Pro tip: always double check the load chart before lifting, even if the guy on site says he's done it for 20 years

Last Tuesday I had a foreman in Dayton tell me to pick a 12,000 lb steel beam with the crane set at a 35 foot radius, and when I pulled out the chart it showed we were 2,000 lbs over capacity - he got real quiet and never questioned me again, has anyone else had a ground guy try to push you into a sketchy lift like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

rosek4428d ago

I mean, yeah, the foreman was wrong there and you were right to check the chart. But I've seen guys treat the load chart like it's the gospel and miss that the ground isn't level or the wind just picked up. Charts give you numbers for perfect conditions. Real life is mud and gravel and a gust hitting your load sideways. I'd rather listen to a guy who's seen a crane tip than one who just read the chart.

ellis.susan28d ago

Fair enough @rosek44 but load charts aren't just for perfect conditions, they account for different configurations and outrigger positions too. Gotta balance real world experience with the actual numbers the manufacturer put together.