PIPE 5349574 - Caterpillar

Safety for operators and ground personnel is of prime concern. Always take the necessary precautions to ensure safety to others as well as yourself. To ensure safety, the tractor and winch must be operated with care, concern by the operator for the equipment and a thorough knowledge of the machine's performance capabilities. The following recommendations are offered as a general safety guide. Local rules and regulations will also apply.
FAILURE TO OBEY THE FOLLOWING SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS MAY RESULT IN PROPERTY DAMAGE, INJURY OR DEATH.
1. Read all warning tag information and become familiar with all controls BEFORE operating winch.2. Never attempt to clean, oil or perform any maintenance on a machine with the engine running, unless instructed to do so in the Service Manual.3. Before starting tractor, be certain all controls move freely and are placed in the "Brake-On" (neutral) position.4. Never operate winch controls unless you are properly seated at the operators station on the tractor and you are sure personnel are clear of work area.5. Operate winch line speeds to match job conditions.6. Assure that personnel who are responsible for hand signals are clearly visible and that the signals to be used are thoroughly understood by everyone.7. Never attempt to handle winch cable when the hook end is not free.8. Leather gloves should be used when handling winch cable.9. Ground personnel should stay in view of tractor operator and clear of winch drum. Do not allow ground personnel near winch line under tension. A safe distance of at least 1 1/2 times the length of the cable in use should be maintained.10. When winding cable on the winch drum, never attempt to maintain tension by allowing cable to slip through hands. Always use "hand-over-hand" method.11. Use correct size ferrule for cable and pocket in winch drum. Never use knots to secure or attach cable.12. Inspect rigging, winch and tractor at the beginning of each work shift. Any cable with broken strands or rigging worn or damaged should be replaced.13. Position tractor for straightest line of pull. Use fairlead if side pulls are frequently encountered.14. The cable anchor or ferrule pocket in the cable drum is designed to provide a self release in the event a back-sliding load must be released from the tractor in an emergency situation. The cable anchor or ferrule alone will NOT support rated linepull. Therefore, a minimum of five (5) complete wraps of cable must be maintained on winch drum.15. Be sure of tractor ground stability before winching in load.16. Store unused chokers, slings and rigging in a neat and orderly fashion to prevent damage to equipment or injury to personnel.17. The maximum rated bare drum line pull of the PA55 is 69,200 lb (307.8 kN)* and 89,800 lb (399.4 kN)** for the PA56. Do not operate the winch under loads that exceed the maximum rated bare drum line pull. If excessive loads are encountered, use a multi-part line and sheave blocks. Any attempt to exceed the capabilities of one winch (such as coupling