Lazy-Ferret
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2012
- Messages
- 5,217
The South East 4x4 Response group run training sessions for it's members, and many are actual accredited sessions, like the first aid course, others are up to the accredited spec, but because to get the Certificate would require other people who need paying a lot of money, you do not actually get a proper certificate at the end, like the Trailer towing test that was carried out at the Police training center in Maidstone, by the police's off duty trainer. Some are more designed that as a group they can tick a box on the insurance form to say you have been shown how to do something safely and properly, and if you then ignore that, "on your head be it", as they say, like the working near and in water training session.
They are currently running a Winch train course, which is actually accredited by BORDA, so while not in the same category as the First Aid course, is a feather in your cap. At first, I was not going to bother with it, as I have not got a winch, and am not really sure if I will ever fit one either. They mentioned that it was actually quite handy, even if you do not have one yourself, as there is still a chance you may help someone else, or even be on the end of being winched by someone else, if you do get stuck.
It is a two part course, with one session for theory, and a second one later in September for the practical side of it. So Suz and I went along to the Theory part the other night, just to see what all the fuss is about, after all, how hard can it be, two buttons, a length of string and a hook, and a bit of common sense....
Well, I can now say we have both gained a lot more healthy respect for a winch, the health and safety aspects, and worse still how many people, who you trust to do things right, are actually very dangerous and put both theirs and your health in danger by doing things the way the wrong way, like the recovery driver who winched my Dead caravan onto his truck a couple of years ago, with no regard to the fixing point on the caravan, the many kinks in his wire rope, the way it spooled onto the winch, and many other things we saw on the course.
Not sure how many have done the BORDA test, or even just the course, but I would say that if you are ever likely to be anywhere near a winch, you should definitely do it as it was a real eye opener.
They are currently running a Winch train course, which is actually accredited by BORDA, so while not in the same category as the First Aid course, is a feather in your cap. At first, I was not going to bother with it, as I have not got a winch, and am not really sure if I will ever fit one either. They mentioned that it was actually quite handy, even if you do not have one yourself, as there is still a chance you may help someone else, or even be on the end of being winched by someone else, if you do get stuck.
It is a two part course, with one session for theory, and a second one later in September for the practical side of it. So Suz and I went along to the Theory part the other night, just to see what all the fuss is about, after all, how hard can it be, two buttons, a length of string and a hook, and a bit of common sense....
Well, I can now say we have both gained a lot more healthy respect for a winch, the health and safety aspects, and worse still how many people, who you trust to do things right, are actually very dangerous and put both theirs and your health in danger by doing things the way the wrong way, like the recovery driver who winched my Dead caravan onto his truck a couple of years ago, with no regard to the fixing point on the caravan, the many kinks in his wire rope, the way it spooled onto the winch, and many other things we saw on the course.
Not sure how many have done the BORDA test, or even just the course, but I would say that if you are ever likely to be anywhere near a winch, you should definitely do it as it was a real eye opener.
