Voice Signals Take Crane Personnel Out of the Blind Zone
Nothing is scarier for a crane operator than driving in the dark, with a heavy hook and load out of view, and taking instructions over the radio. It is an all too common situation for operators, who complain that few riggers and signalers know how to give them proper directions. As radios replace hand signals as the standard mode of communication among those who work near cranes, inconsistent signals can lead to accidents. They are costly and tragic, and this year has seen plenty of them. Vocal communication is a problem in construction that national standards are only beginning to address.
Radio signals are at the heart of broader efforts to improve crane safety, and operators on the forefront of the debate. Working in the blind "is one of the most dangerous things we do with a crane," says Duffy L. Best, a retired operator in Redding, Calif. Guiding an invisible load that hangs hundreds of feet from the cab requires concentration and, most important, signals from spotters that are loud and clear. When a load moves into the blind, "it's like your brain clicks into a different mode," Best says. And "if you've got an idiot on the radio, it's a nightmare," he adds.