wire rope and rigging consultants supplier

ISO 9001:2015 certified worldwide distributor of rigging equipment & supplies. Types include cables, chains & accessories, coil lifters, cranes, trolleys, eye bolts & nuts, festoon kits, hitch pins & clips, hoists, lever tools & cable pullers, identification tags, jack accessories, jack stands, jacks, lifter accessories, lifting beams & clamps, lifting hooks & attachments, magnetic & pallet lifters, rigging hooks & attachments, ropes & rope accessories, s-hooks, slings, snaps, tow straps & winches. Services include bandsaw welding, custom manufacturing, custom packaging, engineering, hose crimping, material management, A2LA accredited laboratory services, product sourcing, tool & hoist repair, tool & cutter grinding & metal cutting.

Wire rope is a complex mechanical device that has many moving parts all working in tandem to help support and move an object or load. Wire ropes are attached to a crane or hoist and are fitted with swivels, shackles or hooks. These are suitable for lifting or lowering elevators and are also used for supporting suspension bridges or towers.

In this article, we"ll cover details on the top U.S. providers of wire ropes, along with our featured list of top wire rope suppliers on Thomasnet.com.

Below is a list of featured suppliers of wire rope from our platform. Included with these companies is their location, year established and the number of employees.

Below we have assembled information on the top suppliers of wire rope in the U.S. based on currently available public sales data. The table also includes the company name, location and the number of employees.

With the help of the provided details on the wire rope suppliers in the United States in the above tables and descriptions, we hope you can use this data to further aid your sourcing decisions.

ITI has been an innovator and pioneer in rigging training for nearly 30 years and conducts more rigging training for corporate clients in North America than any other provider due to its expertise, size of training staff, and deep course curriculum. Under the broader category of Rigging, courses are further classified into the following sub-categories:

The “meat and potatoes” of rigging training. ITI Rigging Applications courses cover the full gamut of skill and experience levels with options available for true neophytes to seasoned veterans and everyone in-between…

Removal criteria for wire rope, wire rope slings, synthetic web/round slings, chain slings, rigging hardware, and below-the-hook lifting devices is the focus here. Personnel qualification is available.

ITI endorses the national certification program offered by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) and provides training to prepare candidates for NCCCO written and practical exams. Exam administration with Certified Practical Examiners (ITI Instructors) is also offered.

Designed for lift planners, crane and rigging managers, and other non-engineers who conduct lift planning activities, ITI’s Fundamentals of Rigging Engineering courses are LEEA accredited and approved by ASME.

ITI offers signalperson training for personnel who use hand and voice signals in crane operations. Qualification and Certification Exams through NCCCO are offered.

If you are interested or know someone who might be, please send your CV and cover letter to info@riggingspecialties.com or call Franz at 403.763.8863.

Do you need safety products for lifting, rigging or fall protection? Certex USA is a premier provider of safety products to industries such as utilities, mining, oil, construction and aerospace. We have four locations in California – Bakersfield, Sacramento, Santa Fe Springs and Ventura – and 34 locations across the U.S. In addition, we are one of the few lifting product companies in the U.S. to offer Fall Protection and Rescue Training.

Our Santa Fe Springs branch, located at 10555 Norwalk Blvd and employs team of dedicated safety professionals. No matter the size of your project, let the Sante Fe Springs team, led by manager Tim Bontrager help you determine the right supplies and equipment. This branch specializes in wire rope, rigging, oil service, and safety training and equipment.

We’ve been part of several high-profile projects such as the Rams Stadium, Regional Connector Transit, Westside Purple Line Extension, OC 405 Improvement, LAX Midfield Satellite Concourse North, 6th Street Viaduct Replacement, Barren Ridge Renewable Transmission Line and West of Devers Transmission Line Upgrade.

The Sante Fe branch opened in 1998 and is proud to have some of the area’s leading companies among its clients. Energy clients include Edison Power Constructors, Basic Energy, and C&J. Oil companies such as CRC and construction clients including Skanska, Traylor, W.A. Rasic, PCL, Schimmick, Barnard and OHL turn to Certex for their safety needs.

