Saw a mobile crane setup on a slope near Denver that looked sketchy

I was driving through the foothills last Friday and passed a job site where they had a 90 ton mobile crane setting up on about a 7 degree incline, no cribbing under the outriggers on the downhill side. The operator was already lifting a steel beam while his spotter was yelling at him about the level indicator. I know some guys run out of leveling pads, but is that kind of thing common in mountain work? I've only done flat ground sites for 6 years, so I'm wondering if there's a trick to stabilizing on grades like that or if we should be calling that out every time. Has anyone else had to walk a job because the ground crew ignored the setup plan?

2 comments

2 Comments

joel_butler22d ago

That operator must have a death wish or a really good insurance payout coming. Sounds like the spotter was the only one with a functioning brain on that site. I'd be making a call to whoever manages that job, cause 'the trick' on grades is usually called math and cribbing.

grantmartinez22d ago

Used to think spots were optional, but you just changed my mind.

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