Wire Suspension Scaffold Ropes

Wire rope used for suspension must meet specific guidelines:

• The use of repaired wire rope as suspension rope is prohibited.
• Wire suspension ropes must not be joined together except through the use of eye splice thimbles connected with shackles or cover plates and bolts.
• The load end of wire suspension ropes must be equipped with proper size thimbles and secured by eye splicing or equivalent means.
• Swaged attachments or spliced eyes on wire suspension ropes must not be used unless they are made by the wire rope manufacturer or a qualified person.
• When wire rope clips are used on suspension scaffolds, there must be a minimum of 3 wire rope clips installed, with the clips a minimum of 6 rope diameters apart; employers must follow the manufacturer's recommendations when installing clips, retightening clips after initial loading, and inspecting and retightening clips at the start of each work shift.
• U-bolt clips (a variety of wire rope clip) must not be used at the point of suspension for any scaffold hoist; and when U-bolt clips are used, the U-bolt must be placed over the dead end of the rope, and the saddle must be placed over the live end of the rope.

To learn more about Scaffolding Safety visit our Construction Scaffolding Safety Online Training web page.