NUTS + BOLTS Figure 3: Crane-suspended work platforms/baskets are often used on high-rise installations. Figure 4: Powered swing stages are commonly used to install signs atop tall buildings. Figure 5: This worker is servicing a sign using a bosun's chair harness. safely performed using this equipment is quite limited. In general, any operation that involves heavy lifting, pushing or pulling motions (e.g., operating a masonry drill or changing a large signface panel) is poorly suited to 34 SIGNS OF THE TIMES AUGUST 2017 a freestanding ladder or scaffold. Many years ago, I learned about a fatal accident that occurred when sign company workers attempted to install a large signface they had lifted by hand to the top of a freestanding, 40-ft. scaffold. As the two men were moving the face into position, a sudden gust of wind blew up, toppling the scaffold, killing one man and seriously injuring the other. This and other preventable tragedies speak to the crucial importance of adhering to requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and always using equipment well-suited for the job at hand (Fig. 2). A related consideration is that ordinary ladders and portable scaffolds generally are not designed to accommodate the use of fall-protection equipment. These shortcomings explain why crane-mounted work platforms have become standard equipment today for many sign companies. The principal advantage of these work platforms is that they are controllable from the worker's position and they enable workers to perform various installation steps with nearly the same degree of safety and confidence they would feel when standing on solid ground. This enhanced worker security