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One of the largest and most famous crane accidents was the crash of “Big Blue”. The original operator refused to make the pick due to the high winds. He was sent home and another operator was called. (THIS IS A COMMON PRACTICE) The pick failed and three men were killed.

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Nancy Reagan made the famous statement of, “Just say NO! to drugs”.

Well, since it didn’t seem to stop the drug problem in the USA it simply proved that it wasn’t that easy to just say no.

As an operator there WILL eventually come a time when you have to just say no. An experienced hand has said no, or at least been an oiler when he saw his operator say no.

Too many foremen and project managers are in charge of “getting the job done” that do not have the slightest idea of what the limitations of a crane are. This is where it ultimately rests upon your shoulders to know just what your rig can do and what it can’t .

For the sake of economy (or sometimes simply because of ignorance) it seems that many times the crane ordered will be to small for the pick. By to small I mean that when someone needs to lift 30tons, they order a 30 ton crane.

Well that is all good and fine if you are picking a 30 ton chunk of lead that is 5 feet away from the center pin. However, when you are asked to extend the boom as far as possible, set up your rig next to a 200 foot cliff, and now make that pick in a 45kph wind it might be time to explain the load chart, and a few other things, to whomever is in charge.

If you are new to cranes, or in your first few years as an operator, you might have difficulty saying no when you should. You might have a wife, car payments,house payments, and other expenses (like food) that may have you concerned about being fired if you don’t do your job as ordered. All of these factors come into play when you have been told to make a pick that exceeds your load chart.

So, should you make the pick?

Well, an experienced hand knows that the load chart is simply your guide to a SAFE pick. The rig, when new, was able to pick about an extra 10%+- and still be just fine. After all, in many parts of the World that is how cranes are tested is by exceeding the capacity to see if they fail or not. If it doesn’t break, then it must be just fine.

That logic always seemed flawed to me since the more that you overstress a metal device, the more you fatigue it, and it eventually fails. But that discussion really belongs in another article.

For now, should you make a pick that exceeds the chart? The lawyers answer is NO, NEVER! And while they conceptually are right, you probably will make a pick (or many) that exceeds the chart. Sometimes you might not even know it. There might be more weight than you calculated or the wind might catch your load during the pick and swing the load away from you a few feet increasing the radius and exceeding the chart capacity. There are a million other small variables that could occur as well, and none of them are good.

In the end, if you are a crane operator, you already know that your job can be dangerous. If it is close to the capacity on the chart you will probably “pick her up just a little” just to see how it feels. If your rig doesn’t creak and moan too bad and at least two of your outriggers seem to be close to touching the ground then you will probably get brave and finish the pick.

If you do push the limit, then make sure that your load is not something that is going to shift. Make sure that EVERYONE is safely away, and make sure that you are really OK with the choice that you are making.

Somewhere, someday, you will probably think it all thru and decide to say NO!…

When you have had enough experience that you feel comfortable knowing when to say NO then you can call yourself an operator, until then you are still in training… There is nothing wrong with being in training, but the true professional will be willing to lose the job, and anything else, when he knows that something can’t be done without a HIGH probability of hurting someone…

Talk to some old hands and ask them if they have ever refused to make a pick. Their answers might surprise you…

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This program is designed for anyone working on or near cranes. Crane operators have certain responsibilities but each person on the job site also has a responsibility when working on or near cranes. Excellent program for crane operators and all general interest for all other employees. SafetyInstruction.com construction training series. Crane safety from safetyinstruction.com

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