That load shift at the Port of Oakland still bugs me

Ngl, I was running a 150-ton crawler on a container job near Berth 35 last fall. We had a 40-foot box swing weird on the hoist because the tag line guy got distracted. I had to drop the whole thing hard to keep the crane from tipping, and it bent the spreader bar. Am I the only one who thinks we need better spotters on tight container lifts?

4 comments

4 Comments

blake_kelly1910d ago

Buddy of mine had a tag line guy sneeze mid-lift on a 50-tonner at the port. Dropped the load sideways, bent a spreader bar almost exactly like that.

the_rowan10d ago

Was he okay after that sneeze or did something else go wrong too?

jennybailey10d ago

Man, I've had almost the exact same thing happen. We fixed it by making the tag line guy wear a radio headset and giving him a dedicated backup spotter who just watches him and the load. It's a cheap fix that saves a lot of headaches.

rowanw9110d ago

Berth 35 is nasty for tight lifts, I've heard stories. @blake_kelly19 your buddy's sneeze thing is wild but it shows how one little thing can wreck everything. We need to treat tag line guys like they're as important as the crane operator, give them the same clear zone and no distractions. Maybe even a second spotter just watching the tag line guy on top of watching the load. That sneeze could have been way worse if the load had swung into a stack of containers or a truck.