A winch should never have any doors or windows open while actually
launching. The cab must be fully enclosed, doors and windows shut. The
windows must be of laminated glass or similar, with Lexan or something
similar on the inside surfaces. Any openings not glazed must be protected
with expanded metal sheet, weldmesh or similar.

If the cable breaks, and sooner or later it will, it can get inside the
winch through any opening with amazing ferocity.

One of the Long Mynd amateur winch drivers had the back window slightly
open. The cable broke, came in through the window and attacked his
clothing. He considered he had a very lucky escape, and has given up
driving the winch.

At another club one of the most experienced of all winch drivers parked his
car directly behind the winch and facing it, what he thought was a safe
distance away. This was at a busy club which has done many thousands of
winch launches every year for a very long time. The cable broke and flew
back, trashing the back of his car and round the car to break one of the
front door windows. I saw the car afterwards and asked who had run into
him.

This sort of thing does not happen very often so it takes people by
surprise. It is a completely avoidable risk and is just not worth taking.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
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"Martin Gregorie" wrote in message
...

snip

Climate control: there is a diesel burning heater for winter and the
sliding doors open in summer.

Martin Gregorie