How To Properly Take Care of Your Wire Rope

Using rigging equipment is necessary to lift heavy loads on a job site. However, as you use your slings and ropes, they can become worn. As a result, maintaining them is vital for ensuring safety on the job. The integrity of the equipment is essential; without it, you could get into dangerous situations with serious consequences. Learn how to properly take care of your wire rope for a safer work environment.

Store the Rope Properly

If you can’t store the rope correctly, the overall lifespan and condition of the equipment will decline before you can even use it. Place the wire rope in a covered area that’s both dry and well-ventilated. Leaving this equipment outside without a cover will allow moisture to penetrate the wire, which can cause corrosion.

When this rope is in long-term storage, you must regularly examine the reel it’s on and lubricate the wire from time to time to ensure it remains in working condition. Don’t allow the rope or reel to touch the ground where contaminants like dust, salt, and water could damage the equipment. Without proper storage, you could be shortening the lifespan of the wire rope.

Seize the Rope Ends

Seizing the ends of your rope protects it from unraveling on itself or becoming loose. This process involves wrapping seizing wire around the edges of your wire rope to help evenly distribute the weight of your load better. Skipping this or being careless when applying it will lead to a shorter lifespan for your equipment. To properly take care of your wire rope, you should make sure you tightly bind the wire around the rope for proper seizing.

Regularly Inspect the Rope

Regularly inspecting your rigging equipment should be a priority on the job site. Doing this will ensure the safety of the load you’re lifting, the workers performing the job, and the environment around the equipment. A professional will dismantle the wire rope and put it through various tests to look for broken strands and wear and tear. Employees must inspect this rope before each shift to be confident that the wire is in working condition.

Have Professionals Install the Rope

When installing a wire rope with other rigging equipment, you must make sure the setup is perfect. Using the wrong size wire rope will lead to failure or a shorter lifespan. A certified professional will install the rope without issues. They can also train workers to look at the nominal diameter of the rope compared to the rest of the equipment to determine the correct rope size for your job.

Safety is critical when working with heavy equipment. The same goes for this industry. The integrity of your equipment and wire rope is vital for avoiding dangerous scenarios. Take care of your wire rope to ensure you get the most out of the equipment.