By Dean McDonald, founder, Crane Rope Solutions
A broken rope stops the job, and the first few hours decide how much you can learn from it. This page covers what to do right away, who you may have to report it to in Canada, the US and offshore, what each rope standard requires before the crane works again, how to get the right rope back on the crane, and how to stop it happening again.
First: people and the scene
- Make the area safe and keep people clear of the load, the boom and the rope ends.
- Report it if your regulator requires it. Many jurisdictions require a crane failure or collapse to be reported even when nobody is hurt, and most say the scene must not be disturbed except to help the injured, prevent further harm or protect property that is in danger. Find your jurisdiction in the tables below.
- Tell your insurer early. They may want their own specialist to see the rope before it is moved.
Keep the evidence
- Don’t cut through or near the break. If the rope has to be cut to move it, cut well away from the failure.
- Tag both ends of the break and photograph the reeving, the drum and the sheaves before anything is changed.
- Keep the failed section dry and covered. Don’t clean it or re-grease it.
- Keep the rope certificate, recent inspection reports, the logbook and the crane’s rope specification together.
The rope is often the best record of what happened. If anyone later needs an engineer’s opinion on why it failed, that work starts with a rope that was kept properly.
Who you must tell: Canada
Workplace safety is provincial in Canada, except for federally regulated workplaces such as ports, railways and interprovincial transport.
| Jurisdiction | Crane failure with nobody hurt: report it? | The scene | Before the crane works again |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Yes, immediately: a major structural failure or collapse of a crane or hoist (Workers Compensation Act s.68) | Not disturbed except to attend to the injured, prevent further injury or protect endangered property (s.68) | After a shock load, loss of load, brake failure, upset or other misadventure, out of service until a professional engineer supervises the inspection and repairs and certifies it safe (OHS Regulation s.14.16.1) |
| Alberta | Yes, as soon as possible: the collapse or upset of a crane, derrick or hoist (OHS Act s.33) | Not disturbed, and equipment not moved, except to help the injured, prevent further incidents or protect endangered property (s.33) | Follow OHS Code Part 6 (cranes) and the crane manufacturer |
| Saskatchewan | Yes: the failure of a crane or hoist, or a crane overturning, is a dangerous occurrence (OHS Regulations, 2020) | Scene rule applies to fatal accidents | Follow the regulations and the crane manufacturer |
| Manitoba | Yes, immediately: the collapse or structural failure of a crane, hoist or lift (Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, Part 2) | Not disturbed until Workplace Safety and Health has released it, except to free or care for people or prevent more hazards | Follow the regulation and the crane manufacturer |
| Ontario (construction) | Yes, written notice within 2 days: a crane overturning or structural failure, or a failure to control a crane or load, including a rigging failure (OHSA s.53, O. Reg. 420/21) | Scene rule applies to a death or critical injury (OHSA s.51) | An engineer’s written opinion on the cause goes to the Ministry within 14 days (O. Reg. 420/21) |
| Quebec | Yes, if the material damage is over the CNESST threshold, as well as for serious injuries (LSST s.62) | Left unchanged until the inspector has investigated, except to prevent the consequences getting worse | Follow the construction safety code and the crane manufacturer |
| Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador | Cranes are not named. Report a major structural failure or collapse (Nova Scotia), or an incident that could have caused serious injury (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador) | Scene rules apply to reportable accidents | Follow the regulations and the crane manufacturer |
| Federally regulated workplaces | Not on the 24-hour list unless someone is hurt, but the employer must investigate (COHS Regulations s.15.4) | Scene rule applies if an employee is killed or seriously injured (Canada Labour Code s.127) | Out of service until repaired by a qualified person (COHS Regulations s.14.29) |
Who you must tell: United States
| Rule | What it requires |
|---|---|
| OSHA reporting (29 CFR 1904.39) | A death within 8 hours; an in-patient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye within 24 hours. A crane failure with nobody hurt is not reportable under this rule, but check your state. |
