In Nevada, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards regulate the use of wire rope and rigging. It is crucial your business maintains these standards not only to preserve the service life of the wire but for safety reasons. If wire ropes aren’t being used in a safe manner, you could be at risk in a potentially dangerous situation. This is why you should stay up to date and familiar with OSHA standards.
Nevada Wire Rope Safety Standards
Having Safe Working Loads
The breaking strength of wire ropes is the maximum tensile load or force that a wire rope will hold before it breaks or snaps. The load is multiplied by a safety factor to determine its working or operating load. Professionals using these ropes need to be conscious of these safe load amounts in order to stay safe and keep the wire from breaking.
Load Connections and Hoist Ropes
When using slings, locking safeguards should be put into place per OSHA safety standards. Load connections should be safely locked in place to keep anyone working in the area where the hoisted load is located protected. Do not take any risks while using wire ropes to hoist heavy loads. Remember to always factor in the maximum tensile load before you begin to hoist.
Sturdy Materials
The strength of wire ropes is one of the most vital standards. It can be determined by how the wire ropes were bound. Manufacturers bind metal strands together to increase their overall strength. This creates structural and mechanical actuation and allows for more reliable motion control. You can find the number of wires per strand and strands per rope listed when going to purchase ropes. The number of wires per strand and strands per rope will dictate its strength. The rope is finished with a casing or coating for securement.
Manufacturers will utilize many different metal materials for various needs:
- Steel is very malleable
- Titanium is light and high strength
- Nickel is versatile and cortisol resistant
- Aluminum is versatile and light
- Copper is conductive and corrosion resistant
Choosing the correct metal for the job is important to your safety and performance of the job.
Rope Fittings
When using wire ropes in construction; safety and health regulations apply just as much as OSHA standards. The standard states, “Rigging equipment for material handling, Wire rope, in part, requires the safe working load recommended by the manufacturer for specific, identifiable products shall be followed, provided that a safety factor of not less than 5 is maintained.”
Fall Protection Equipment
Fall protection is a major function of wire ropes within industries and sectors. Knots should not be used in safety lines because OSHA does not recommend their use. They can reduce the breaking strength of the ropes by up to 50%. They can be used for example, if the fall protection system is designed to accommodate the reduction in strength. In this case, knots can be used, only if they are the proper type of knots.
Check your state’s laws and safety standards if you’re not sure. Or you can seek clarification from a trusted source if you have any further questions.
Reporting Requirements in Nevada
Nevada’s Governor signed Bill 54, which changes the employer injury and illness reporting requirements, effective as of October 2017. This brings Nevada injury and illness requirements in line with the federal reporting requirements that were previously changed.
Here are the new OSHA requirements:
- Any motor vehicle crash or accident happening in the course of employment and results in the amputation or loss of a part of an employee’s body or eye/eye splices, inpatient hospitalization of one or more employees must be orally reported to Nevada OSHA within 24 hours.
- Any accident over the course of employment that is fatal to one or more employees must be orally reported to Nevada OSHA within 8 hours.
Your report must provide:
- Location, time, date of crash or accident
- Name of employer
- Number and name of employees hospitalized due to crash or accident
- Description of accident or crash
- Name of the person who can be contacted by Nevada OSHA for more information
Your Safety Is Our Priority
If you have questions about Nevada’s wire rope and rigging supplies standards, our experts at Silver State Wire Rope and Rigging are happy to help! We can also provide you guidance on the safest and most secure wire rope supplies for your project or business. Contact us to discuss your options today.
