When a crane wire rope breaks, it could be easy to fault the load or crane operator without even thinking that the problem could have been a damaged or improperly installed rope.
That’s why safety experts recommend regularly inspecting your crane's wire ropes to identify any potential issues and address them beforehand. This blog provides guidelines for crane wire rope inspection for crane owners, operators, and riggers.
Guidelines for Inspecting Crane Wire Ropes
Let’s start with when and how often should crane wire ropes be inspected.
Crane wire ropes should be inspected:
At the time of unpacking
After installation
Before starting work
Periodically
When the crane wire rope first arrives from the vendor, check its diameter to ensure that it meets the standards as specified by the manufacturer. Also, double-check the rated capacity and inspect for any signs of damage.
Crane wire ropes should also be inspected after installation for potential loops, furrows and lateral deflections in the fleet angle.
Frequent or daily inspections should involve inspecting the rope for kinks, wear, corrosion, damaged end attachments, doglegs and signs of bird caging. If the crane is being operated multiple times throughout the day, the inspection should be performed before the start of each job.
Periodic crane wire rope inspections should be performed every 12 months (at least) and on a quarterly to monthly basis in more severe service conditions.
What are the things you need to be mindful of when inspecting your wire ropes?
First and most importantly, make sure that the inspection is being performed by a competent person.
The OSHA defines a competent person as:
“One who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings, or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.”
Second, before starting the inspection, make sure that each person involved in the activity knows their responsibilities and how the inspection will be performed.
Furthermore, make sure there is clear communication between the crane operator and the person performing the inspection to maintain effective coordination at the job site.
This brings us to the end of our post; we hope you found the article informative and helpful.
Crane Warning Systems Atlanta is your one-stop shop for crane safety solutions. We specialize in crane wind speed indicators, rated capacity indicators, load moment indicators and anti two block warning indicators. Visit our online store to learn more about our product range.
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