| OSHA construction cranes (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC) | Wire rope is inspected every shift, monthly and annually, and removed from service when it meets the removal criteria (1926.1413). Equipment that has been through severe service must be taken out of use and inspected by a qualified person (1926.1412(g)), and repaired equipment is inspected before use (1926.1412(b)). |
| OSHA general industry (29 CFR 1910.180) | A thorough inspection of all ropes in use at least once a month, with a dated, signed record. |
| State plans | Many states run their own plan with stricter rules. Washington, for example, suspends a crane’s certification after an overload, damage to a load-bearing part or a tip-over until an accredited certifier inspects it, with notice to L&I within 24 hours (WAC 296-155-53214). Check your state’s plan. |
Who you must tell: offshore
| Where | What it requires |
|---|---|
| US Outer Continental Shelf (BSEE) | Cranes on fixed platforms are operated and maintained to API RP 2D (30 CFR 250.108). All incidents involving crane or personnel and material handling operations are reported to the District Manager immediately by phone, with a written report within 15 days, whether or not anyone is hurt (30 CFR 250.188). |
| US vessels and MODUs (US Coast Guard) | Marine casualties are reported to the Coast Guard immediately, with Form CG-2692 within 5 days (46 CFR 4.05). |
| Canadian offshore (Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador) | The operator reports every incident, including near misses and the impairment of equipment critical to the safety of people, to the offshore energy regulator (Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator or Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Regulator) under the offshore occupational health and safety regulations. |
What each rope standard requires after an incident
| Standard | After an incident |
|---|---|
| ISO 4309:2017 (5.4) | If an incident might have damaged the rope or its termination, they are inspected as for a periodic inspection before work starts again, or as the competent person requires. |
| CSA Z150:26 (5.5.3.6) | When an incident has occurred that might have damaged the rope or its termination, the rope shall be inspected. |
| CSA Z248:17 (6.4.8) | A special inspection follows shock loading, electrical contact or other incidents. An engineer provides the inspection procedure and verifies the inspection. |
| ASME B30.30-2023 (30-1.8.1(d)) | After an unusual occurrence such as a lightning strike, an abnormal shock load or an overload, the rope is inspected as for a periodic inspection or as a qualified person determines. |
| API RP 2D | Offshore cranes get pre-use, monthly, quarterly and annual inspections according to their usage category, and ropes are replaced against the criteria in Annex F. Follow the operator’s procedures for an incident. |
Every rope is then judged against the removal criteria of the same standard. The discard calculator rates what you find against each of them.
This is a summary to help you start, not legal advice. Rules change, and the crane manufacturer’s instructions apply as well. Check the current rule with your regulator.
Get the right rope back on the crane
- Find your crane to see the diameter, length and OEM part number for every winch, or send us the crane make, model and serial number and tell us which winch.
- We supply rope built to the crane maker’s (OEM) rope specification, cut to length and terminated, with certificates, anywhere in Canada and the US. See how to order a replacement crane rope.
- Check the other ropes on the crane too. A rope that ran over the same sheaves and drum may be closer to discard than it looks.
Find what is wearing your ropes out
A new rope on the same worn sheaves wears out the same way. When we supply the replacement, we look at what the old rope and the crane show:
- Sheave grooves. Worn or undersized grooves crush and wear rope. Measure them with a gauge. See why worn sheave grooves cause so many rope problems.
- Spooling on the drum. Loose lower layers let the top layers cut in. See the paint-line check for spooling tension.
- Rope diameter against the drum and sheaves. A rope at the wrong end of its tolerance spools badly. See diameter tolerance.
- Inspection records. How the rope was rated over time, against the discard criteria of the standard that applies.
- The rope for the job. Whether the construction on the crane suits how the crane is used.
Fixing these is how one replacement becomes a lower rope bill over the life of the crane.
How to start
Call 604-813-9473 or email dean@craneropesolutions.com with the crane make and model, which rope failed and photos if you have them. We’ll tell you what to keep, and quote the replacement rope.
Rope failure on your crane? Call 604-813-9473 or email
dean@craneropesolutions.com with the crane model, the winch and photos.