When using wire ropes and rigging supplies, it is essential to maintain the highest safety levels. It is all too often that workplace incidents resulting in misuse of wire ropes lead to injury and fatality. Wire ropes are incredibly strong, but they are made with a series of small strands that are wrapped around a core. Degradation in a single strand can cause unexpected failures. You can experience an abrupt release in rope tension in situations like this. A soon as a wire rope loses tension, the load will either move or fall. The scariest part about this incident is that movement is often unpredictable, so workers are at an increased risk of being struck or crushed.
To avoid tragedies like the one above, you need to follow OSHA wire rope maintenance and inspection guidelines. OSHA also suggests understanding what wire ropes are and how they are made. Having a deeper understanding of these tools ensures that they are used properly and treated with the care and respect they deserve.
Wire Rope
According to the OSHA handbook on wire rope, they outline several key reasons why wire ropes begin to degrade and fail. They claim that when wire ropes are used for lowering, hoisting, and horizontal moving, a rope is subject to high tensile stress (increased wear and tear). All wire ropes degrade over time, but many variables can speed up or slow down this process. When a rope’s load limit is frequently exceeded, the rope suffers extensive degradation.
Familiarizing yourself with OSHA regulations and suggestions is the best way to increase your business's overall safety.
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