Thread: Crane signals.

its pretty straight forward...sit in a room with a whistle...say the command out loud , blow the whistle command. Do it till its hard in your brain.

you really only need to do it 20 or 30 times to get it imbedded in your brain.

come back a few hours later and do a rehearsal......its the only way I know that anyone has learned it.

I'm guessing your not a dogger/rigger?? Either way you'll get the hang of it.

Once you have done the course it's rare whistles come out.

PM Blknight.

Try to remember them in the order of the load going up or down i.e.

2 short is hoist up
3 short is boom up
1 short 3 long is boom extend
1 long is hoist down
4 short is boom down
I short 4 short is boom retract
1 long 1 short is slew left
1 long 2 short is slew right (more letters in right than left so more commands)
1 short is stop

Just keep repeating them in your head, get your kids or partner to test you.

I have not blown a whistle in anger for years but still recite them weekly.

Every dogman should carry a whistle as an emergency measure even if using radios also good to let the surrounding trades know that a load is moving into the area.

Spent many years operating cranes, dogging & rigging.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

PM Blknight.

PM sent.

I remember it as this

1. stop
2. hook goes up
3. boom goes up
4. boom down
1 long hook goes down
1 long 1. boom goes left
1 long 2. boom goes right
1 long 3 boom goes out
1 long 4 boom goes in

1 stop is easy its a single short sharp blast
your 2 hook commands are the same length 2 short goes up (2 letters 2 blasts) and a single full length blow makes it come down
the 3 and 4 blasts all relate to making the boom go up/down with a long in front your making the boom grow/shrink (no long luffs)
1long 1 and 1 long 2 is left and right (long left is less)

heres a page link with an online copy of the same pictures thats in my original manual including the hand sign along with some other helpful tips. pay particular attention to the bit about operating your outrigger jacks in pairs... (its one of those it might just save your ass one day things) and since its not in there.. IF you know you're going to be primarily operating over one side more than the others (single rear lift or your going to be picking up a load at the back, slewing to one side then luffing out or putting a load down at the back after picking up at reach to one side) jack that side up last. Know your cranes layout Take the COG of the carrier into account if your using a front engined truck mount style crane do all your lifting over the rear where you can and if its a rear engined all terrain crane that you drive from the crane cab do your lifting over the nose. the extra weight of the engine and drive components being behind you with a rock solid set of stabs as you lift can be the difference between "whew that could have gone a lot worse" and your partner getting the knock on the door or phone call from your boss or worse from work cover/ the police.

What was annoying about all this and learning it all, never in the 3 years driving cranes did I ever get a whistle command, it was all hand signals