Steel rope safety factor – In jobs where there are extremely heavy loads to carry as well as where there are extreme temperatures, steel wire ropes are a better choice compared to fiber ropes. Although steel is often considered as being indestructible, steel ropes also need to be inspected from time to time as they also wear or get damaged due to extreme environmental factors.
A risk assessment should ensure that steel ropes are checked constantly for hidden flaws that employees could overlook as they can pose a serious safety hazard.
Wire ropes should be free of corrosions or breakings. If strands begin to break, it is a clear sign that the strength of the wire rope is being weakened. Continuous use of such a rope could result in it breaking during an operation and causing accidents and injuries for employees. Employers should ensure that they discontinue the use of corroded and broken wire rope until an assessor has evaluated them. This would significantly prevent future accidents.
The end connections of a wire rope are an important part that has to be inspected. These components should be checked if they are free of distortions, cracks or stretches and corrosion. They play a pivotal role in maintaining the strength of a steel wire rope and their defection means the whole rope is unsafe to use. When they are not in a good working order, they could break or give away when they are subjected to a heavy load, causing it to fall and injure those in the vicinity of the operation. Employees should make it a norm that before the beginning of every shift, equipment is checked to ensure every shift starts on a safer note.
Every rope should be supplied with a rope classification. Employers should ensure that they are issued with such a document when they buy wire ropes which they should keep safely as an inspector will request it during his inspection. Employers should at least try to establish if the right ropes are provided according to the classification document and if the same ropes are strong enough for the nature of their jobs. Weaker ropes would easily break and incidents would become the order of the day.
Metal ropes are constantly exposed to friction hence it is essential that they are constantly lubricated. Usually lubrication is applied before ropes leave factories but constant use under pressure could result in a need to lubrication. Employees should ensure that they invite health and safety officials to determine if or not their wire ropes require lubrication. Friction could cause internal breaking of threads which could be unseen by employees who would continue to use the rope. This is a serious safety hazard as a rope will eventually give in when employees are feeling they are on the safe side and cause serious injuries or even death when loads crush on them.
Heat damage could have a serious effect on the strength of a steel wire rope. An identified defect rope should be replaced immediately if the damage is more than just superficial. A few broken wires could be the next cause of a serious incidence hence; employees should not under-estimate the importance of exempting all steel wire ropes to an examination. This could secure the safety of employees and increase productivity.
Steel may be a preferred choice because it does not get rusty but it is still subject to damages and wearing out. Store well, maintain well and get them inspected regularly by experts. 'Men of steel' only exist in movies. Avoid your employees getting injured by steel ropes.
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