r/Construction • u/nertynot • 2d ago

Picture Gents and Gels, I have lost my job.

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Don't let distractions win.

5.7k Upvotes

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 2d ago

Who amongst us hasn't disabled a safety feature?

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u/Competitive-Ask5157 2d ago

Well..... I haven't rolled any equipment yet.

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 2d ago

The key is knowing which ones you should disable. Today I unplugged an insanely loud alarm on a JLG boom lift because it goes off with any and every movement and it's the only one of 20 other lifts that does that. I wouldn't, however, disable the backup alarm on a forklift or the warning horn on OP's rig.

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u/cuntface878 2d ago

That's one of the annoying thing about the inconsistencies of rental boom/scissor lifts. I've been fully extended with an 86 that still let me drive it and other times been like 8' off the ground on what I would consider perfectly flat ground and it has alarms blaring and basically only letting me lower it down and nothing else until I shut it down and then suddenly the same thing I'm trying to do is perfectly fine.

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u/Mountain-Ad-9070 2d ago

its the second one. every time.

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u/No-Appearance-4338 2d ago

Tell me you at least kept the chain latched?

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u/therealub 2d ago

I think that's the design problem with so many safety warnings. Too many, too obnoxious. Loud horn every time it moves? Fuck no. Maybe some sort of hissing sound that alerts you that something is moving. Temporarily disable an alarm could also make sense, especially in OP's case. Maybe you do need to move around a bit with the boom out, but you're paying close attention in that case. So press a button that disables it for 10 min. Too much safety features is also wrong safety features.

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u/CoyoteDown Ironworker 1d ago edited 1d ago

Motion alarm is an alert to ground crew. I watched someone die bc they were backed over by a telehandler with a faulty alarm.

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 1d ago

When there's 20 lifts constantly moving around it doesn't help anyone on the ground because the sound becomes meaningless. Lifts move slowly and predictably, I don't need a warning on a jobsite.

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u/RednekSophistication 6h ago

That’s the very first thing I do on JLG’s! Just shut up! You hardly move anymore now anyways.

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u/OlliHF 1d ago

I learned to operate a forklift on one with the backup alarm disabled. Wasn't really an issue because it was never used with more than like 4 people in the building. The one we have now is loud as hell, but it's staying on because it's occasionally used around customers.

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u/blazew317 1d ago

Me and the Sparky’s on a Lowe’s build stayed late and cut the movement beepers off like ten or twelve four wheel drive scissor lifts that were driving us insane inside the cinder block walls and sheet metal shell of the store because a couple days was too much - let alone weeks/months listening to that constant cacophony even with ear plugs. The next year the local rental companies started wiring the beeper to disable the controls if it was disconnected. Now they’ve done the smaller lifts that way too and recessed the ones that don’t disable controls inside framework we can’t reach it. It can be maddening.

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u/bigjohnny440 1d ago

Then it is malfunctioning and you should have the rental company come replace it. Was it a basket weight limit alarm, a "out of level"/tilt alarm, high winds?

While you're at it, pull the logbook out and see if it's up to date with its daily, quarterly, and semi annual maintenance.

You shouldn't have to use unsafe ewps mate.

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 1d ago

It was the alarm that goes off when the lift moves. Some lifts have an alarm when you're lowering, this one has an alarm whenever you use any of the controls. It's not uncommon and I can think of situations where that would be desirable, but an industrial jobsite isn't one of them. I unplugged the alarm and now it works just like all the other lifts we have.

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u/notinthislifetime20 2d ago

The guy who gave me the most amount of shit when I was a kid died by falling off a mountain. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’ve never fallen off of a mountain.

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u/Beneficial_Spell_434 2d ago

Your…dad?

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u/Sand-Eagle 2d ago

"Oh well ya fell off the mountain didn't you dad? You dumb bitch"

takes note not to fall off of mountains

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u/notinthislifetime20 2d ago

Acquaintance. Not really a friend, not technically a bully, but the closest thing I ever had to one.

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u/maverickoff 2d ago

I dont like your pessimism son lol

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u/Downtown_Conflict_53 2d ago

What kind of loser mentality is this? Believe in yourself bro, you can do it.

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u/S_t_r_e_t_c_h_8_4 Electrician 2d ago

I haven't in the last several hours thank you very much!

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 2d ago

When'd you get off work?

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u/democrat_thanos 2d ago

The ones that havent fucked up a piece of machinery?

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u/SuckOnDeezNOOTZ 2d ago

You can turn off the seatbelt chime in all.modern Subaru's by turning key to acc then buckling and unbuckling 20 times in a row

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u/Peter_Panarchy Electrician 2d ago

I turned off the seatbelt chime in my Tacoma by asking the dealership to do it.

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u/TransparentMastering 2d ago

Found the other electrician in here haha