Old foreman swore by hand signals over radios, now I get why

My foreman Jerry always said radios waste time because guys chatter too much, so he made us learn full ASL crane signals. Last week on a tight job in Charlotte with no radio signal in the basement, those hand signals saved us from dropping a 12-ton beam. Anyone else got a piece of advice that seemed dumb at first but saved your butt later?

3 comments

3 Comments

lopez.karen2mo ago

lol imagine telling a new guy "just learn sign language" and they think you're crazy. Jerry's a legend for that though. Hand signals are literally the original bluetooth, no battery required. That basement situation sounds like a total disaster waiting to happen with radios. Bet those new guys who laughed at Jerry now see the light. Old school stuff usually has a reason behind it, just gotta live through the wreck first.

claire_walker2mo ago

3 years ago at my old construction gig, we had a deaf foreman named Dave who used hand signals for crane ops. First week I thought it was pointless until the generator died mid-lift and all the radios went silent. Dave just tapped his hard hat twice and pointed - everyone knew exactly what to do. Never laughed at hand signals again after that. Jerry's basement setup sounds like a ticking time bomb though. You ever had a moment where the low tech option saved your hide?

shaneb161mo ago

@lopez.karen nailed it with the "original bluetooth" line, that's gold. The thing nobody mentions is how hand signals actually force better communication overall. When you can't just yell over a radio and hope someone hears, you have to establish clear protocols beforehand. Dave tapping his hard hat twice probably meant something specific that everyone had drilled a hundred times. That kind of deliberate setup makes a crew safer even when the radios work, because nobody's guessing or relying on bad reception. Jerry's basement might look old fashioned but he's probably the guy who sleeps fine knowing his system won't die on him.