Ironworker Red Seal rigging, hoisting and cranes practice questions.

Five free practice questions on rigging, hoisting and cranes: block B of the Ironworker (Generalist) Red Seal exam, 32 of its 120 questions. The same work is block B of the Structural/Ornamental exam (38 of its 120 questions) and block B of the Reinforcing exam (28 of its 120 questions). Each question is labelled with the exams it belongs to. They are in the exam's format: four options, one correct answer. Answer each one before opening the explanation. No account, no email.

01The questions

1. Recall · Selects rigging, hoisting and positioning equipment · All three exams

   A telescopic crane will lift on its main boom with the lattice jib folded and stowed along the side of the boom. The chart's capacities are gross. Besides the hook block and the rigging, what is deducted from the chart figure?

   1. Nothing more, since the stowed jib carries no load.
   2. The counterweight, since it is removed for road transport.
   3. The deduction the chart notes give for the stowed jib.
   4. The outrigger mats, since the crane stands on them.
   Show the answer

   C. Correct. A stowed jib adds weight out on the boom, so the chart notes give a deduction (or separate capacities) for it. Take it off along with the hook block, any ball and the rigging to find the capacity left for the load.

   Why not the others

   A. The jib is not on the hook, but its weight on the boom still uses part of the crane's capacity. The chart notes give the deduction to make for it.

   B. The counterweight is part of the configuration the chart is written for, not a deduction; use the chart for the counterweight installed. The stowed jib's deduction is what is taken off.

   D. Mats sit under the outrigger floats; they matter for ground bearing, not for what the boom and hook can carry, so they are not a chart deduction. Deduct the stowed jib.

2. Recall · Attaches rigging equipment to load · All three exams

   A grade 80 chain sling leg is too long for a pick, and a worker suggests tying a knot in it to shorten it. What is the correct practice?

   1. Tie the knot, then use the leg at half its rating.
   2. Use a shorter leg or the sling's shortening hook.
   3. Tie the knot, then proof-load the leg before use.
   4. Wrap the extra chain around the hook before the lift.
   Show the answer

   B. Correct. Alloy chain is never knotted: a knot bends links against each other and loads them in a way they are not designed for, cutting the sling's strength. Use a leg of the right reach or the shortening fitting built into the sling.

   Why not the others

   A. There is no rating for a knotted chain; the knot can crack or bend links. Never knot it: use the right length or the sling's shortening hook.

   C. A proof load does not make a knotted chain sound: the knot bends links against each other and can crack or stretch them under that very test. Alloy chain is never knotted; use the right leg or the shortening hook.

   D. Wrapping chain around the hook loads links over the hook's edges and can load the hook badly. Use a shorter leg or the shortening hook.

3. Recall · Performs hoisting and positioning operations · All three exams

   During a set-down, the signaller holds one hand motionless in front of the hand giving the lower signal. What does the added hand mean?

   1. Use the whipline for this motion.
   2. Stop after this motion.
   3. Make the motion slowly.
   4. Lower the boom, not the load.
   Show the answer

   C. Correct. A hand held still in front of the signalling hand means move slowly; the other hand keeps giving the motion (here, lower). It is used for fine positioning at set-down.

   Why not the others

   A. The whipline is called by tapping the elbow before the motion signal. A hand held still in front of the signalling hand means move slowly.

   B. Stop is a signal of its own, given with the arms; it is not shown by adding a hand to another signal. The still hand in front means move slowly.

   D. Lowering the boom is one arm out with the thumb pointing down. The still hand in front of the signalling hand means move slowly.

4. Recall · Disassembles rigging, hoisting and positioning equipment · All three exams

   A tugger line was led through a snatch block shackled to an anchor point to pull a transformer skid into a vault. The skid is in place and blocked. When may the snatch block's side plate be opened to take the line out?

   1. Once the line has been slacked off and the tugger stopped.
   2. As soon as the skid is blocked, while the line is still taut.
   3. Once the anchor shackle has been unpinned from the block.
   4. While the tugger holds a light strain to keep the line in the groove.
   Show the answer

   A. Correct. A snatch block and its anchor carry about twice the line pull when the lines are parallel, and the side plate is what keeps the rope in the sheave. Opened under tension, the rope can jump out and whip, so the line is slacked and the tugger stopped first.

