Switched from hand signals to radios on a refinery job in Baton Rouge last month

I used to think radios were overkill for short picks, but after a misread hand signal almost sent a load into a pipe rack, I gave in. Anyone else make the switch and notice a difference in how smooth the day goes?

3 comments

3 Comments

lopez.karen1mo ago

Yeah radios make a huge difference for that kind of work. Hand signals can get misinterpreted quick especially with distance or poor lighting. We switched to earpiece radios on our crew and it cut way down on the near misses. Battery checks before every shift are a must though, nothing worse than losing comms mid lift.

abbyg141mo ago

Get yourself a couple spare battery packs too @lopez.karen. We keep extras in the truck and swap them out at lunch so nobody gets caught with a dead radio halfway through the afternoon.

rubyschmidt1mo ago

Battery checks saved my ass last week, @lopez.karen. Dead radio mid-lift is a special kind of panic.