Over the years, cranes have become more popular in the arborist world. And as the need for the machine increases, so does our need for education and safe work practices. But it doesn’t end there. Whether you are the crane operator or the climber, learning how to communicate with each other can make or break the job.

Watch out for the mechanical beasts!

For years now, I have been asked the question with regard to cranes, “Are you worried these machines will steal your job?” I simply reply, “No, we complement each other.”

Whether you are the crane operator or the climber, learning how to communicate with each other can make or break the job. TCIA staff photo. Unless otherwise noted, additional photos are courtesy of the author.

Over the years, cranes have become more popular in the arborist world. And as the need for the machine increases, so does our need for education and safe work practices. But it doesn’t end there. Whether you are the crane operator or the climber, learning how to communicate with each other can make or break the job.

Helping choose a set-up location, making a dismantle plan together, talking weights and being each other’s second point of view are critical for an efficient job site. This type of work is truly a team sport, and we all have our positions to play, but working together brings home the trophy. In this article, I’m going to give you a backstage pass to how my mind rocks a crane-assisted tree removal.

After the coffee …
Our job truly starts when we hop out of the truck. We see the crane, and the operator approaches us. Maybe you work together often, or maybe it’s your first time meeting. Introducing yourself and a firm handshake can set the foundation of respect for the day. Explain the task for the day and start the conversation about each other’s experience level on these types of job sites.

Describe what means of communication you plan to employ, whether it’s hand signals, radios or headset communication systems. Let the operator know if you are in need of rigging or what you’ll be supplying, along with your plan to set up a tie-in point. This is a subtle way of showing the operator you’re thinking ahead.

As you walk around the property and are looking at your options for setting up the crane, ask questions about the crane itself. If the operator is as passionate about their job as you are yours, this demonstration of interest can keep the conversation flowing all day long. Choosing a set-up location for the crane together can really dictate the safety and efficiency of the job site. Ask the operator their opinion on where the best setup would be, and don’t be afraid to speak up with any concerns. Come to an agreement you’re both confident with.

Go over the details
This also is a great time to discuss your dismantle strategy. Consider discussing the removal of limbs that could be blocking the operator’s visibility of you. You can even use a laser pointer to show different sections of the tree that would be ideal to cut out.

Point out the hazards nearby, especially electrical lines, and what can be done to mitigate them throughout this process. Choose an area for the drop zone and confirm with the operator to make sure it’s sufficient. Even something as simple as offering to help set up the crane shows a willingness to work together.

Setting limits
Time for a test flight. Ask the operator to swing the hook where the furthest and/or heaviest pick will be and to the furthest point of the drop zone. This will give both of you the most helpful information of the day – the crane’s capacities.

Numbers are an operator’s best friend. So talk numbers. Choosing a percentage of the capacity to make as a goal “pick weight” for the day informs the operator that you are cautious, which can really put the operator’s mind at ease when working with a new-to-them climber. A pick weight of 75% or more of capacity is a critical lift and requires additional planning and documentation. Maybe 50%-60% could suffice and leave room for error.

Going airborne
Now that the crane is set up and you have communicated your plan, it’s time to get yourself set up on the crane. Have the operator stand with you while you place your tie-in point on the crane.

Lifting a human being with a crane may be out of the norm for them. Use this time as a teachable moment when you can explain why you chose that type of hardware and the attachment point. Ask the operator to double-check your tie-in point. Think of it like a peer review to make sure you’re not missing anything, and to keep the operator involved in the whole process.

Don’t forget to check all your other equipment as well, including the required personal protective equipment needed. Before you have the crane lift you to the tree, ask the operator to tension up just enough to get your feet off the ground so you can do a function test of the climbing system being used.

Now we’re ready for the first pick. Stick to the game plan unless you see something from the sky view that should change it. If you find a reason to switch your selection from the first pick, convey that to the operator.

As you are flying through the air – and you’re obviously thinking of that song about wrecking balls – start directing the operator to position you over the pick. The first one should be reasonably small, just to help you gauge the weight of the tree parts.

A pick weight of 75% or more of capacity is a critical lift and requires additional planning.

