Steel Cable Dangers

I watched this video last night regarding the dangers of a steel cable snapping. Now clearly they showed examples that no one would ever do, but some of the results might be the same if the cable were to run over a sharp rock, if you were using a snatch block that maybe had a rough spot, or if your cable was older.

 

If you don't know how to operate a winch . then don't buy one
safety first . Rule one . know what your doing
seen same hazards . with people using snatch straps

 

Safety Third!!

 

Reminds me of an incident at work in the mid 70's. January, Colstrip, MT and we were sampling water monitoring wells. About a foot of new snow and while I pretty much knew where the 2 track road was supposed to be, I eventually found a small, buried coulee with the 76 k20 version of a Suburban with the snow instantaneously going over the hood. We dug it out and you could literally walk under it. No way we were driving it out. I walked a mile and a half back to the mobile lab we had set up (two 40' semi trailers) and after much cajoling, talked the lab research associate into trying to winch us out with his FJ 40. To cut to the chase, we had it all hooked up and I looked in the rear view mirror to see the guy getting a head start with about 10' of slack in the steel cable. I just hunkered down in the seat knowing what was about to occur and it did-hook and cable right through the rear window. We reattached the cable to the winch and proceeded to do it correctly the second time.

The relationship with the research associate got off to a rough start but he and his wife have been our best friends since shortly after that incident. Countless great backcountry Jeep, skiing, and backpacking adventures through most of a half century---------- Funny how some things work out.