My signalman called me out for rushing my pre-lift checks and he was totally right

We were setting a 12-ton HVAC unit on a roof in Cincinnati last month. I was running a Grove RT700 and I thought I was being quick but safe. My signalman, Frank, who's been doing this for 30 years, pulled me aside after the pick. He said, 'Nancy, you're looking at the load, but you're not *seeing* the whole picture. You missed that the outrigger pad on the street side was sitting on a manhole cover lip. It wasn't fully bearing.' I argued for a second, but he walked me over and showed me the quarter-inch gap. It was a real wake-up call. I was so focused on the rigging and the lift path that I got lazy on the setup. Now I walk the full 360, twice, and tap each pad with my boot. What's one basic step you guys have had to re-learn the hard way?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_alice1d ago

Frank's totally right about seeing the whole picture. Reminds me of the time a guy on our crew forgot to check for overhead lines because he was so focused on the ground conditions.

haydenj901d agoMost Upvoted

My own truck's side mirror learned that lesson.