Hit 500 lifts without a single incident yesterday, still shocked

Honestly, I was just checking my logbook after finishing up a tricky steel beam placement on a site near downtown Austin, and I realized I hit 500 lifts without any kind of mishap. Not even a minor swing or a load shift. That number caught me off guard because I started out pretty green about three years ago, and my first dozen or so jobs had me second guessing every move. I remember my mentor telling me that 100 clean lifts in a row was a big deal, so 500 feels like a totally different level. It's not just about luck either, I've been real careful about wind readings and boom angles since I messed up a pick early on. Does anyone else track milestones like this or is it just me being weird about numbers?

2 comments

2 Comments

simonp471mo ago

Wait you actually keep a logbook for that? I do the same thing with my forklift hours at the warehouse. Started tracking after I had a near miss with a pallet of paint cans two years back. Hit 412 shifts with zero incidents last month then the floor got wet and I had to reset the counter. It's like a weird little game I play with myself now.

wyatt_green311mo ago

You called it a weird little game and that's exactly right. Most people don't realize how much of safety is just mental momentum. Once you start keeping score, you pay way more attention to the small stuff that could mess it up.