Stop using the wrong whistle signals on a lattice boom crawler

I watched three guys nearly drop a 4 ton HVAC unit last Tuesday because they were using hand signals from a different manual, and the operator couldn't tell if they meant 'boom up' or 'swing left' - has anyone else dealt with this confusion on site?

2 comments

2 Comments

ericfox9h ago

That's a classic setup for a disaster right there. People treat hand signals like they're optional suggestions instead of life-or-death rules. The standard signals exist for a reason and they are not open for interpretation. If your crew can't agree on the same manual, then nobody should be moving any loads until everybody is on the same page. Sounds like that operator had a real good reason to be confused. Glad nobody got flattened over it.

evan_dixon674h ago

Stick a laminated signal card to the wall where everyone can see it before they even get their boots on. We had a guy who kept mixing up "stop" and "emergency stop" and that cleared it up fast. Saved us from a couple close calls and a whole lot of arguing about who was waving what.