Rigging crews are not featured on Saturday afternoon television sweating it out in the pit. But they ought to be. Their jobs involve the same skill, expertise and demand for accuracy as a motor racing pit crew. One mistake or loss of team communication can bring fatal results. Working on a pit crew is sometimes called organised mayhem. It involves using technologically advanced tools and getting dirty.
The roles of the pit crew chief and lifting superintendent are similar. They have many different responsibilities and tasks that must be performed for a race or job to be successful, such as building the crew, promoting teamwork, training, planning the tasks, spotting, communicating, motivating their teams and analysing the work. There is one element of these tasks that acts as the glue for all our jobs. That glue is how we communicate our jobs to the team.
In rigging, the same gear is used but each site brings different challenges along with a constant need for job efficiency. The work itself is fast but must be safe and, just like a pit crew, the work must be planned, practiced and performed and then it is off to the next job. A pit crew chief is responsible for making keen and quick decisions, but is also responsible for the team.
There are two times that it is crucial to stop, think and discuss. First, at the beginning of the job is the pre-job brief. This meeting prepares for the job and is conducted before performing operations, maintenance or testing. The job must be laid out like a race to review expectations and set up the day. Much like a pit crew chief, the lifting superintendent must evaluate the crew and determine who will perform each job.
The elements to a successful pre-job brief are:
• Review the job. Going over everything that is to be accomplished makes sure everyone is on the same page.
• Establish the role of each crew member in performing the job. A common failing is not identifying the duties and responsibilities of each team member at the beginning.
• Identify and secure the needed tools.
• Discuss the hazards of the job and what strategy will be taken to avoid or mitigate them.
• Emphasise the crucial points in the job.
• Listen to feedback from members of the crew, and adjust the plan to address their concerns.
There are several common pre-job errors. Although the pre-job brief is simple, it can sometimes be lost in the hustle of beginning a job. Other errors are not being prepared to give the brief, not including all the men in the crew, not covering all the elements of a brief and doing the brief in a noisy area.
The second pivotal moment for briefing the team is prior to an actual lift. A pre-lift brief is held right before a critical lift, haul, roll-off or other monumental point in the job. Its purpose is to get the crew focused on the task at hand and to give them specific assignments for the critical part of the job.
The primary role of pre-job and pre-lift meetings, or toolbox talks, is to get every team member to focus on the work, not all the other things they may have on their minds – family, bills, hunting, etc. It is also an opportunity to see who has got any personal problems or issues that might affect their performance. If anyone cannot focus absolutely on their job, send them home.
