OOSC, Part II, Item 3. Coupling Devices f. (4) Safety Devices - Defective
| Entry Date | April 24, 2017 |
|---|---|
| Issue Number | 17-025-VEH |
| Name | Richard Robinson |
| Agency | Ministry of Transportation |
| Address | 301 St. Paul Street, 3rd Floor,St. Catharines, ON, L2R7R4CanadaMap It (opens in a new tab) |
| Phone | 905-704-2507 |
| [email protected] | |
| Committee | Vehicle Committee |
| Status | Closed |
| Summary of Issue | Request of clarification and possibly amendment to OOS Criteria for Safety devices (trailer safety chains). Chain or Wire Rope: Damaged or defective to the same extent as the criterion used for chain or wire rope defects described in the “Cargo Securement – Tiedown Defect Table.” |
| Justification or Need | The tiedown defect table lists twisted and knotted chain links as "defective". Many drivers will twist the safety chains to make them shorter so they do not drag as they travel down the road. To me, this does not affect the integrity of the chain. I understand when using chains as load securement devices, if they have twists/knots in them they could become untwisted/unknotted in transit and would result in a loose chain. If a drive were to tie a knot in the chain or twist them enough to become somewhat tangled with itself so they don't drag, I feel this shouldn't be an issue. The OOS criteria for safety devices has them "... defective to the same extent as the criterion used for chain or wire rope defects described in the “Cargo Securement – Tiedown Defect Table.” |
| Request for Action | Clarification. If it is intended to have twisted/knotted safety chains as "defective", no change is needed. If not, perhaps exclude this part as being defective for the purposes of safety chains. |