7
Lifting a 40-ton transformer with a 30-ton crane last Tuesday got me thinking about safety margins
I was on a job in Charlotte last week and the load chart said I was at 95% capacity. My spotter told me to send it anyway because we were behind schedule. I held firm and called the office to get a bigger crane. Now I'm wondering if I'm too conservative or if the guys who push it are just asking for trouble. What's your rule on how close to max capacity you'll go on a tricky pick?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
xena_williams6d ago
You know what they say, 95% is just 5% away from a really bad Tuesday. I gotta hand it to you though, you made the right call. I've seen too many guys who think the load chart is more of a friendly suggestion, and one wrong move and you're not just behind schedule, you're filling out accident reports. Old pat360 up there said it best, "the load chart isn't a suggestion, it's the line." That line is there for a reason, and it ain't to make your job harder. The pushy guys who say send it are usually the ones who never had a cable snap on them or watched a load swing sideways. Trust your gut on this one, because a bigger crane is cheaper than a hospital visit or worse.
6
95% on a tricky pick and someone telling you to send it anyway? That's how people end up on the evening news. A few minutes of delay isn't worth a crushed hand or worse. The load chart isn't a suggestion, it's the line between safe and sorry. The guys who push it are the ones who get away with it until they don't. You did the right thing.
5