[TowerTalk] Chain and cable safety

[Roger Halstead]

The thread on pulling ground rods started me to thinking.



I've worked around chains, cables, and ropes all my life.  Anyone who has 
never seen a chain, cable, or rope under tension break would have a 
difficult time imagining the damage they can do and the speed at which they 
can do it.



Short chains, cables, and ropes (I'm just going to call them chains from now 
on) are not nearly as much of a problem, but you still need to be careful 
and they can lash out to their full length (between anchor points) at times 
when they break or slip.  Longer chains are almost unbelievable when they 
let go under tension and the damage they can do is staggering.



A couple years ago one of my wife's cousins was pulling a 4 wheel drive out 
of a ditch when the log chain broke and not so neatly removed the top half 
of his head.  This was a heavy chain, not a light weight.  I have a 16' log 
chain that is a real chore to carry from the shop to the car.  When we were 
pulling a guy anchor the anchor point let go and that chain stood right 
straight up as if something were pulling it up.



Check the length of chain between the anchor points and make that the 
absolute minimum distance you are willing to stand from either anchor point. 
If you are using a full length 20 foot chain to pull a truck out of a ditch, 
then that is your minimum distance.  The most dangerous places are within 
about a half a chain length to the right or left of either anchor point, but 
they some times throw parts from what ever they were hooked to, or even the 
part to which they were hooked and they can throw those a *long* way.



It's easy to forget just how much stretch there is in a chain or cable.  Of 
course at their working and breaking strength they don't have to stretch 
very far physically to store tremendous energy.



Several times I've been very fortunate.

I don't remember what we were working on now as it was a long time ago, but 
I heard a buzzing sound.  I turned around and I remember everyone looking at 
me.  A chain had broken and a piece had flown right over my shoulder. I 
never even saw it.



Then there was the time we were shooting metallic silhouette targets with 
the 9mm and 45.  I think I'll skip that one. <:-))



Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com