Loading…

Warning: I tried a new way to spot a load and it almost went bad | Crane Operators - Discusd

Warning: I tried a new way to spot a load and it almost went bad

Last month on a site in Phoenix, we were lifting a big steel beam into a tight spot. I usually watch the load from my cab, but this time I tried using just the video from the crane's camera system. The screen looked clear, so I kept going. About twenty feet up, my ground guy radioed in a panic because the tag line was starting to wrap around a safety rail I couldn't see on the monitor. The camera angle was just wrong, and I was totally blind to it. We stopped fast and got it sorted, but my heart was pounding. I learned you can't trust a screen over your own eyes and a good signal person. That camera is a helper, not the boss. Who else has had a close call with new tech making you miss the old way?

3 comments

3 Comments

martin.vera6mo ago

You said the camera is a helper, not the boss, and that's true. But I'd argue your own eyes from the cab aren't the boss either. The real boss is the signal person with the full view. Relying just on your sight lines from up there has its own blind spots, which is why we use a spotter in the first place. The tech didn't fail, the setup did. You still need that person on the ground even with a perfect camera feed.

phoenix_campbell886mo ago

So we're all just ignoring that the signal person needs a clear view too, right? Honestly, the camera is a helper until it glitches and the spotter is on a coffee break. Tbh, calling anything the boss on a site feels like asking for trouble. Maybe the real boss is the guy who makes sure nobody stands where they can't be seen. Ngl, this whole debate sounds like we're trying to replace common sense with job titles.

skylercooper6mo ago

The 2019 OSHA report on crane accidents listed 22 deaths from operator blind spots. Martin.vera, you're right about the signal person being the real boss, but that's exactly why calling the camera just a helper is so dangerous. It makes people think they can cut corners on the ground crew. A perfect camera feed still can't wave its arms and scream like a human spotter can when things go wrong.