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| Photo: Ken Kingery |
Rig, and rig alike
When objects weighing thousands of pounds have to be moved, the call goes out to riggers— specialized teams that work with hoists and cranes. They’re required to wear proper safety gear; and at some point, the riggers at SLAC decided to make a statement with their helmets.
“We always try to wear the same helmets,” says rigger Scot Johnson. “It helps us identify each other on the job site and is also a form of solidarity.”
The group first began following the helmet design of lead rigger Dave “Davey” Engesser, who has been at SLAC the longest and knows all the ins and outs of hoisting and rigging.
“He has a mind like an elephant,” says Johnson. “He can remember where he put equipment in the grass from 20 years ago.”
Engesser began wearing an American flag helmet to work every day, and soon the rest of the riggers followed. When Engesser’s helmet had to be retired because of chips and cracks, the whole team ordered white helmets. Stickers are not allowed on helmets because they can hide defects, so wearing the same color is one way the team can express its camaraderie.
No one remembers how the tradition began or who came up with the idea. “It just sort of ended up that way,” says Johnson.
Recently Engesser went back to an American flag-style helmet, though the rest of the team still tends to wear plain white.
“He just likes to get saluted,” Johnson jokes.
Ken Kingery
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