Wind nearly took my load off the hook Tuesday

We were setting steel on a 10-story job downtown and a gust came out of nowhere around 2pm. The load swung maybe 8 feet sideways before I could get the boom down and it scared the heck out of me. Has anyone else had a close call with sudden wind on a tight site?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_kelly23d ago

I used to think wind was something you could just compensate for with experience, but that load swing changed my mind completely. One minute it was calm, next second that steel was dancing sideways like it had a mind of its own. I remember a similar thing on a 6 story job a few years back where a sudden gust nearly pinned a guy against the column. Now I watch the weather way closer and I'll call a halt if the flags are standing straight out. It's just not worth the adrenaline rush.

david82122d ago

Did you ever hear about that ironworker down in Houston who got lifted clean off the deck when a gust caught his harness line? Scary stuff. Wind's a sneaky thing, it'll fool you into thinking you've got it figured out and then just yank your load sideways like it's nothing. I remember a buddy of mine was setting a big beam on a parking garage and the wind spun it like a top before he could react... damn near took out the crane cab. Makes you appreciate the little things like a good wind sock and knowing when to call it a day.