Saw a mobile crane setup in downtown Portland that made me rethink my own pre-lift checks

I was walking through the Pearl District last week and saw a crew setting up a 90-ton Grove on a job site. What caught my eye was the lead hand. He had a little plastic box, like a small tackle box, and he was pulling out these color-coded zip ties. He'd put a green one on a pin after he checked it, then a red one on the outrigger pad once it was fully seated and level. I mean, it's so simple, but I'd never thought of it. It gave the whole crew a clear visual, especially the guy in the cab, that each step was done. I've been in spots where someone yells 'good' from the ground and you just have to trust it. This took maybe 5 extra minutes but looked foolproof. I'm gonna try a version of this with my rigger next week. Has anyone else seen a simple visual system like that on a tight city site?

3 comments

3 Comments

ryan1831mo ago

Ever wonder if that color system could backfire? Like, what if a green tie breaks off and someone assumes the check was done when it wasn't? Or a new guy on the crew sees a red tie and doesn't know it means "good" for pads but maybe means "stop" on something else? Seems like you'd need a real clear crew talk before starting, every single time.

laura_black311mo ago

Yeah that "new guy" point hits home, @ryan183, I've definitely been the one staring at a red tie like it's a riddle. You're right, you need a quick huddle to make sure everyone's on the same page, or the system just makes more problems.

michaelchen25d ago

So are you supposed to memorize which color means what for every single thing?