Each construction job site that includes a single construction crane or more units, must hire a signal person. A signal person is the eyes and ears of the crane operator on the ground. Therefore, the communication between the crane operator and the signal person is vital in preventing construction crane accidents. In fact, not a single construction company should execute any lifting tasks without a competent and experienced signal person.
But not everyone can become a signal person. There are requirements and rules and specific courses that must be passed with flying colors. The duties of a signal person are to know the types of signals for job sites, to know how to use those signals and to know the construction crane well and all its specifications and limitations. For this reason, the demand for signal persons, qualified by performance and written testing through an adequate program has increased in recent years.
As mentioned above, the signal person must know how to communicate with the crane operators using hand and voice signals. The hand and voice signals are especially invented for cranes. However, a signal person is a demanding and responsible job. Here are just few responsibilities of the signal persons.
Know What To Do If Failure In The Process Occurs – As both hand and voice signals must be continuous, the signal persons should know how to give an emergency stop in case of a construction crane accident and stop the operation until everything is sorted out. In case the operator is not in the situation to see or hear the signals by the signal persons, he needs to instantly stop the construction crane until the contact with the signal person is re-established. Both signal person and construction crane operator must know what to do in the case of any unplanned events.
Know All The Crane Operations And Limitations – The signal person must know what will happen when specific hand and voice signals are provided to the construction crane operator. If the signal person does not know such vital information, the construction crane might face significant loss of capacity or may be overloaded and tip over.
Understand All Signals, Including Special Assignments – It is clear that signal person must be knowledgeable of both hand and voice, including special assignments used when lifting in a prohibited zone or when a lifting operation is incorporating a suspended personnel platform.
Be Able To Correctly Give Both Hand And Voice Signals – There are specific regulations for both hand and voice signals and the signal person needs to follow them. Through specific practical exams, the signal person learns how to give hand and voice signals correctly.
