Chapter 18: Firefighting, Rescue and Assistance
Spanner Wrench F.7. General
Spanner wrenches are very important when working with fire hoses. They are necessary to properly couple hoses together, to attach other equipment to hoses, or to attach hoses to water sources.
F.8. Description
A spanner wrench is adjustable so that is can be used with all standard sizes of fire hoses. A range of adjustment is indicated on the handle of a wrench. A curved tip on the working end of a wrench is made to fit all notches in a coupling.
F.9. Safety precautions
As with using any wrench, be careful not to get fingers or other objects caught between the wrench and the coupling. Ensure the working end of the wrench is in the notch before applying heavy pressure.
F.10. Operating procedures
On properly maintained hoses, connections may be effectively tightened by hand. However, if there is water leakage at a connection, a spanner wrench may be used. Once a wrench is adjusted, just insert the tip of a wrench into the notch and pull the wrench handle to the right (See Figure 18-4).
Spanner Wrench Figure 18-4 F.11. Maintenance
They must be de-rusted and greased or oiled periodically.
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