Safety reminder about motor vehicle recovery straps

[VladTepes]

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is reminding Queensland consumers about the potential dangers of 'recovery' or 'snatch' straps used to tow bogged cars.

Fair Trading Minister Peter Lawlor said motor vehicle recovery straps were attached between two vehicles so the immobilised vehicle could be pulled free.

"The straps, which are supplied in different lengths and load bearing capacities, stretch with the momentum of the towing vehicle and release built-up tension to dislodge the bogged vehicle," Mr Lawlor said.

"People have been killed or seriously injured when these straps have broken or when components on vehicles have ripped off and struck the person with great force.

"There were two deaths reported in 2003 and 2005 in Queensland which were caused by the uncontrolled release of recovery straps.

"This has happened mainly because people have unknowingly used the wrong capacity strap or misused the straps by attaching them to parts of veh icles that are not engineered to withstand the tremendous forces involved."

Queensland's mandatory safety standards require motor vehicle recovery straps to be marked with key product information and safety warnings.

Recent checks by OFT product safety officers found non-compliant products in Aldi and Anaconda stores.

"Both retailers stopped all sales of the non-compliant straps nationally and organised recalls of their products in Queensland (see www.recalls.gov.au)," Mr Lawlor said.

'Consumers who purchased motor vehicle recovery straps from the stores should stop using the straps and check with these traders to verify if the products they purchased are subject to the recalls so they may be returned for a refund."

Consumers using motor vehicle recovery straps should:

• always read and obey the product's instructions and warnings.
• ensure the strap's stated breaking strength is appropriate for the gross vehicl e mass (GVM), including load weight, of the individual vehicle being recovered (the minimum breaking strength of the strap should be between two and three times the vehicle's GVM).
• ensure the strap is suited to the GVM rating of the lighter vehicle in the recovery
• never attach the strap to a standard tow-bar, tow-ball or standard vehicle tie-down point (they are not designed for this purpose and may result in the strap or a vehicle component detaching and striking a person).
• only attach a strap to a suitable rated vehicle recovery point or device
• ensure the strap is undamaged and in a usable condition
• drape something like a heavy bag or blanket over the strap during use to reduce any unintentional rebound of the strap.
• ensure that any people outside the vehicles stand far enough from the vehicles - at least 1.5 times the non-stretched length of the strap. They must never stand in the line of recovery. • do not use the strap for lifting or conventional towing

For more information visit http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au/motor-vehicle-recovery-straps-for-consumers.htm

Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading
The Honourable Peter Lawlor
15/07/2010

taken from: Safety reminder about motor vehicle recovery straps

[VladTepes]

Motor vehicle recovery straps

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Recovery straps, or 'snatch straps', are used to free bogged or immobilised vehicles. They are usually made from heavy-duty nylon or polyester.
These do not include vehicle lifting slings or tie-down straps, wire cable, chain, rope or straps for conventional towing situations.
Snatch straps connect two vehicles, so one vehicles can free another from being immobilised or bogged.
The straps apply a stored elastic force that enables a vehicle to be ‘sprung’ from its bogged position.
Danger risk

When the straps stretch and release energy under tension, it exerts tremendous forces.
People have been injured or killed after being struck when strap dislodge or vehicle components break off during the recovery process.
What can you do?

Always take care to choose the correct snatch strap for your needs.
Some straps have a ‘breaking strength’ that is three times the vehicle’s gross vehicle mass (GVM). This may be too strong to stretch properly and will rip vehicle components off during the recovery.
Always follow the product’s instructions carefully, and heed all safety warnings and recommendations.
Safe use

When you use the straps:

• ensure the strap’s stated breaking strength is appropriate for the gross vehicle mass (GVM), including load weight, of the individual vehicle being recovered
• ensure the strap is suited to the GVM rating of the lighter vehicles in the recovery
• never attach the strap to a standard tow ball or standard vehicle tie-down point
• only attach a strap to a suitable rated vehicle recovery point or device
• do not use the strap for lifting or conventional towing
• ensure the strap is undamaged and in a usable condition
• ensure that the strap’s strength and stretch is reduced when it is saturated (water logged).
• use a damper device, such as a recovery damper, heavy bag or blanket draped over the strap, to limit any unintentional rebound
• ensure that any people outside the vehicles stand far enough from the vehicles - at least 1.5 times the non-stretched length of the strap. They must never stand in the line of recovery.

from: Buying motor vehicle recovery straps : Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation

[KarlB]

Always good to be reminded of these things Vlad. Unfortunately, most vehicle recovery points are far from adequate (in a safety margin sense). While the hooks, shackles, etc., are usually appropriately rated, the actual attachment to vehicles is not. And it is not the bolts that is an issue. It is the thin mild steel chassis to which we bolt (or worse weld) the recovery hooks or shackles.

Rear towbars are often used for recovery but the best of these is usually only rated for 3.5 tonnes but a moderately vigorous snatch recovery can easily exceed 6 tonnes of load.

We all do it, we get away with it, but that doesn't make it safe.

Snatch recovery should be seen as the recovery method of last resort, not the first as seems to often be the case.

Cheers
KarlB

[Tank]

Always good to be reminded of these things Vlad. Unfortunately, most vehicle recovery points are far from adequate (in a safety margin sense). While the hooks, shackles, etc., are usually appropriately rated, the actual attachment to vehicles is not. And it is not the bolts that is an issue. It is the thin mild steel chassis to which we bolt (or worse weld) the recovery hooks or shackles.

Rear towbars are often used for recovery but the best of these is usually only rated for 3.5 tonnes but a moderately vigorous snatch recovery can easily exceed 6 tonnes of load.

We all do it, we get away with it, but that doesn't make it safe.

Snatch recovery should be seen as the recovery method of last resort, not the first as seems to often be the case.

Cheers
KarlB

KarlB, when an item is "RATED" it usually means that the specific item (in this case a tow bar) has been tested to find the Guaranteed Breaking Strain (GBS), usually to destruction.
If this has been done correctly by a fully authorised government body, like DLIR or the like then they will stamp the item with a Safe Working Load (SWL) figure or a Working Load Limit (WLL) figure.
These SWL or WLL are a built in Safety Factor (SF), in the case of snatch straps, shackles, etc., SF will be 1/6 of the GBS,e.g. 6000kg GBS = 1000kg SWL or WLL.
As far as I know tow bars are rated by govt. and the rated tow bar you are speaking of, i.e. 3.5 tonnes should be the SWL or the WLL, I do not know what the Safety Factor is to arrive at a SWL/WLL of a rated tow bar, but I do know that a govt. dept. would never rate anything at its GBS or its destruction point, maybe if you check out Australian Standards you should find info on rated tow bars.
The biggest problem is that retailers of especially, winches, straps, etc. advertise their products at the GBS figures and not the SWL/WLL figures, which falsely gives the user the confidence to use the snatch strap or whatever to the destruction point with dire consequences.
If a recovery item does NOT have a SWL/WLL stamped or moulded onto it DO NOT buy it, when buying recovery gear go to a specialist rigging/industrial supply store, it will be a better Quality Product and usually a hell of a lot cheaper, check the yellow pages, Regards Frank.