Washington Administrative Code › Title 204 - State Patrol (Equipment) (See also Titles 212, 446 and 448) › Chapter 204-91A - Towing businesses › Section 204-91A-170 - Minimum tow truck equipment standards

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) All tow/recovery trucks used by a
			 registered tow truck operator for public or private impounds or in response to
			 patrol requests must meet the minimum standards listed in this section. Classes
			 "A," "B," "B-2," "C," "D" only if factory equipped with a boom or retractable
			 boom, "E" only if factory equipped with a side recovery system, and "S-1" are
			 considered recovery trucks for patrol requests and must be used by the
			 registered tow truck operator in response to these requests unless the operator
			 requests and patrol accepts nonrecovery trucks or other equipment. The patrol
			 will provide information concerning the general description of the type and
			 condition of the vehicle and its type of load if applicable at the time of
			 request for an initial tow if reasonably available.
(2)
Minimum standards:
(a) All equipment used in conjunction with
			 the tow truck winching system must be used in such a way as not to exceed the
			 equipment working load limit. All equipment must comply with the Washington
			 safety and health administration (WSHA) regulation if applicable.
Industry standards set the working load limit of wire rope or
				equivalent material at one-fifth of the manufacturer's rated nominal or
				breaking strength.
(b) Each
			 wire rope or equivalent material must be capable of being fully extended from
			 and fully wound onto its drum. Each wire rope or equivalent material must meet
			 the industry standards for specified type of use with equipment.
OSHA (1410.179 (h)(2iiia)) requires
no less
than
				two wraps of rope remain on drum when rope is "fully extended." This is to
				ensure the full load
never
bears on the rope to drum
				connection.
(c) The wire
			 rope on each recovery class truck must be equivalent to a 6 x 19 or 6 x 37
			 "extra improved plowed steel" (XIP) independent wire rope center (IWRC), and
			 must meet all industry standards for working load limit.
(i) The operator must retain a receipt of
			 purchase from the manufacturer indicating the type and WLL of wire rope, and
			 document the type and date the wire rope was installed on each
			 vehicle.
(ii) Class "A," "D," and
			 "E" trucks may utilize either IWRC or fiber core wire rope.
(d) All wire rope must be in good
			 working order. The following industry standards for
out-of-service
criteria will apply:
(i) No more than six
			 randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay, or more than three broken
			 wires in one strand in one rope lay.
(ii) Excessive abrasion causing the loss of
			 more than one-third the original diameter of an outside individual
			 wire.
(iii) Evidence of rope
			 deterioration from corrosion.
(iv)
			 Kinking, crushing, or other damage that results in detrimental distortion of
			 the rope structure.
(v) Any
			 evidence of heat damage.
(vi) Any
			 marked reduction in diameter either along the entire main length or in one
			 section.
(vii) Unlaying or opening
			 up of a tucked splice.
(viii) Core
			 protrusion along the entire length.
(ix) End attachments that are cracked,
			 deformed, worn, or loosened.
(x)
			 Any indication of strand or wire slippage in end attachments.
(xi) More than one broken wire in the
			 vicinity of fittings.
(e) Wire rope end connections shall be swaged
			 or, if clamped, must have a minimum of three forged clamps spaced a minimum of
			 six rope diameters apart and attached with the base or saddle of the clamp
			 against the longer or "live" end of the cable. The "U" bolt will be placed over
			 the short or "dead" end of the rope and will be of the proper size for the
			 cable being clamped.
(i) Recovery or tow hooks
			 must be installed, maintained, and used in the manner in which the manufacturer
			 prescribes.
(ii) Recovery or tow
			 hooks must be replaced if the throat opening has increased beyond the
			 manufacturer recommendations, the load bearing point has been worn by ten
			 percent, or the hook is twisted by more than ten degrees.
(iii) Wire rope clamps must be installed and
			 torqued per manufacturer specifications.
(f) All wire rope related equipment, sheaves,
			 etc., must conform to the diameter of the wire rope being used or to the
			 original tow truck equipment manufacturer specifications.
(g) All winching equipment, booms, snatch
			 blocks, etc., must have permanently affixed durable factory identification,
			 stating the working load limit. If this identification has been removed or is
			 no longer readable, it is criteria for placing the item out-of-service.
			 Equipment may be reinspected by a recognized recertification company. If the
			 equipment is acceptable, it may be reidentified with a working load limit and a
			 recertification company identifier. It will be deemed acceptable if the
			 operator maintains a copy of the certification of winching equipment provided
			 the serial number on the equipment corresponds with the certification provided
			 by the manufacturer.
(h) Snatch
			 block hooks that were manufactured with a retractable safety retention clip
			 must have a functional clip installed.
(i) All block and tackle equipment used in
			 the winching system which shows signs of permanent deformation, significant
			 wear or damage is criteria for placing the item out-of-service.
(j) All "J" hook chain assemblies must be
			 grade "7" chain or better.
(k)
			 Safety chains must only be used for the securing of vehicles to the truck. Must
			 be minimum grade "7" chain or meet the original manufacturer's recommendations.
			 Safety chain hooks that were manufactured with retractable safety retention
			 clips must have a functional clip installed.
(l) Comply with legal lighting, equipment,
			 and license requirements.
(m)
			 Portable tail, stop, and turn signal lights for vehicles being towed. When in
			 use, the lights must be mounted on the same level and as widely spaced
			 laterally as practicable.
(n) Have
			 department of licensing registration and truck numbers painted or permanently
			 affixed to both sides of the truck. Have firm's name, city of address, and
			 phone number permanently affixed to both sides of the vehicle. Letters must be
			 a minimum of three inches high with one-half inch strokes.
(o) Have a revolving, strobe, or intermittent
			 red light with three hundred sixty degrees visibility. Trucks may also be
			 equipped with flashing amber and/or white lights which may be used in
			 conjunction with the red lamps. Additionally, trucks must also be equipped with
			 a warning light visible from the driver seat which is energized when the red
			 revolving light or flashing amber lights are activated.
(p) Have a broom, minimum twelve inches wide,
			 with a handle at least four feet long.
(q) Have a scoop type shovel, minimum seven
			 inches wide, overall length minimum three feet long and a minimum of a
			 three-gallon hard or solid sided receptacle (trash bags of any type will not
			 meet this requirement) able to contain debris typically found at collision
			 scenes without breaking.
(r) Be
			 maintained in a reasonably clean condition.
(s) Have at least one steel pinch bar four
			 feet long, tapered on one end and flattened on the other with a minimum
			 diameter of three-quarters of an inch.
(t) Have a two-way radio or mobile telephone
			 capable of communicating with a base station. A citizen band radio does not
			 suffice. The communication device must:
(i) Be
			 in proper working order and function correctly throughout the assigned tow
			 areas for all towing operations including on call drivers.
(ii) Be used in a lawful manner.
(u) Have one 20 BC rated or two 10
			 BC rated fire extinguishers accessible and secured on or in the tow
			 truck.
(v) Axle weight must comply
			 with the requirements of
			 RCW
			    46.37.351.
(w) Carry two gallons of absorbent material
			 designed to and capable of absorbing a one-gallon liquid spill from a motor
			 vehicle. For the purposes of this chapter, vehicular liquids consist of motor
			 oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, and gear oil.