GUIDELINES FOR MAKING REQUIRED INSPECTIONS
FOR ANY
WIRE ROPE USE AND APPLICATION
When in use, all wire ropes degrade and lose strength, regardless
of
the appli-
cation. Not conducting proper wire rope inspections can lead to dangerous and
costly situations.
Properly performed inspections are, therefore, an essential part
of
the safe and efficient use
of
every wire rope.
This is precisely why industry safety standards developed and published by the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), American National
Standards Institute (ANSI), American Society
of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
and various other industry and governmental organizations require frequent,
periodic inspections with permanent records. The rope user is responsible for
using the proper standard for inspection.
The following information will be a useful aid in planning and making an
inspection program for any wire rope installation or usage.
HOW
TO INSPECT
An inspection program is an integral part
of
every wire rope application and
requires a specific schedule, trained and qualified inspectors, the criteria applica-
ble to the usage, and permanent records.
There are also tools and techniques the inspector must have in order to evalu-
ate a rope's condition, and the knowledge to determine
if
a rope can continue to
perform the work required
of
the installation.
A basic understanding
of
how wire ropes and wire rope slings are designed
and manufactured, and how they operate, is also useful. The inspector must be
able to recognize specific evidence
of
damage and degradation in them.
REQUIREMENTS
FOR INSPECTION
Inspection requires certain tools, such as a micrometer, calipers, steel tape
measure, groove gauges and forms for recording data.
The specific criteria published in industry standards and governmental regula-
tions are also necessary.
The inspector must also have access to the entire rope length and ability to see
the rope's condition close-up.
Specific aspects
of
wire rope inspection are discussed on the following pages
including diameter, broken wires, internal rope inspection, etc.
ACCESS FOR INSPECTION
There are two types
of
inspections, and access requirements are different for
each. Daily, work shift, or frequent inspections may not require examining the
entire length
of
a rope. These inspections are visual observations and are con-
cerned with discovering gross damage and potential problems.
Periodic inspec-
tions, where permanent records are normally mandated by OSHA, ASME and
other regulatory agencies, require more stringent attention to specific details
through the entire length
of
the rope - including diameter, lay measurement, bro-
ken wire counts, evidence
of
rope core failure, abuse and wear.
Wire Rope Technical Board - Wire Rope Users Manual, Fourth
Edition·
63
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