always use a safety harness with a fall-arrest lanyard when working at heights over 6 feet (2 m).

Material Handling Equipment

Depending on the weight, size, and terrain, different tools are used to transport materials.

Non-Motorized Equipment

• Hand Trucks (Dollies): Two-wheeled carts used for large, heavy loads like appliances. These are often secured using ratchet straps.
• Cylinder Carts: Specifically designed for compressed gas cylinders.
• Drum Dollies vs. Drum Carts: Use a drum dolly for moving upright drums on smooth floors, but opt for a drum cart for longer distances.
• Pipe Mules (Tunnel Buggies): Two-wheeled devices for medium-length pipes or scaffolding.

Motorized Equipment

• Industrial Forklifts: Used for lifting and transporting heavy loads on smooth terrain. Operators must perform daily inspections of tires, fluid levels, brakes, and safety alarms before use.
• Rough Terrain Forklifts: Designed with large pneumatic tires and deep treads to operate on uneven ground.
• Powered Wheelbarrows and Concrete Mules: Used to transport materials like sand or gravel to locations unreachable by large delivery trucks.

Knot Terminology and Classifications

To tie knots safely, you must first understand the anatomy of a rope.

• Working End: The part of the rope actively used to tie the knot.
• Standing End: The end of the rope that is not being used in the knot.
• Standing Part: The long, unused portion of the rope between the working and standing ends.
• Capsize: A dangerous occurrence where a knot changes its shape or fails under a load.

Knots are classified into two main categories:

1. True Knots: These are secure and must be unwoven to be unfastened.
2. Hitches: These are used to secure a rope to an object and can be undone by pulling in the reverse direction from which they were intended to hold.

Specific Knot Types and Techniques

The Square Knot

The square knot (or reef knot) is used to join two ropes of similar diameters. It is created by tying two reverse half-knots.

Warning: If the second half-knot is tied in the wrong direction, you create a granny knot. A granny knot is highly insecure and should never be relied upon for safety.

The Bowline

Often called the "king of knots," the bowline is used to form a loop that neither slips nor jams. It is a critical knot for many rigging applications.

Critical Safety Note: Do not use a bowline if the rope must be released while under load.

The Half Hitch

A basic knot formed by passing the working end around an object and through a loop. While useful as a component of other knots, it should not be used alone for heavy loads or critical safety applications.

The Clove Hitch

The clove hitch is used to temporarily secure a rope to an object. It can be tied using two different methods:

• Stacked Loops Technique: A method of forming the hitch using overlapping loops.
• Two Half Hitches Technique: A method involving the formation of two distinct half hitches.

Because the clove hitch can be unstable, it should not be used alone; you should add additional half hitches to increase its security.