Overheard a safety guy say something about hand signals that stuck with me

Guy at the union hall in Milwaukee said most guys wave their hands like they're swatting flies, not giving real signals. Now I make sure my hand stops dead at each position before moving to the next. Anyone else notice how sloppy signals get when the crew is tired?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliviat171mo ago

I get what you're saying about momentum and keeping things smooth, but I gotta push back a little on that "rolling through everything" idea. If you're moving your hands in a sloppy circle, the guy twenty feet up on the beam can't tell if you're telling him to "come ahead" or "dog it" he's just guessing based on your general vibe. Sharp stops might feel like more work in the short moment, but they save you from having to redo a whole lift because someone misread your signal. It's like cracking your neck to get a good twist instead of just flailing and hoping for the best.

holly_sanchez752mo ago

Is it possible the sharp stops are actually slowing you down more than helping?

wyatt_green312mo ago

Sharp stops totally wreck your momentum and make you work TWICE as hard to get back up to speed. You're better off rolling through everything smooth and keeping that flow going.