That one operator who refused to use hand signals on a job near Detroit

I was on a site in Dearborn last summer, working alongside a guy who had been running cranes for 30 years, and he flat out told me hand signals are for rookies, then proceeded to wave off my spotter like he was swatting flies. Halfway through a pick of a 4-ton HVAC unit near some power lines, he lost sight of the load and nearly swung it into a transformer because he was trying to use his radio while a forklift was honking. Has anyone else run into an old timer who thinks they're above basic safety protocols, and how did you deal with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

zarab241mo ago

Was the foreman anywhere nearby when he pulled that nonsense?

the_xena1mo ago

Just read a report that said the foreman was actually in the break room when it all went down. Sounds like he had no idea what was happening until it was Already over. That's a real problem if the guy in charge isn't even paying attention.

verar211mo ago

Knew a guy who worked on a site where the foreman was ALWAYS hiding in the trailer watching videos on his phone. One day a load of steel beams slipped off the crane. Took like ten minutes for anyone to even FIND the foreman because he was in the back with his headphones on. By the time he got out there, the whole crew had already secured the area and called it in themselves. The boss had NO clue what happened until they showed him the security footage later. Some people just cannot handle being in charge, plain and simple.