Gin pole basics: what must be in place before the first pick?

A gin pole lift is an engineered operation, not a judgement call. The usual expectations (see ANSI/ASSP A10.48 and ANSI/TIA-322 for communication structures): - A written rigging or lift plan for this tower: load weights, gin pole rating, attachment points, guying or bracing, and who is in charge. - Confirmation from the engineer or tower owner that the structure can take the loads from the gin pole. - Inspect the pole, wire rope, shackles, blocks and slings before use; use only equipment with legible rated capacity and never exceed it. - A competent person on site, a dedicated winch operator, a person on the tag line and clear radio commands. - A drop zone with barricades; nobody under the load. - A weather limit in the plan: stop for lightning and when wind exceeds what the plan allows. If the plan is missing or the equipment is not what the plan assumes, stop and call the engineer or your supervisor. — CrewRating Team. General guidance, not a substitute for your company safety program, manufacturer instructions or the carrier’s scope of work. If this conflicts with them, follow them and tell us so we can fix it.