Tip Sheet: Lever vs. Ratchet

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  Hazard: With a lever load binder, you will exert bodily forces as high as 130 lbs to engage it, even with a cheater bar. Add to that the awkward posture involved in extending arms and hands overhead and you have the perfect scenario to injure your back, shoulders, elbows, and wrists. Solution: In contrast a ratchet binder requires a very low force to engage it of approximately 7-20 lbs. Using this type of binder will reduce risks of injury to your body. Lever load binders have been the tool for securing chains on loads for generations. Is there really a good reason to switch from a tool that has gotten the job done for years? Talk with flatbed drivers, and you will find that most have been injured by being struck by a cheater bar on a lever binder or have had them slip from hands to fly through the air, injuring other drivers or property. One safety director told us that as part of his new hire training, he demonstrates the power of a cheater bar by releasing the bar at the most critical tightening point to allow the bar to fly free. He always clears the "flight path" first. That demonstration gives new flatbed drivers a healthy respect for the dangers of lever binders. Ratchet binders are a much safer choice to get the load chained down and many provide better load ratings than lever binders. They are easy to stow and the price is comparable to lever binders. Ratchet binders also make unloading safer by gradually releasing unlike levers that release by flinging open in an explosion of tension. Don't risk an injury: Use ratchet binders instead of lever binders. They greatly reduce the strain to your body and you won't need to use a cheater bar. Repetitive arm and hand movements may strain your wrists, so do not to rush while ratcheting and keep your wrists straight. Always wear gloves to maintain your grip and protect your hands. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Injury Prevention Manual Lifting MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Safety Practices Truck Drivers Trucking
• Publisher:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Fact Sheet
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058555
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 90-99-2012, 2012 Aug; :1
• Email:
  TruckingNews@KeepTruckingSafe.org
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Tip sheet: lever vs. ratchet
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c953eda09d980f67c617e257a8661ae5113f04f95434796d570670673dd210c949a81c5e9504805fafcd2224a1c23b1b31a75107a82820b30aa7d0868ad9ac2c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/221620/cdc_221620_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 335.56 KB ]