Had a close call with a power line on a job in Tacoma last month

Was swinging a 50-ton load on a rough terrain crane near the port when I realized my boom was way closer to the overhead lines than I'd planned. My spotter yelled, and I froze the swing. We had to re-rig the whole lift to a different pick point, which added two hours. How do you guys handle tight spaces with unexpected line hazards?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_diana20d ago

Glad your spotter was on it! That freeze and re-rig was the only safe call. We run into this all the time on downtown jobs. My crew now does a full 360 walk with the crane operator before setting up, looking up for lines and down for sink holes. We even use a laser range finder sometimes to double check distances from the boom tip to any wires. It adds maybe twenty minutes to setup but it beats a full stop later.

the_elliot20d ago

Honestly, that laser range finder idea is solid. You guys ever have issues with them in bad weather, like heavy rain or fog?

mason_lopez20d ago

That laser range finder is a good start, but you need to check it against something physical. On a job in Spokane, we used the finder and still marked the safe swing arc with spray paint on the ground. We put little flags at the 10 foot and 20 foot marks from the hazard. That way, the operator and the spotter are both looking at the same clear line on the dirt. The tech is great, but your eyes can fool you in a panic. The paint doesn't wash away in the rain like a mental note does.