Had a main hoist cable let go on a tower crane last Tuesday

We were lifting a concrete panel on a job in Tacoma, nothing crazy, maybe 5 tons. Heard a pop and felt the whole rig shudder. The cable had frayed inside the drum where you can't see it during a walk-around. Had to radio down for a full stop and get the service crew out. Anyone else had a hidden cable failure like that, and what's your check routine now?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul2331mo ago

Man, that's the kind of thing that gives you nightmares. Nothing like a hidden failure waiting to ruin your whole week. I guess the real lesson is you can't trust anything you can't see.

noah3872mo ago

Hidden failures are scary but that's why we have scheduled replacements... you can't inspect your way out of a wear item. Our shop goes by hours on the meter, not just what we can see. A cable can look perfect and still be a snap waiting to happen.

stella3072mo ago

Man, that's terrifying. Honestly, we switched to using a borescope camera to check inside the drum at every major service now.