Ratchet strap accident!

[Stereo]

These straps also fail with age. I recently tried to strap a length of drain pipe onto the Hilux but it wouldn't go tight. I grabbed the strap and gave it a yank and it snapped clean in two. On further investigation, I was able to break it with my bare hands. It was initially rated at 1000kg.

 

Not the same thing as in this story but it pays to think about how long your straps have been left in the cab damp or left lying in the sun.

[RobRainford]

my bollard is strapped on with two 5t straps, ive been using ratchet straps well before i got the bollard so i familiar with them, you do need some slack for it to get hold and keep hold!

 

Hope the guy recovers well, probably wasnt just a little bit of fluff!

[Mark Bolam]

Good heads up.

 

If I ever don't have enough tail on my ratchet strap I'm going to have to buy a bigger saw!

[robbo 110]

hope the fella make a good recovery,

 

will agree with others, ratchet straps are not for lifting.. you need strops, chains & shackles for that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

even with the right tool for the right job its still a great danger.

[ben lightfoot]

I heard if strapping down loads then the ratchet should have three wraps on the system so it wont slip not sure if its legality, best practice or just word of mouth from down the pub

[gensetsteve]

Are we talking ratchet straps like I use on my trucks if we are. I had a problem with the ratchets twisting and the straps degrading after a year or so on the small straps you could tear the strap. I worked it out to be cheap chinese copies. I found an english company who manufacture over hear and theprices are the same called Damar

[treebloke]

It seems the guy was using a lowering device which was attached to the tree by a rachet strap, assuming this was designed for purpose then there should be no need to back up this system with another although in principal it sounds like a good idea.

 

We have a drum brake which is held in position with a large rachet. There have been times when the base of the tree was to large for the starp to comfortable go around so we simply shave a bit of the trunk to reduce the dia of the tree and then you gain enough strap to create the desired overlays needed to hold it tight to the tree, it also gives the strap and/or brake something to sit against, quite often after the first few logs are lowered it needs another tweek on the rachet to stop it working upwards.

[treequip]

I use 2 ratchet straps rated at 5 tons to secure my lowering device but only to hold the device in place on the tree. On felling’s I cut the device into the tree so that the upward forces are passed through the device and into the stem, the strap holds the device in the notch and doesn’t play any part in supporting the load however they are kept just for the bollard and are included in the LOLER inspection.

 

The device is also backed up with a sling around the base of the tree, if the tree has significant flare or “toes” the back up sits in its own pre-cut groove

[kimtree]

Wanted to give everyone some info and hopefully prevent future accidents.

 

One of my colleagues was called out to a work accident site to give his opinion.

 

A lowering device was secured with ratchet straps. It appeared that the webbing had been pulled too tight before using the ratchet mechanism, meaning there was very little webbing overlap around the ratchet's spindle.

 

The ratchet straps failed under load severely injuring one of the arborists.

 

Lets all make sure we're using our equipment right (I'm as guilty as the next person) and looking after ourselves and our work mates.

 

All the best

Dan

 

hope the guy pulls though ok

Was this a commercially available unit or a homemade one? one strap or two?

 

on my device i use two straps and have not yet had a failure or slippage

also a plate inserted into a slot guarantees this on take downs

 

Have had a couple of portawraps slide up though

[RC0]

Thanks for the heads up Dan. Hope the guy recovers.

 

Ratchet straps are great and phenominally strong, but still susceptible to human error. The reason why the Stein RC bollards are backed up by a choker....yet I have seen several photos here on arbtalk of them being used without.

 

Guy's, please, always, always set the choker....takes like two minutes. Thanks