My foreman told me to always double-check the load chart before a pick, even on a simple lift.

I thought it was overkill for a routine job, but last week I caught a 500 lb weight difference on a piece of ductwork that would have put us over. Who else gets told 'unnecessary' advice that actually saves your butt?

3 comments

3 Comments

johnson.paul3mo ago

Used to skip that step all the time. Figured I knew my rig. Saw a guy get written up for not checking, thought it was dumb. Then I missed a buried gas line on a site plan. Markings were faded. That check saved a huge problem. Now I look every single time.

reese1243mo ago

Man that hits home. I used to think checklists were for new guys too, just slowing me down. Then one morning I almost hooked up to a client's outdoor faucet that was barely hanging on, the threads were totally stripped. Would have flooded their basement for sure. That five second glance at the connection point is baked into my routine now, no matter how many times I've been to a property. It's crazy how the one time you skip it is when something's wrong.

alex3073mo ago

Yeah, that's how it always goes. Reese124 is right about it being the one time you skip it, that's when you find the problem. Makes you feel like an idiot but it sure changes your habits fast.