My uncle said to always check the chart for wind speed before a lift, even on a calm day

He worked on a tower crane in Chicago for twenty years and drilled that into me. Last month, I had a simple pick to set a small HVAC unit on a roof, maybe 300 pounds. The morning was dead still, so I almost skipped the check. I pulled out the chart anyway and saw the forecast called for a 15 mph gust front moving in right at our lift time. We delayed by an hour and the wind hit exactly as predicted. Who else has a simple rule they almost broke but it saved them?

2 comments

2 Comments

james_campbell1219h ago

Ever check the load rating on your slings even for a light pick? I did that once on a rerig, thought the old ones looked fine. The chart showed they were way under for what we needed. @reese124 is right about fighting the lazy feeling. It's those five extra minutes that stop a real bad day.

reese1241d ago

Man, that's a great point about complacency. We get so used to things being fine that skipping steps feels harmless. Your uncle's rule literally fought that lazy instinct and it paid off.