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820 Cranes and Derricks Safety I
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Severing Wire Rope

Where severing the rope is permitted, the damaged section must be discarded.

Old wire rope must be carefully inspected, especially if taped.

Two undamaged sections may not be spliced to make a longer rope. If the remaining undamaged section is too short for the drum to have two full wraps of rope when the load and/or boom is in its lowest position, the rope cannot be used and must be replaced.

Electrical Contact with Power Lines

Wire rope that has made electrical contact with a power line (either by the rope, the equipment or the load contacting the line) must be immediately removed from service, even if no damage is visible. The rope may have suffered internal damage which cannot be repaired.

Defects Requiring Removal From Service or Severing

The following defects require the rope to either be removed from service or the defective part severed.

  • visible broken wires, as follows:
    • running wire ropes: six randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay, or three broken wires in one strand in one rope lay, where a rope lay is the length along the rope in which one strand makes a complete revolution around the rope;
    • rotation resistant ropes: two randomly distributed broken wires in six rope diameters, or four randomly distributed broken wires in 30 rope diameters;
    • pendants or standing wire ropes: more than two broken wires in one rope lay located in rope beyond end connections, or more than one broken wire in a rope lay located at an end connection;
  • a diameter reduction of more than 5% from nominal diameter;
  • in rotation resistant wire rope, core protrusion or other distortion indicating core failure; and
  • a broken strand.

Exception - If the wire rope manufacturer has approved different criteria for visible broken wires or diameter reduction, you may follow those criteria instead of those above.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

6-2. Where severing the rope is permitted, you may use the undamaged section if it is long enough to make at least _____ wrap(s) around the drum.