mark731•2d agoProlific Poster

Came around on using a tag line after a close call in Jersey City

I always thought tag lines were for rookies who couldn't handle a load solo. Then last month on a job near the Holland Tunnel, a steel beam started spinning on me in a gust and nearly clipped a foreman. That guy with the rope saved my butt and probably kept us from a fines from OSHA. Anyone else eat crow about a tool they swore they'd never use?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena_rivera632d ago

That wrench story from @the_robert sounds gnarly but I gotta say, hard hats are one thing. A tag line is a whole different deal. I've been running steel for 12 years and only had one load go squirrelly on me, and it was my own dumb mistake for not tying it off right in the first place. Most of these close calls I hear about are just guys not paying attention or setting up wrong.

the_robert2d ago

Buddy of mine swore off hard hats until a dropped wrench split his skull open.

rileyjones2d ago

Wait, are you saying you think tag lines aren't worth the hassle either, or just that the wrench story doesn't change your mind about hard hats? I mean, I get what you're saying about paying attention and setting things up right, but even the best guy can get surprised by a random gust or a worn out shackle. It's not always about being careless, sometimes it's just bad luck that a tag line could catch. I've seen guys who swore they had everything perfect still have a load shift on them, and that extra line made the difference between a close call and a trip to the hospital. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have the backup than bet my skull on my own perfection.