Kedah 4x4

Winches are potentially hazardous. Study these key points:

· Place a single individual in charge of the winch. This person will be the ONLY one to use the switch - and the ONLY one handling the recovery of the winch cable once the winching operation is complete. This is done to prevent anyone losing fingers - a common injury when the cable handler lets someone else handle the switch.

· Before winching have everyone stand well clear. The slingshot effect caused by a cable break under load can cause serious, even fatal, injury.

· Wear gloves when handling winch cable and use a cable guide when feeding in loose cable.

· The winch cable should be cared for and wound neatly on the drum under tension.

· Always have five turns of cable wound around the drum before winching. Less than five turns could mean the cable clamp on the drum coming undone.

· Never stand in the ‘V’ of a winching layout under tension.

· Never step over a strap or cable after it has been attached in a recovery layout, even when it appears to be lying harmlessly on the ground.

· Never hook a winch cable around an object and then back on itself. This is a common cause of cable breakages among the inexperienced. Anchor straps are used to prevent this.