Update: I still use my old hand signals on a site that went all-radio last year

Three years ago on the Denver airport expansion, my crew chief, Frank, drilled those signals into me until I could do them in my sleep. Last month, our new foreman in Phoenix said radios were the only way and my hand signs were 'outdated.' But last week, a radio died right as we were setting a 12-ton beam, and my clear signals kept the lift safe. Does anyone else keep up with both methods just in case?

3 comments

3 Comments

garcia.wren18d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, calling hand signals outdated is just plain wrong.

ninar6818d ago

Frank made us practice signals in a dust storm so bad you couldn't see your own boots, and that saved my skin more than once. I mean, what @garcia.wren said is right, it's not just wrong to call them outdated, it's dangerous thinking. Tech fails, batteries die, but your hands are always there. My crew keeps both methods sharp with a five minute drill every Monday, no radios allowed. It's a backup that costs nothing and might save everything.

matthew_west18d ago

That part about practicing in a dust storm really hits home. I read an article about a crane crew in Texas that got through a total radio blackout because their spotter knew the old hand signals cold. The writer called it "muscle memory safety," which seems like a good way to put it.