EXPERT COLUMN | LEEA
Technical Committee
A QUESTION OF WIRE ROPE DOCUMENTATION
‘What document should I expect to receive or send with cut lengths of wire rope?’ Ben Dobbs, head of global standards and legislation from the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) Technical Services, answers this frequently asked question.
winches and lifting and pulling machines, which use a gripping action to haul wire rope. In the case of winches and power- operated hoists, the rope is stored on a drum, the capacity of which limits the available lifting height. Various constructions of wire rope are available to suit most conditions of use and the supplier’s advice should be sought as to the most suitable for the particular application. Cut lengths of wire ropes are typically
W
used for various applications where specific lengths of rope are needed and off-the- shelf lengths are not available or would not work effectively or safely. In lifting and hoisting operations, shorter wire ropes can be employed for lifting heavy loads where precise lengths are required to fit the lifting equipment used, such as cranes, winches or hoists. In rigging applications, wire ropes are often cut to specific lengths to be used as slings or lifts. This ensures that the ropes will fit the required configurations for safe and efficient load handling. Wire rope slings are available in several different grades, constructions and are terminated by various means. Further information on their use is given in the free-to-download LEEA COPSULE (Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Lifting Equipment).
CORRECT DOCUMENTATION General purpose wire rope, with one of its purposes being that it is intended for lifting, falls within the scope of national and international supply legislation. Therefore, the bulk supply or reel should be issued with the appropriate documentation, marking, a manufacturer’s certificate and/ or relevant declarations where required as defined in the relevant standards. Instructions for Use are also required and
will simply contain information regarding the intended use, the limits of use and instructions for handling, cutting, storing, assembly, use and maintenance.
18 | April 2025 |
www.hoistmagazine.com
ire rope is perhaps the most adaptable of the lifting media. It is used on power-operated hoists,
Ben Dobbs The distributor or user does not become
a manufacturer in the sense of the supply legislation by cutting individual lengths for incorporation into lifting machinery or lifting accessories. Therefore, the obligations set out above do not apply again to lengths of wire rope cut from products, which are already placed on the market by the wire rope manufacturer. Such lengths are to be considered as components of the lifting machinery or the lifting accessories into which they are incorporated. However, distributors of wire ropes must
ensure that the relevant documentation and certificate references that set out the characteristics of the wire rope, along with the manufacturer’s instructions, are supplied with the cut length of wire rope to the manufacturers of lifting machinery or lifting accessories or to users. This is a good example of the frequently
asked questions we receive on the LEEA Technical Team. Over the years through our work and expertise we have curated a wealth of knowledge, which can be found
in our library of information and guidance documents available on
leeaint.com. This includes our list of frequently asked questions – some of which can be viewed by non-members, such as the one I’ve answered here, while others are available to members logging on to
leeaint.com. This is just one reason why joining LEEA makes a lot of sense. Members can log-in to see a full list of FAQs as well as the well of information, advice and guidance in the LEEA Library. If you have a technical question that is not listed, please check the Library or try the LEEA Chatbot, the tool that helps you find out information on
leeaint.com or via the LEEA Connect app. LEEA offers technical advice as one of
its key services, and FAQs are posted in English, Indonesian, Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese. Our guidance remains applicable globally because the team works on the principle of best practice, rather than national guidance. So, we hope this will offer value as a way of answering your technical questions, wherever you are in the world.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79
