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?

2 comments

2 Comments

noah38715d 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.

stella30715d ago

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