Confirm clear signal protocols between riggers and the cab
How lift directors confirm crane signal protocols between ground riggers and the cab. Steps, tool choices and common checks.
2Dig is published by the makers of OperatorLink, which is compared here alongside other tools.
A clear signal protocol gives the lift director a way to confirm that the ground riggers and the cab are following the same signals before movement starts.
OperatorLink lets the jobsite crew see STOP, HOLD and SLOW in a phone browser, with button presses, chat and voice passing between phones. [1] [1] The person who starts the jobsite shares a link or QR code for the crew to join. [1]
| Option | What it does | Fee | Card fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| OperatorLink | Shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the crew and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a browser [1] | Currently free to use, no paid plan built yet [1] | not published |
| Phone video call app | not published | not published | not published |
| Two-way radio | not published | not published | not published |
What you need before you start
Before a lift, the lift director needs the ground riggers and the cab ready to join the same signal process. With OperatorLink, phones use a browser session where signals pass between phones. [1] The person who starts the jobsite shares a link or QR code, and the crew joins from it. [1] A jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours. [1] HOLD and SLOW stay on for everyone in the jobsite and are cleared when the last person leaves. [1]
Step by step
- Gather the phones that the ground riggers and the cab will use, then confirm each one can open the signal session. [1]
- Have the person starting the jobsite open the session in a phone browser without an app install. [1]
- Share the link or QR code so each person joins the same jobsite session. [1]
- Confirm the crew can see the same STOP, HOLD and SLOW signals before the lift begins. [1]
- Confirm how HOLD and SLOW will be cleared, because they stay on for everyone until the last person leaves. [1]
- Check that a held move button keeps sending that move to the other phones and that it drops if it stops arriving for 2 seconds. [1]
- Press STOP during the check so the crew sees that it releases held directions and shows a full-screen alert. [1]
- Close out the session after the shift, because a jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours. [1]
Tools that can do it
OperatorLink is made by the team that publishes this site. It shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a phone browser. [1] [1] Nobody needs to install an app; the page runs in a browser. [1] The person who starts a jobsite shares a link or QR code, and the crew joins from it. [1] One-tap radio-style calls such as Go Ahead, Copy That and All Clear are sent as chat messages, and anyone who joins can take part in a voice call run from the phone browser. [1] [1]
A phone video call app is a second option. No facts here describe one, so check whether the crew can keep the call open for the whole shift, whether the signal person's hands stay in view, and whether the phone locks its screen mid-lift.
A two-way radio is a third option. No facts here describe one, so check that the ground riggers and the cab agree on plain voice, that every member can be heard over machine noise, and that the channel stays clear through the lift.
Match the option to the crew and the site, and keep a fallback ready since signals in a browser depend on the phone's data signal.
Common mistakes to avoid
Relying on one phone for the STOP signal: if that phone's data signal drops, the rest of the crew does not see it, so keep a voice or hand option ready. Assuming every phone alerts the same way: on Android browsers, signals such as STOP make the phone buzz, while iPhone Safari ignores the buzz, so check the sound and screen on every device. [1] Leaving an empty session and expecting it to hold signals the next day: a jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours. [1] Forgetting that HOLD and SLOW stay on for everyone until the last person leaves, so the crew has to clear them on purpose. [1] Not confirming that a move still arrives: if a move stops arriving for 2 seconds, the other phones drop it. [1] Letting the phone go to sleep mid-lift; adding the page to the home screen as a standalone app is an available option. [1]
Frequently asked questions
Is OperatorLink free to use?
OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet. [1] The signal is shown through a phone browser, so the phone still needs a working data signal for the shift. Check the phone's data plan before relying on it.
What happens when the STOP button is pressed?
STOP releases every held direction on every phone in the session and shows a full-screen alert to everyone else, so the ground riggers and the cab see it at once. HOLD and SLOW behave differently: they stay on for everyone until the last person leaves the jobsite.
How long does a jobsite link stay active?
A jobsite link stops working 12 hours after the first person joins it, so a link from an earlier shift may no longer open the session. A jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours. For a fresh shift, start a new session and share the new link or QR code with the crew.
Do STOP signals buzz on every phone?
On Android browsers, signals such as STOP make the phone buzz. iPhone Safari ignores the buzz, so on an iPhone the alert may only be seen on screen. Check the sound and screen settings on every phone in the crew before the lift so nobody misses the signal.
Can the riggers and cab talk over the phone during a lift?
Anyone who joins the jobsite can take part in a voice call run from the phone browser, and one-tap radio-style calls such as Go Ahead, Copy That and All Clear are sent as chat messages. Voice depends on the phone's data signal, so keep a radio or hand signal as a fallback.
OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet. [1]
Try OperatorLinkSources
Related comparisons
- Coordinate multi-crane picks across separate ground crews
- Coordinate two or more signal persons on a high-rise lift (2026)
- How to get the whole crew onto one jobsite link
- How to hear STOP and SLOW on a headset at height in 2026
- Keep every crew member in voice contact during a lift
- Keep rigging crews connected with phones
- Relay voice cues to crane operators by phone
- How to run a toolbox talk over a shared jobsite channel
- See STOP, HOLD and SLOW on a phone for crane operators
- Send STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the operator from a phone