Changed my mind about wind limits after a close call in Galveston

Was working a tower crane on a hotel build near the port, gusting maybe 25 knots. I thought the limit was just a soft rule... then a sudden crosswind caught a long concrete panel I was swinging. It started to spin, fast. I hit the emergency stop and let it weathervane into the wind to settle it. That extra five minutes to secure the load properly would have saved a real bad day. Anyone else had a wind moment that made them stop and think?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade_lane21d ago

Glad you're okay, but weathervaning a spinning load is a seriously risky move.

baker.simon21d ago

True, @jade_lane, but sometimes the load spins you.