PISTON 5345965 - 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 and concern 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. 1. Read all warning tag information and become familiar with all controls BEFORE operating the winch.2. NEVER attempt to clean, oil or perform any maintenance on the winch with the engine running, unless instructed to do so in this manual.3. Before starting the 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 the work area.5. NEVER attempt to handle winch cable when the hook end is not free. Keep all parts of body and clothing clear of cable rollers, cable entry area of fairleads and winch drum.6. 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 working length of the cable should be maintained. NEVER allow anyone to stand under a suspended load.7. Avoid sudden "shock" loads or attempting to "jerk" a load free. This type of operation may cause heavy loads in excess of rated capacity. which may result in failure of cable and/or winch.8. Use only GENUINE PACCAR parts. Do not use parts from other winch manufacturers on your PACCAR winch. Do not use PACCAR parts on winches from other manufacturers.9. Use correct size ferrule for cable and pocket in winch drum. Never use knots to secure or attach cable. 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 line pull. Therefore, a minimum of five (5) complete wraps of cable must be maintained on the winch drum. We suggest painting the last five wraps of cable bright red to serve as a visual warning.Recommended Operating Practices
1. Leather gloves should be used when handling winch cable.2. Operate the winch to match line speeds to job conditions.3. Assure that personnel who are responsible for hand signals are clearly visible and that the signals to be used are thoroughly understood by everyone.4. Inspect winch cable, rigging, winch and tractor at the beginning of each work shift. Defects should be corrected immediately.5. Position tractor for straightest line of pull to reduce wear on winch cable and ensure even spooling.6. When winding winch cable on the winch drum, never attempt to maintain tension by allowing winch cable to slip through hands.