The debate about hand signals vs radios on this big job in Dallas

I was on a site last month where the old guy running the show insisted on hand signals only. Said radios cause too many accidents. Then a newer guy walked by and said that's crazy for a 300 ton lift in a tight spot. Both sides have good points. What do you all use most of the time?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_william2d ago

Hand signals work fine but radio is safer for big blind lifts honestly.

nancycooper2d ago

Disagree a bit here @the_william. Hand signals work for routine stuff but for big blind lifts where you're swinging heavy loads over people or equipment, radio cuts down on confusion. One bad hand signal because someone's line of sight is blocked or they're distracted and you've got a disaster. I've seen crews try to save money by skipping radios and it almost cost someone their toes. Radios are cheap insurance for those critical moments.

jamesf411d ago

That's how it goes with a lot of things these days. People get set in their ways and forget that times change, and sometimes the old way just doesn't cut it for the new problems.