Tie-Down Safety bulletin

[3930dave]

This won't be news to the commercial guys, just thought I'd toss it out for us weekend haulers...

http://www.lift-it.com/tie_down_safety_bulletin_english.pdf

Apologies in advance if a re-post.

(pdf = 3Meg, TBN appears to only allow 1Meg max. to be posted inline).

Rgds, D.

 

[Dr Dave]

Thanks for posting, UV rays are often overlooked as a damaging factor.

Dave

 

[JJZ 109]

Thanks for posting, UV rays are often overlooked as a damaging factor.

Dave

True enough. Last week I snapped a one inch ratchet strap used to hold down stepladders on my flat bed bucket truck. That strap had been outdoors in all kinds of weather from April to November for about 4 years. It served as a reminder that I need to keep a better eye on them. Luckily I had some new replacements handy.

 

[creekbend]

Thanks for posting. Good Info.

 

[3930dave]

You're welcome guys.

The "Fault Condition" pictures struck me as something from a LEO 101 Roadside Inspection course, so it caught my eye - not being in the industry. If it's been a while since you've studied Engineering Mechanics, those Load Force vs. Strap Angle diagrams are a good reminder of the Fizx.

Yes, UV is a sneaky problem.

Rgds, D.

 

[oldballs]

Thanks Dave, which brings me to a question. I'm not commercial but do mow for friends, sometimes for two hours at a time in our hot summers. Using the tie straps, I like to wrap it around the front and rear axle. That rear axle/transmission gets really hot. Thus, I take a break before loading and tying down to let it cool down a bit before attaching the straps. Does that amount of heat make any differance in the short term or long term use of straps?....Anybody?

 

[3930dave]

OB - guessing you are running a Hydrostatic.....

Don't have direct experience to answer with, but this is what I'd do....

Find the typical material content for a strap. Use a IR thermometer to read the surface temperature on the Trani/axle.

Matweb has tons of data - look under Thermal Properties.

MatWeb - The Online Materials Information Resource

Example is for Nylon66. Don't know if that is a typical material, just pulled that out of you-know-where, for illustration.

Maximum Service Temperature, Air 70.0 - 220 degC, 158 - 428 degF, Average value: 143 degC

Quite a range listed.... so I might be tempted to wrap your axle with some kind of insulator (header tape ?) if the surface temperatures you measure are high.

Rgds, D.

 

[oldballs]

Dave,......there's nothing like the facts to get the right answer. Thanks again. Think I'll go with some kind of sleeve/wrap next summer. Plus the straps also get some minor abrasion where they rub on some edges. So far I haven't designed a chain/binder hook up but may get to that also. Cheers, Mike

 

[3930dave]

You're welcome Mike.

If you can get a hold of some old inner tubes, that might work well as a sleeve on the tie-down.

I helped a neighbour change a tube on his Harley recently (roofing nail !), they use a pretty thick tube material. I've even used bicycle tubes as a better-than-nothing protection.

Rgds, D.

 

[Soundguy]

old fire hose makes great sleeves too.

 

[QRTRHRS]

"1. All Tie Down Users Must be Trained and Knowledgeable"

Don't get me wrong, I agree with that line and this info is from an industry group. I worry though about yet another endorsement or class to go through. I also have an issue with "percieved" strap wear and application. For example, when I hauled pole barn materials, the load might have a number of windows. Hauling a stack of windows on a flatbed is like hauling eggshells. You strap them but "loosely". I would use my more weathered (faded out not cut or starting to rip) straps for them. Perfectly safe of course. But I can imagine some gung ho ticket writing power hungry individual finding fault with them because they only know the regs not the real world of the cost of maintaining equipment. But then in the commercial world, it's about money but let's not get to political.

Anyway, there are leather sleeves available to slide over webbing to protect against chaffing. Old fire hose if you can find it works well too.

Webbing with a short chain and hook rather than a "J" hook, etc are the way to go. The "J" hooks will hang on a rub rail or pocket okay but the webbing is going to rub. Those bent round stock hooks are not much good for properly hanging from your securement areas. They rely on the webbing never slacking when you just snag them rather than to hang them.

 

[3930dave]

What's that line about Sabre Tooth Tigers..... you didn't have to be a fast runner, just faster than the next guy... :thumbsup:

Most of the enforcement here is targeted at commercial hauling. For the little bit of light personal hauling I do, I just have to look better than the average smuck.

They'll do a blitz here on light trailers, usually Spring long weekends.... the guys using Uncle Joe's homebuilt trailer that was hacked together 40 years ago, and never maintained since - hauling a fridge, stove, barbeque and ATV to the cottage, tied down with a couple of skipping ropes.

I too have no interest in having to attend a Trailer Tie Down course..... hoping more folks make use of UNcommon sense when doing personal trailering, so the powers that be don't come up with enough excuses to Protect Ourselves, from Ourselves (tm) any more than already exists....

Some rookie cop (who may have never trailered anything) likely has those pictures in a binder, or on a phone. Even hauling light personal stuff, good to keep this in mind, esp. when going through areas of heavy enforcment.

Rgds, D.