Communicate
As you are fine tuning the placement of the hook over the center of gravity of the pick, converse with the operator. Maybe explain why you chose that particular tree part to pick first, and ask the operator if they agree or have any feedback. If they can see you, use their point of view to help get the hook positioned properly to prevent load drift when lifting.

Once you are ready, throw the slings to the general areas you plan on attaching them to the tree. Walk through your thought process with the operator like a play-by-play. What we are doing is quite a bit different than hooking up to construction materials, so explaining this process is very informative to them. Even if they’re familiar with tree removal, it’s reassuring to them that you are thinking before you are doing and not just hoping it works out.

Inform them to start tensioning and how much to do so, but make sure to ask if they’re good with it, also. Depending on your level of experience, you can opt to tension on a percentage of the anticipated weight, such as 75-80%. Some climbers watch the movement of the tree to decide the tension, but a combination of both can be very beneficial.

Watch your weight
We never know the true weight of the piece of tree until the crane has lifted it and the scale tells us the weight. With that in mind, communicating with the operator using a sliding scale can give them a good perspective of the anticipated weight. Explain what you think it will most likely weigh, what it could weigh on the light end and what it could weigh on the heavy end. This can be referred to as the weight range. It’s best to tension when you, the climber, are detached from the crane, if it’s reasonable to do so.

Get in position! You want to avoid a cutting position between the tree and the crane. Sometimes the operator might ask you to move so they can see you better. Politely explain how that puts you in the flight path and might cause you to easily get struck by the piece when lifting. It’s important not to argue with the operator but to take a persuasive or reasoning approach to discrepancies.

Making the pick
Get your two points of attachment in place and check with the operator to see if they are ready for you to begin cutting. Start your cut and describe the movement you’re seeing, or whether there isn’t any. Direct the operator if more tension needs to be applied or if tension needs to be relieved. Maybe a booming action is necessary because of deflection in the boom. It is important, sometime before cutting, to ask the operator to inform you before they perform an action, so as not to confuse you if the tree moves while cutting.

The crane is there to lift the freed piece of tree, not to break it off for you, which can shock load the crane. So make sure you are cut all the way through before instructing to lift. You can give a countdown to when your cut will be finished. Or giving them a percentage of the cutting that is left can be helpful to the operator’s anticipation.

Keep your eye on the ball. The piece is cut free, but the lift isn’t over until it is unstrapped on the ground. This is where your point of view comes into play for assisting the operator. As you instruct the operator to lift, guide them to lift away from you and away from other parts of the canopy the piece could get snagged on. Remind them of any job-site hazards you went over beforehand, as something to think about and avoid.

Before setting it on the ground, ask the operator to stabilize the piece and get an accurate reading of the weight. Have a conversation about their satisfaction with the plan and how it was executed and, most important, any changes you would make for the next one.

You want to avoid a cutting position between the tree and the crane.

It ain’t over till …
As the piece is being placed on the ground, communicate with the ground crew to stand clear so that as the load shifts it doesn’t strike anyone. If you need the ground crew to assist, instruct them politely. Ground personnel are friends, not food! (Watch “Finding Nemo” if that went over your head). It’s a team sport, and we can’t win a safe and efficient job site without them.

As the load is shifting, make recommendations to the operator for corrective maneuvers. Once the load stops shifting and the tension is off the slings, the ground crew can move in and detach the slings.

Job done
I think you get the point. We can be experts at what we do, but if we can’t explain what we are doing or communicate in a way that makes people receptive, how can we expect things to go smoothly? Being able to think out loud and make agreed-upon decisions alleviates the potential frustrations of each task and makes on-the-fly decisions easier. We’re not mind readers, and we shouldn’t expect others to be. Be respectful, be confident and, most important, be safe!

Jonathan Foote, CTSP, is the owner/operator of The Industrial Tarzan LLC, a
contract-climber service located in Norristown, Pennsylvania. He also is a Certified Crane Operator and an instructor with Noble Oak Safety & Training, a six-year TCIA corporate member company based in Frenchtown, New Jersey.

This article is based on his presentation on the same subject during TCI EXPO ’24 in Baltimore, Maryland. To view a recording created for that presentation, go to tcimag.tcia.org and, under the Resources tab, click Video.