The slinger and signaller plans the lift and directs it by signal, without operating the machine. There is no licence for this role.
No UK government body issues a licence for the role of slinger and signaller, and no statute requires one. The duty to train and assess competence sits with the employer, under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 section 2(2)(c) and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 regulation 9.
This training is structured operator training with formal theory and practical assessment, which the employer can rely on as evidence when meeting that duty. Sites may set their own entry requirements, and the operator should check with the site before attending.
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) apply. The Approved Code of Practice L113, Safe use of lifting equipment, requires every lift to be planned by a competent person, and requires lifting accessories, such as slings, shackles and chains, to be selected for the load and inspected before use. LOLER requires thorough examination of these accessories at intervals not exceeding 6 months. For a slinger and signaller the duty also sits in the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, regulation 8, which requires every lifting operation to be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.
The slinger and signaller is not operating a machine. The role is about planning the lift, checking the integrity of the load and its accessories, and the signal system agreed with the machine operator before the lift begins.