Safe winch operations

By Mark van der Feyst

Some rescue companies have a motorized winch located on the front bumper of the apparatus or one that can be moved around the truck for certain location applications. A motorized winch is a great asset for conducting vehicle rescue operations. It can aid in lifting, pulling, and securing a vehicle as well as provide a great amount of pulling power.

Winches should be operated by a remote-control device. This device should be handheld so that the operator can stand away from the winch when it is in operation. When a load is being pulled, a lot of tension is being applied to the winch cable. If that cable were to snap and break, it can cause severe injuries to the operator and those nearby.