top of page
Search

Magic Glasses: Hard Hats

At first glance, a crane or Hiab job can look routine. The load is small, the lift is short, and everyone has done it before. When you put on the Magic Glasses, you start to see who is exposed if something swings, drops, or shifts. That difference comes from competence, not luck.


Quick Scene-Setter


A Hiab truck is unloading materials on a site. The operator is on the remote. One person is guiding the load by hand. The lift is low and close to the truck.


No one is wearing a hard hat because it is “just a quick unload.”


Hiab working - Operator with no hard hat

What Most People See


Most people notice:


  • A small load

  • An experienced operator

  • No one is directly under the hook

  • A task that will be over quickly


The thinking is simple: “This is controlled. Nothing is high overhead. Hard hats are not needed.”


What the Magic Glasses Show You


A trained eye immediately sees the Exclusion Zone, even if it has not been marked.


Inside that zone:


  • The load is suspended, even if only briefly

  • Hooks, blocks, chains, or slings are above head height

  • Hands are close to unstable or shifting loads

  • The operator is managing the crane, the load, the ground, and the people at the same time


Hard hats are not only about falling objects from height. In crane and Hiab work, head injuries often come from:


  • A hook or block swinging back toward a worker

  • A load shifting as it clears the deck

  • A chain or tag line snapping tight

  • Someone stepping into the Exclusion Zone without warning


These are fast events. Once they start, there is no time to react.


The Controls That Matter


Effective controls are practical and repeatable:


  • Define the Exclusion Zone before the lift starts

  • Treat the Exclusion Zone as a hard-hat area by default

  • Require hard hats for anyone permitted inside the Exclusion Zone

  • Stop the lift if someone enters the Exclusion Zone without the required PPE

  • Cover the Exclusion Zone clearly during the pre-lift discussion


If someone must be inside the Exclusion Zone, head protection is not optional.


Magic Glasses Checklist -Hard Hats


  • Is there a suspended load or rigging present?

  • Is an Exclusion Zone established around the crane or Hiab?

  • Will anyone be inside that Exclusion Zone during the lift?

  • Could the hook, chains, or load swing or shift?

  • Is the crane or Hiab being operated by remote?

  • Is everyone inside the Exclusion Zone wearing a hard hat?


If the Exclusion Zone is active, hard hats must be worn.



Magic Glasses: The magic glasses come from the reality of - when I look at my books, I don't see a problem. But when my accountant looks at the books, it's a whole different story. He must have a special set of glasses.


As PCBU's, Officers and Workers, we have an obligation to learn what we are up to and the risks. Our actions and the standards we accept also affect those around us. This magic glasses post is made to help others see what we see.




Comments

bottom of page