RSS Adds Rigging Safety Briefing to Training Academy Courses
Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd. (RSS) has delivered Industry Lifting Lead Appointed Person Group (ILLAPG) Hands Off, Step Away, Safe Space (HOSASS) briefings to over 100 individuals this year, as the RSS Training Academy gave 15 external courses in two months.
The HOSASS content is incorporated into all slinging-related courses given by the RSS Training Academy; it has also been part of 11 in-house sessions across the company’s network of depots nationwide in 2026. Classes have taken place in England, Wales and Scotland, from Plymouth to Glasgow.
The RSS Training Academy is led by Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA)-accredited trainer, Andy Hawkins, training manager, who was a well-respected Appointed Person (AP) at international infrastructure groups, joint ventures, and other consortiums. An AP is a competent person who has the overall responsibility for planning and executing a lifting operation safely.
Hawkins said: “People in close proximity to loads being lifted — such as slingers and signallers — are more likely to step in and try to resolve problems in the event that a load moves unexpectedly or is caught by an obstruction. This puts them at a high risk of being crushed, knocked over, or struck. Personnel should only ever have their hands on a load, when it is safe and necessary, and not because they do so by habit.”
RSS offers a comprehensive portfolio of lifting and rigging products and training, in addition to live365 digitalisation and compliance technology. It supplies blocks, shackles, hooks, slings, harnesses, and other rigging gear — all covered by periodic Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) inspections — to some of the UK’s most notable large-scale infrastructure projects and blue chip firms. It is a member of LEEA’s Accredited Training Scheme (ATS), which offers end user training delivered by member companies, giving assurance of good-quality training, instructors, and facilities.
Hawkins delivers six different courses, including Person in Charge of Lifting Operations (PICOLO) and other programmes covering subjects such as gantry cranes, rigging, and slinging. They can be given at the company’s own depots or remotely at customers’ sites. The RSS Training Academy is also a specialist in creation and delivery of bespoke courseware that meets specific requirements.
Recent course feedback included: ‘…spent time with individuals and kept the course interesting’ — ‘Good, informative course’ — ‘Excellent course, five stars’ — ‘The content of the course was perfect’ — ‘Very good delivery…’
Hawkins also confirmed that an additional course covering appointed persons in supporting structures, will be added to the portfolio soon. Mobile supporting structures are widely used in industry in conjunction with hand or power operated lifting appliances.
- The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) provides the management and secretarial support to the running of the ILLAPG.
- For more information about the RSS Training Academy, email training@rssgroup.co.uk
Steve Hutin
Mark Bridger
