Every Tuesday – Fall Protection training in Burnaby, BC
The CORE of Fall Protection is taught in our Burnaby training center every Tuesday
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7648 Winston Street, Burnaby, BC V5A 2H4
Don’t Leave Anything to a chance: Safety Starts with Preparation
Fly tables can be your best ally in formwork… or your worst nightmare. It all depends on how you handle them. Don’t be fooled — this isn’t just about moving big platforms around with a crane. One small mistake can turn an ordinary workday into a major incident.
We see it all the time. People get too comfortable: “We’ve flown tables hundreds of times, and nothing’s ever happened.” But once crews get into the routine — lift, swing, land, repeat — that’s when details start getting skipped. A rushed (or skipped) inspection, a worn-out tag line, a shortcut in the rigging, one distracted person, or sudden gusts of wind out of nowhere. And just like that, the table slams into a column or worse, into a worker.
When it comes to flying tables, there’s no room for improvisation. A safe operation depends on strict planning and solid preparation. A dedicated spotter and signal person — not just “whoever’s standing nearby”. Clearly marked and enforced exclusion zones. Thorough rigging checks (bent hardware or frayed slings aren’t just ugly — they’re deadly). Wind conditions: calm on the ground doesn’t mean calm at height. Clear communication between the crane operator and ground crew — more than yelling and hand signals. And most importantly, a qualified safety consultant who can help you build a site-specific plan that actually fits your project, not just copy-pasted from a manual.
The moment your team stops treating the process with respect, that table becomes a wrecking ball waiting to happen. In the end, flying table is like performing surgery with a crane, precision, planning, and discipline are non-negotiable. If you’re betting on luck instead of safety, luck probably won’t be there when things go wrong.
And remember this: no one’s born knowing how to fly tables. No one. It’s not something you just "pick up by watching." It takes training, hands-on practice, and solid guidance. If you’re not sure how to do it, or something feels off, you have every right to stop and say “nope, not like this.” It’s better to lose a minute than a life.
