For those who have already mastered basic climbing skills, aerial lift operation, and
cutting techniques, The Art and Science of Practical Rigging DVD series and accompanying
book provide advanced training in equipment and ropes, rigging knots, limb removal,
rigging techniques and principles, and top removal. The DVD series is hosted by Ken
Palmer and Rip Tompkins and consists of eight lessons as described below.
• Introduction to Techniques and Method Tree and Site Inspection; Planning; Techniques for Removing Wood; Methods; Floating Anchor; Types of Cuts; The Science of Rigging (1.0 CEU*)
• Equipment and Ropes Blocks and Pulleys; Connecting Links; Rope Tools; Friction Devices;Other Equipment; Design and Limitations of Equipment; Rope (1.0 CEU*)
• Rigging Knots Parts of a Line; Knots (1.0 CEU*)
• Basic Limb Removal Cut and Chuck; Rigging Point Above Piece to be Removed; Natural
Crotch vs. False Crotch; Choice of Rope; Installing a Block for a Rigging Point; Knots Used
to Tie off Wood; Butt-tying; Tip-tying; Adding a Tagline; The Role of Friction in Rigging;
Installing a Port-a-Wrap III; Role of the Ground Worker; Balancing; Static vs. Dynamic
Loading (1.0 CEU*)
• Advanced Limb Removal Bend Ratio; Rope Angle at a Block; Rigging Point Above Piece to
be Removed; Understanding the Concept and Effect of Moment; Rigging Mechanical
Advantage; Rigging Point Below Piece to be Removed (1.0 CEU*)
• Compound Rigging Techniques Load-transfer Line; Static Removal False Crotch; Spider
Balancer; Speedline; Knotless Rigging System (1.0 CEU*)
• Understanding Forces in Rigging Rigging Point Below Piece to be Removed; Basic
Blocking Techniques; Notches, Hinges, and Back Cuts; Work Positioning Using an Aerial
Lift; Blocks and Dynamic Loading; Rigging Forces; The Concept of Energy Conservation;
Dynamometer Drop Tests; Minimizing Forces When Blocking (1.0 CEU*)
• Top Removal and Rigging Heavy Wood Rigging Point Below Piece to Be Removed; Work
Positioning for the Top and Trunk Removal; Potential Forces in Top-Removal Operations;
Review of the Bore-Cut Technique; Butt-Hitching or Blocking; Marline Hitch vs. Half Hitch;
Distance of Fall; Blocking with a Speedline; Review of Rigging Forces (1.0 CEU*)
The supplemental
book is written by Peter Donzelli and Sharon Lilly and includes extensive illustrations,
as well as a glossary of terms. A total of eight CEUs* toward ISA recertification may
be earned by completing the tests in the book, sending them to ISA for grading, and
receiving scores of 80% or greater on each. (DVD: ©2001, eight sections, approx. 35 min.
each; Book: ©2001, softcover, spiral-bound, glossary, 172 pp.)
*These CEU credits may be submitted only once during the life of your certification.
Additional workbooks may be purchased separately