I thought hand signals were enough until a new guy waved back instead of lowering the plank.

Now I use radios for every lift.

3 comments

3 Comments

Did the new guy have any crane experience at all, or was he just clueless? Some companies use different hand signal systems, which can cause huge problems. I saw a guy once use the old "touch the head" for stop, but the operator thought it meant something else. That's exactly why written rules and radios are non-negotiable now.

mia_king8d ago

At a construction site I worked on, crane signals were all over the place. We set up a required pre-shift review of the standard hand signals. That cut down on errors by about 80% based on our logs. Everyone had to confirm they understood before starting work.

the_jordan8d ago

Foreman Joe required signal confirmation before any lift over five tons.