   Why not the others

   B. Blocking the skid does not take the tension out of the line; the tugger can still hold a pull on it. The line is slacked off first.

   C. Unpinning the anchor shackle while the line is tight lets the whole block whip toward the load. The line is slacked first; the block is opened and unhooked after.

   D. Any strain on the line keeps load on the sheave, and opening the side plate can let the rope spring out. The line is slacked off and the tugger stopped before the block is opened.

5. Recall · Erects lattice boom cranes, tower cranes, derricks and components · Generalist and Structural/Ornamental exams

   On a tower crane with a luffing jib, how is the hook's working radius changed?

   1. By slewing the counter-jib toward the load.
   2. By running a trolley in or out along the jib.
   3. By telescoping the jib sections in or out.
   4. By raising or lowering the jib on its pivot.
   Show the answer

   D. Correct. A luffing jib is raised and lowered about a pivot point to change the load radius, so it needs a smaller swing clearance than a horizontal jib. A saddle (hammerhead) jib instead runs a trolley along a fixed horizontal jib.

   Why not the others

   A. Slewing turns the whole jib and counter-jib about the mast, which changes direction, not radius. A luffing jib changes radius by luffing up and down.

   B. A trolley running along a horizontal jib is how a saddle (hammerhead) jib changes radius. A luffing jib changes radius by raising and lowering the jib.

   C. Telescoping sections belong to telescopic mobile cranes. A luffing jib changes radius by being raised and lowered about its pivot.

02Answer key

03What block B covers

Planning and making lifts: assessing the load and its centre of gravity, the pre-lift analysis, selecting rigging, hoisting and positioning equipment, securing the lift area, inspecting and assembling rigging, attaching it to the load, hoisting and positioning, securing the load before the rigging comes off, the post-lift inspection, taking the rigging down and maintaining it, and mobilizing, erecting and demobilizing cranes. On the Reinforcing exam the crane task is taking part in mobilizing and demobilizing cranes and equipment instead.

The Red Seal Occupational Standard for Ironworker (Generalist) names this block “Performs rigging, hoisting and positioning, and mobilization, erection, and demobilization of cranes”. On the Generalist exam it carries 26.7% of the questions, 32 of the 120, split across four tasks. The Reinforcing exam's block B is “Performs rigging, hoisting and positioning, and participates in crane and equipment mobilization and demobilization”. The share column is each task's weight within the block, as the Generalist standard publishes it; the other columns are the questions each exam gives the task, from each exam's information page (a dot means the task is not on that exam; Structural/Ornamental numbers its tasks as shown in brackets).

04What the questions turn on

Sling tension grows as the legs lean

Sling tension is the weight divided by the number of slings, times the sling length over its vertical length: 3 600 lb on two 10 ft legs with the hook 8 ft above the pick points puts 2 250 lb in each leg. A tag's basket rating is twice the vertical rating only with both legs vertical.

Read the chart for what comes off it

The hook block, any ball and the rigging come off the gross chart capacity, and so does the deduction the chart notes give for a jib stowed on the boom. A truck-mounted crane on outriggers is normally strongest over the rear, weaker over the side and weakest over the front.

Wire rope clips: forged, tail first, retightened

Slings and hoisting lines take drop-forged clips of the rope's size. The first clip goes one saddle width from the dead end and is torqued, the one by the eye is snugged, and every clip is brought back to torque after the rope first takes its load.

Nothing comes apart under tension

A snatch block's side plate is opened only after the line is slacked and the tugger stopped, since the block can carry up to twice the line pull (twice when the lead and load lines are parallel) and the plate is all that holds the rope in the sheave. An alloy chain leg that is too long is never knotted: use a shorter leg or the sling's shortening hook.

05The other blocks

The Generalist exam has six blocks, and the Structural/Ornamental and Reinforcing exams are built from four of them each. Every block has its own page of free questions:

The Ironworker Red Seal practice exam page describes the full question bank. How these questions are written and checked: how our questions are made. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.