CRANE CRITIQUE
CONSTRUCTION NEWS BULLETIN
MOBILE CRANE SIGNAL PERSONS
What are the qualification requirements? A monthly crane and rigging informative column for all personnel directly or indirectly involved with crane safety. Each month we will attempt to explain a different technical issue pertaining to crane operations here on Guam, addressing the sometimes overlooked or misunderstood topics by management and operators alike. By Dave Barnhouse Though this is a subject addressed not all that long ago, recent occurrences and observations dictate that a clear understanding of the signal person requirements do not exist with the majority of the workers on the crane job site, as well as the employee’s supervisors, who are responsible for the training and assuring the signal person is qualified. Though proper hand signals may seem obvious to those familiar with crane operations, observing some crane operations prove otherwise. The new OSHA crane standard requires all persons signaling crane operations to be tested and demonstrate their qualifications of basic understanding of crane operations and limitations, as well as standard hand and/or voice signals whenever used. There are still operators and signal persons on job sites using improper signals and justifying the use by the same old explanation, ‘that’s the way we always have done it’. It should be company policy for all crane operations to ensure that the lift director, operator and signal person conduct a pre-lift meeting. This time should be set aside as a first priority to address signal use, as well as any special instructions that may be required to safely complete the task. Hand signals should be as easy to use and come naturally to a signal person as it is driving an automobile. Signaling is not something the signal person should be hesitant of because he not exactly sure what the crane function is needed to accomplish the lift. Hand signals are not to be as confusing as the third base coach signals to the batter or runner, as pictured here. Those signals are meant to be understood 16 | AUGUST2018
by the ‘team’ only. Crane hand signals, however, are not a big secret and must absolutely be understood by all on the crane crew. An ASME hand signal chart is also required by OSHA to be on the job site with explanation of specific hand signals as pictured here for hoisting with the auxiliary winch. An example of a totally inexcusable near accident because of an operator’s miscommunication with the signal person, the operator boomed up while the riggers were disconnecting because someone gave him the ’thumbs up’ signal. The signal person was indicating ‘Good job’. For those not familiar with hand signals the thumb up signal indicates ‘boom up’. This is why we have specific hand signals, and the signal person should only be using the ASME Standard signals. Also, operators should never respond to improper signals nor respond to signals from other than the designated signal person. The new OSHA Subpart CC 1926.1428 Signal person qualification standard states each signal person must: (1) Know and understand the type of signals used. If hand signals are used, the signal person must know and understand the Standard Method for hand signals. (2) Be competent in the application of the type of signals used. (3) Have a basic understanding of equipment operation and limitations, including the crane dynamics involved in swinging and stopping loads and boom deflection from hoisting loads. (4) Know and understand the relevant www.guamcontractors.org
requirements of § 1926.1419 through § 1926.1422 and § 1926.1428. Many of my rigger class participants fully expect to come away from the rigging class with a signal person qualification, simply because they may know, or even do a quick memorization of the hand signals. Since there are only 18 hand signals normally used, it would not be difficult for a person with average intelligence to memorize these in order to pass the practical test. However, this is only a small part of a signal person qualifications. The key words in the OSHA requirements, ‘understand crane dynamics’, is the element of crane operations where most fail. This is a point many signal persons do not understand. A knowledgeable signal person can swing and Like Us On Facebook