Abstract
Like many areas of engineering, changes in technology and working conditions have had a significant impact on breakdown and recovery equipment and techniques. Although breakdown cranes have hardly changed in concept for 100 years and innovations like hydraulic jacking equipment, when first established, was heavy and cumbersome, developments in materials and technology spurred on by the Health and Safety at Work Act and pressures to reduce costs in the 1970s have resulted in the introduction of a much wider range of equipment, which is lighter and easier to manage. This has reached a point where, for instance, only 15 per cent of incidents are now dealt with by cranes. This paper traces these changes over the last 15 years and shows how the current range of equipment available to recovery teams has developed.
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