Appreciation post: The way a good hand signal saves 10 seconds of radio static

I was on a 50-ton Grove yesterday lifting beams for a warehouse frame, and the oiler on the ground kept using hand signals instead of the radio. No static, no repeating myself, just smooth lifts. Why do so many crews insist on yelling into a crackling radio when a closed fist and a thumbs up does the same thing in half the time?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey3932d ago

My last job had a rule - if the radio cuts out more than twice, switch to hands. Saved our asses on a tight pick behind some scaffolding where the signal was garbage. Keep a laminated card of the standard signals in your pocket too, new guys always forget the "dog everything" sign.

tylermurray2d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly that "dog everything" sign is the one new guys always screw up, and a laminated card saves all the confusion.