Had a green oiler try to tell me how to run my swing

Last month on a job in Columbus, this site super comes up while I'm rigging a 12,000 pound duct section and tells me to switch from the 4-part line to a 2-part because he 'likes the speed better.' I tried to explain the chart said 2-part was fine for the load but the radius was tight against the building, so I'd lose my margin. He just crossed his arms and said 'my site, my call.' So I did it, and yeah, the pick worked, but I had to boom down to a 35 foot radius and nearly clipped a scaffold. Guys, has anyone else had a non-operator overrule a lift plan and you just had to eat it to keep the peace? What do you do when the guy signing the checks doesn't know the math?

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patp7928d ago

Man, that story hits close to home. I once had a foreman insist I use a cherry picker for a job that was clearly a scissor lift situation, and I just smiled and nodded while mentally measuring the fall. You know, in my experience, the guy with the clipboard always thinks he's got the magic touch, but the math doesn't care about his ego. Your mileage may vary, but I've found it's easier to do the safe pick your way and then casually mention the chart later, like it was a lucky guess. At the end of the day, I'd rather have an awkward conversation than a bent crane, but I still eat a lot of crow to keep the peace.