We had gantry cranes in the factory, up to 180 tons. The driver was basically responsible for not hitting anything with the load, but the slinger was responsible for seeing that the means used to support the load were adequate for the job. There were surprisingly few incidents, but 80 tons coming down twenty feet sticks in the mind.
We went to pendant control on a lot of the smaller cranes later, which did increase the amount of excitement, as almost anybody could have a go. I caused great hilarity once by lifting something that seemed to be stuck to the floor, only to find that, after I'd pulled it in half, I'd missed a ring of bolts that were still holding it down....