Participants in L-146’s master rigging training are: front row, l. to r., National Training Instructor Jim Beauchamp, David Robertson, Jeremy Quinn and Jean-Denis Daigle; back row, l. to r., Chris Martin, L-359’s Shane Borza, Jason Ewasiuk, Monty Jones and Russell Reid, instructor.
SUB-ZERO WEATHER IN Edmonton mid-January couldn’t stop Canadian Boilermakers who’d signed up for advanced rigging training. Local 146 (Edmonton, Alberta) held their master rigging class the week of Jan. 15—dubbed “the coldest week in two decades” by the local news media. Temperatures bottomed out near -40 Celsius.
National Training Instructor Jim Beauchamp said the members dressed in their winter gear to complete the hands-on portion of the training outside “without batting an eye.” He said no one complained or hesitated, even though conditions were terrible.
“It certainly shows what our members are made of. If there is work that needs to be done, the Boilermakers will get it done regardless of extreme conditions,” Beauchamp said.
Boilermakers gained a variety of rigging skills during the training, which included center of gravity load control; rigging selection and methods; sling tension; level and off-level pick points; block loading; compound loading; multi-part line blocks and winch systems; load drifting; load turning and jack and roll, horizontal rigging and incline planes.
