People have drawn a new line in the sand in the aftermath of recent crane failures in New York City and Miami that damaged property, took lives and injured many. The distinction that investigators now are making between a crane accident and a rigging accident is important because it exposes a potential weak link in the chain of environmental, safety and health activities and precautions that many companies have adopted in recent years.

Seemingly mundane, rigging is a cornerstone of construction. Cranes are useless without the slings, shackles, hooks and chains needed to connect, secure and hoist loads. As the pace of construction becomes more urgent, it is even more crucial now to take the time to inspect rigging components before every lift, and disable and discard damaged items so there is no temptation to squeeze one more lift out of them or have someone "rescue" them from the trash. Skimping on hardware is dumb. The cost of replacing a damaged $50 sling is cheap insurance compared to a possible $50-million settlement if it breaks.

Rigging is a technical skill that requires careful training. The industry has for more than a decade pushed for safer crane operations, and that focus has centered on operators' skills and credentials, as well as their ability to have the final word on whether a lift is made. Much in the way of safety has come from these efforts. It is only natural the industry should now turn its attention to the people who work under the hook.

More than half the time, crane operators work "blind," without any visual cues to guide them. That leaves great responsibility in the hands of riggers and signal persons who may have little training on the  task of inspecting hardware, judging mass and securing loads.

Ironworkers generally are regarded as the master riggers of the industry, but they are not always available. Other trades need to become equally skilled to ensure jobsite consistency.

Certification for riggers and signal persons is a good idea because of the potential consequences of their actions. The subjective nature of rigging makes it especially treacherous: There is no right or wrong way to rig a load, just excellent, good and poor choices. As long as testing programs are audited to ensure impartiality, the cost of certifying workers far outweighs the cost of inaction.

 Master riggers are everyday problem-solvers, and they like to discuss and debate their ideas to reach a consensus before heaving dozens of tons into the sky. They may not always agree on certain issues, such as whether to use either engineered an edge protector to prevent sling damage or a "found object" like a tire scrap. But expert riggers can agree that safety under the hook is only as strong as the weakest link in the command chain.