A veteran operator told me my tagline hand signals were too fast

I was working a site in Boise last month, moving some steel beams. After the shift, one of the older guys pulled me aside and said, 'Kid, your signals are clean, but you're going at a sprinter's pace. Slow it down to a walk.' He explained that on a loud site, a signaler might need a second to confirm the move, and my speed was adding risk. I started counting a full 'one Mississippi' between each clear signal now. It feels slower, but the whole crew seems more in sync. Has anyone else had to adjust their tempo for the team?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenixb342mo ago

Totally get that. Had a crane op tell me the same thing years ago. I was giving the "all clear" and "stop" signals way too close together. Slowing down felt weird at first, but it stopped a lot of confused head shakes from the guys up in the cab.

tylerj892mo ago

Yeah, those confused head shakes were my main form of feedback for a while too. I got so good at it they almost didn't need hand signals.

rileym942mo ago

But what if those fast signals are actually more efficient? On a tight schedule, every second counts and clear, quick hand motions should be enough for a pro operator. Maybe the head shakes just mean the crew needs to get on the same page, not that the signaler is doing it wrong. Slowing everything down can feel like adding pointless steps.