A main hoist cable snapped on me last Tuesday

We were lifting a 12-ton HVAC unit onto a roof in Portland when it happened. The cable had a hidden kink from a previous job, something I missed during my morning check. I had to drop the load onto the building's designated safety zone, which was a real tense moment. It took the crew and me about three hours to secure everything and get a new cable rigged. Makes you think about how we used to rely more on feel and less on the inspection sheets. Anyone else had a close call with a hidden flaw in their gear recently?

3 comments

3 Comments

felix1551mo ago

Yeah, I had a tow strap let go on me last winter while yanking a stuck truck out of a ditch. Looked fine from the outside but it had this frayed spot hidden under some mud. Truck shot back about ten feet and almost took out my buddy's mailbox. Makes you wonder how many "good enough" inspections are really just people squinting at stuff and hoping for the best. At least you got a nice three hour puzzle to keep your mind off how bad it could have gone.

smith.jordan1mo ago

Glad you're safe, but I gotta disagree about the inspection sheets. That checklist is what catches the stuff you can't feel.

clark.iris1mo ago

Yeah but @smith.jordan, you ever seen someone just check the boxes without really looking? That's the real problem lol.