Throwing ratchet straps is tough.
The applied load on the muscles joints and tendons in the neck, arm and back are massive.
The usual throw technique, which is the most damaging, is throwing above shoulder height. A dry strap (EU standard 5-tons) weighs approx. 1.2 kgs. and a wet one as much as 2 kgs.
That's half of the weight of the womens olympic shot put metal ball. And you throw it several times daily.
And it gets even worse.
A baseball player, spear thrower, shot put ball player and so forth have the luxury of warming up.
You don't.
Throwing straps is hard on and often in freezing cold and windy weather.
This kind of work can in worst case lead to shoulder injuries (fx throwers shoulder) and neck- and back pains. It is therefore important to tackle this issue head on for the sake of your employees, colleagues and your own well-being.
Ergonomic throw method
To ease the massive load on the joints, the force must be minimised and the throw be moved away from 'above-shoulder height'.
The way to do this is simple. Its actually as simple as it is brilliant. The technique is based upon a war machine called a trebuchet.
This machine have a sling that allows heavy masses being thrown high and far. Utilising the sling you can achieve a far greater momentum in the thrown mass with less force.
Some clever trucker took this technique and used it to throw his lashing straps.
Important notes:
- First, you will need a tight-winded strap. Best achieved with (of course) a dynello strap winder.
- You make a loop/swing for the strap (best explained in the video). The swing is your trebuchet.
- Lastly and important(!), you pull the strap-throw from the ground and in a upwards motion (like the trebuchet).
- You can experiment with different positions: front to the truck load, side-ways or with your back facing the load. Whatever works best for your shoulder and back