Quick Dips

Monitoring Forestry Tension

Logging as an occupation carries a high accident risk, but some of the risks are about to be removed with the introduction of a new cable tension monitor.

Designed by Actronic New Zealand, the monitor is used in cable logging operations, where logs must be hauled by wire rope from felling sites located away from road access. Until now, it has been difficult to monitor the tensioning of hauler cables or guy lines, giving a risk of overtensioning and breaking. When a cable breaks unexpectedly, not only does the load fall, but the hauler tower itself can overturn, threatening the lives of people in the vicinity.

Pat O'Sullivan of Taupo Rigging Services Ltd, which has been involved in testing the prototype, believes there are a number of benefits with the new device.

"The most important aspect is improved safety. No-one has been killed yet in an accident where the tower comes down, but there have been some serious injuries and the risk of this type of accident is increasing as the logging industry grows. Damaged hauler towers can take anything from three days to three months to repair, and the bill is often more than $100,000. Lost productivity is also very costly,"

"With the modular tension monitor, the machine operator has a visual indication in the cab of the tension on his skyline and guy lines. With a unit on each line the whole set-up can be correctly balanced, so if the tensioning gets to an unsafe level, you can stop the operation immediately and rectify it."