Finally got my signal certification after a dumb mistake cost me a day's pay

I put off getting my official hand signal card for way too long, thinking my site experience was enough. Last month on a job in Tacoma, the new foreman asked for it and I had to sit out a full shift, losing about $350. Had to scramble to take the class the next week. Anyone else get caught out by a simple paperwork thing they should have handled sooner?

4 comments

4 Comments

sandra_bennett593mo ago

Yeah, gotta push back on that money grab idea. Those cards are cheap compared to what happens when signals get mixed up. I've seen a near miss where a new guy gave the wrong hand signal and a pipe got swung right over someone's head. The company isn't just covering their back, they're making sure everyone on site speaks the same language. It's a pain, but it's not just a piece of paper.

dakotab933mo ago

Sitting out a whole shift for a missing card seems over the top. I get they need to check boxes, but was there really no other work you could do that day? @elliot_gibson27 has a point about just booking the class, but sometimes these rules feel like they're more about covering the company's back than actual safety. I've seen guys run equipment for years without some paper and everyone knows they're fine. It's just a money grab for the cert people.

elliot_gibson273mo ago

Man that sucks. I did the same thing with my flagger card. What finally got me to do it was just booking the class online and paying upfront, so I HAD to go.

karen_sanchez491mo ago

Used to roll my eyes at this stuff too until I watched a guy on my site almost get tagged by a load because the spotter and operator weren't on the same page. That moment changed my whole view on it.