VR20 covers recovering heavy commercial vehicles of 7500kg GVM and above using top boom or rotating boom recovery equipment from situations where a winch is required to place the casualty in a position from where it can be removed. It also covers the safety requirements of using a winch. The course will involve the righting of an overturned commercial vehicle. VR16 is a pre-requisite for this course.
Learning Outcomes
• Health and safety requirements applicable to the use of recovery appliances equipment
• Risk assessment for a typical working area
• Rotating recovery equipment and the location and function of the controls
• Importance of conforming to the manufacturer’s instructions/recommendations
• Pre-use checks
• Basic layout, operation and safety devices of a typical hydraulic system used on a recovery appliance
• Terms relating to this type of equipment, stability principles and maximum capacities, working load limits and load ratings
• Construction, safety requirements, safety factors, and inspection techniques required for chains, snatch blocks, strops, shackles and winch ropes used in recovery operations
• Hand signals used to direct a winch operator
• The equipment required, calculations, rigging techniques and safety factors when
righting an overturned vehicle
Practical Outcome
• The student will be able to demonstrate the correct and competent use of the controls and equipment
