Just realized a lot of guys don't check their boom angle indicator before a pick

I was spotting for a buddy on a 70-ton mobile crane in Toledo last Tuesday, and he went to lift a 5-ton HVAC unit without verifying his angle was reading true. I asked him to double-check, and sure enough, the sensor was off by almost two degrees because of a loose bracket. How often do you actually test your indicator against a known angle before starting a shift?

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel_carter28d ago

That two-degree find is scary, and @skyler_johnson32's cracked spreader bar story really drives it home.

jenny_white2129d ago

You ever see something like that and your stomach just drops? Two degrees might not sound like much to some people, but on a big lift, that's everything. Good on you for speaking up, man. That's the kind of thing that keeps a bad day from turning into a career-ender. I make it a point to check mine with a level first thing every Monday, no exceptions. It takes two minutes and it's just not worth the risk.

skyler_johnson3228d ago

Totally get that feeling @jenny_white21. Reminds me of a time we found a hairline crack in a spreader bar during a pre-use check. Nobody noticed it until the light hit it just right, and yeah, instant pit in your stomach. We tagged it out right then and there.