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Rigging cable snapped on a 200-ton tank lift in Baton Rouge. Worst Tuesday of my career.
Cable frayed near the dead end. Nobody caught it during the morning inspection. Tank dropped about 3 feet before the backup chains caught. Foreman went white. Safety shut the whole site down for two days. How often do you guys actually replace slings before they show heavy wear?
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susansingh1h agoTop Commenter
Actually the inspector handbook classes the eye as a separate inspection zone. The inside of those eyes is where the wire transitions from bending to straight and takes way more friction than people realize. It's a good thing you're adding it to your checks but don't skip running your hand along the whole length too. Both spots can hide problems.
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the_fiona5h ago
Bet your morning inspection missed the inside of the eyes too. That's where the real hidden wear starts, not just the exposed cable.
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Hold on, wait. Inside the eyes? Like the actual eyelets where the cable passes through? Man, I never even thought to look there. All this time I've been running my hand along the jacket and checking the big bends, but I'm probably missing all the real damage where it actually rides. That's honestly a little scary to think about, like having a blind spot you didn't even know existed. I'm definitely gonna have to add that to my own check from now on.
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the_christopher1h ago
You ever try using a bright light and a magnifying glass on those eyelets? That's what finally helped me catch the fraying I kept missing, @grantt39. It's a pain at first but worth it once you know what to look for.
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