That near miss on a jobsite in Houston changed everything about my rigging checks

I was on a crawler crane in Houston last fall, lifting a 12-ton HVAC unit for a hospital rooftop. A helper rushed to hook the load and didn't notice a frayed sling. I caught it right before the lift, but it made me realize how easy it is to miss stuff when you're in a hurry. Do you guys stop the job if your rigging looks even a little iffy or just run it?

3 comments

3 Comments

lisa8391mo ago

Don't you think that one near miss is worth changing your whole approach to safety checks?

the_luna1mo ago

@lisa839 is right that a near miss can really shift your thinking. I had a similar moment years ago with a worn lifting strap on a beam hoist, and now I stop and check every sling and shackle before any lift, even if it slows things down. A few extra minutes beats watching a load drop or someone get hurt.

ryan_carr591mo ago

That "a few extra minutes beats watching a load drop" is exactly what I had to learn the hard way. I started doing a quick walk around on every bit of gear before I use it and it just becomes second nature after a while.