Overheard a new operator say he never checks his load charts

I was getting coffee at the yard last Friday and heard a younger guy telling someone he just eyeballs the lift and goes for it. Said he hasn't looked at a load chart in six months because he can 'feel' when it's safe. That scared me more than any close call I've ever had on a job site. Have any of you dealt with someone who refuses to follow the basics on lifts?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jake9d ago

That guy is going to kill someone or get himself crushed, plain and simple. I worked with a guy back on a job over in Odessa a few years ago who said the exact same thing about 'feeling' the load. He ended up tipping a 40 ton crawler because he guessed wrong on a boom extension, and it cost the company nearly 80 grand in damage and a month of downtime. The problem is that loads look deceiving all the time, especially when you're working with weird shapes or off-center picks. A load chart isn't some suggestion, it's the difference between walking away at the end of the day and not walking away at all. I'd bet money that operator has never had a serious near miss yet, but his luck will run out eventually.

adams.harper9d ago

Hold on, is it really that cut and dry though? I've seen plenty of guys who run by the book still mess up a pick because they misread the chart or the ground wasn't as solid as they thought. That operator might be more careful because he trusts his gut than some guy who blindly follows a number without looking at the actual situation. Half the time the problem isn't the chart, it's the guy not paying attention to where his outriggers are sitting. I'm not saying ignore the chart, but acting like it's a magic bullet feels a little dramatic.