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A rigger in Mobile told me to always check the hook latch with my thumb
We were setting a big HVAC unit on a roof downtown about two years ago. The rigger, a guy named Ray who had been doing this since the 80s, stopped the whole lift before I even started to boom up. He walked over, grabbed the main hook, and pushed the latch with his thumb. It didn't move. He said, 'If your thumb can't open it, nothing in the air will.' I've done that check on every single lift since. Anyone else have a simple, physical check like that they swear by?
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wren8062mo ago
My thumb check has saved me from my own dumb mistakes more than once...
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skyler_kim24d ago
Yeah that method works but only if you actually remember to do it. The problem with thumb checks is they turn into muscle memory and you stop thinking about them. I've seen guys at work do the same check a hundred times and still mess up because they went on autopilot. @jake_hall88 the real trick is to pair it with something that forces you to pause for a second. Like if you're about to cut a pipe, stop and say the measurement out loud before you even grab the saw. Breaks the mechanical habit and makes your brain actually engage again.
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jake_hall882mo agoMost Upvoted
What's a thumb check?
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