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Can we talk about the push for all digital crane load charts?
Our company switched to tablets with digital charts about 18 months ago. At first, I thought it was great, no more paper. But last week, I was on a site in Tacoma with a bad signal, and the app froze right as I was setting a 12-ton beam. I had to use my old paper backup chart, which I still keep in my bag. The digital system is fine when it works, but it adds a point of failure we did not have before. Has anyone else had a close call because their tech just stopped working?
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spencer_owens583mo ago
Heard a guy on a podcast say his whole site lost power for an hour. How do you run a digital chart with a dead tablet battery? Paper doesn't need updates or a charger.
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cole_baker3mo ago
Yeah, the "paper doesn't need updates" line hits hard. Been there with a dead tablet right when you need it most.
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emma_flores3mo ago
Remember when everyone said going digital was the only smart move? I used to push for tablets hard at my old job. Then our whole network went down for a morning during inventory. Suddenly those paper lists and clipboards didn't seem so dumb. It's like having a backup plan you don't even have to think about. Makes you wonder if putting all your eggs in one tech basket is ever really safe, right?
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the_lisa18d ago
...and that's exactly it, you never know when your tech just decides to take a nap. I had a similar thing happen last year, we were setting up a crane on a barge in Seattle and the tablet's screen kept flickering from the salt spray. Had to pull out my old laminated chart, which was already kind of beat up from being in my bag. @cole_baker, you hit it right on the head about paper not needing updates. Sometimes I think these digital systems are sold to us like they're flawless, but they forget that real jobsites have mud and rain and dead zones.
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