Certex Sante Fe Springs carries a variety of wire rope constructions and capacities. From small diameter GAC wire ropes to large high-performance ropes, you will discover that there isn’t just one type of wire rope that’s perfect for every job.

Wire rope is made up of all independent parts – wires, strands and cores – that continuously interact with each other during service. Wire rope engineers design those parts in differing steel grades, finishes, and a variety of constructions to attain the best balance of strength, abrasion resistance, crush resistance, bending fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance for each application.

The primary factor in wire rope performance is selecting a wire rope with the best combination of properties for the job. The service life of that rope can be greatly extended by following a planned program of installation, operation, maintenance and inspection to avoid the most common causes of wire rope failure including kinking, overloading, dragging, improper spooling and whipping.

We also have a wide variety of wire rope accessories like locking hooks, eye hooks, swivel hooks, sliding choker hooks, sliding latch type choker hooks, snap hooks, swivels, wire rope thimbles, and turnbuckles.

Looking for rigging equipment and lifting supplies in California? You’ve come to the right place. We carry а large inventory of rigging hardware such as hooks, shackles, turnbuckles, blocks, and more.

For cargo control, we have a full line of chains, binders, and winches. We also offer lever hoists, chain falls, and air and electric hoists from some of the worlds most respected manufacturers.

We also carry wire rope slings, wire mesh slings and nylon web slings. Wire rope slings, sometimes referred to as wire cable slings, are more robust and durable than nylon slings and have higher temperature limits. Wire mesh slings are used in industries where loads can be abrasive or tend to cut web slings. On the other hand, nylon web slings will not damage or scratch the surfaces of your products being lifted.

We carry a full line of fall protection equipment from top manufacturers including 3M, Capital Safety, Fall Tech, French Creek and Deus. We have harnesses, shock absorbing lanyards, tie-back lanyards, hooks, anchorage connectors, carabiners, roof anchors and more. We carry the High-Vis Vest harnesses, which uniquely combines traditional reflective vests with fully adjustable fall protection bodywear.

For latchways, we feature ManSafe overhead, horizontal and vertical systems. Some of the key benefits of ManSafe systems include quick and simple installation, less costly than ‘I’ beam systems, and can be configured as a single span or multi span system.

In addition to equipment, we offer a full curriculum of fall protection training to ensure the safety and productivity of your crew. We are members of the ITI Training network which provides world-class crane and rigging training to customers.

We can provide training right on your job site in California. We also have two state-of-the-art safety training facilities in Tucson AZ and Bakersfield CA. There your team will experience 8 hours of working with equipment from over 20 different manufacturers. The modern, climate-controlled environment creates ideal surroundings for learning and every course meets or exceeds applicable ANSI Z359, OSHA Sub Part M, CSA and Manufacturers requirements.

If sending your team to Tucson AZ or Bakersfield CA isn’t an option, take advantage of the training our Santa Fe Springs team can provide at your location. We also offer expert consulting, rescue plans and hazard analysis.

You’ll find a dedicated team on hand, waiting to help you meet your safety needs. Reach out to discuss your budget, the type of rigging equipment, lifting products, hand tools, safety supplies, and training your company needs to get the job done.

The Certex branch in West Sacramento carries a wide variety of safety products including rigging equipment and lifting supplies. Do you need fall protection training and services? We handle that too.

Although the Certex branch in West Sacramento opened recently in 2017, we’re aren’t new to California. We also have locations in Bakersfield, Sante Fe Springs, and Ventura. In fact, there are 34 locations in the U.S. servicing 11 states from California to South Carolina. We’ve been in business for over 50 years, which is why we’re a trusted source in California and around the country.

Certex USA is known for providing industries such as construction, mining, aerospace, utilities and on-shore/off-shore drilling with the equipment needed to ensure job sites and workers are safe. In addition, we are one of the few lifting product companies in the U.S. to offer Fall Protection and Rescue Training.

No matter the size of your project, let the Sacramento team, led by manager Mark Corbett help you determine the right supplies and equipment. You’ll find out why companies like Clark Pacific, Teichert Construction and United Rentals turn to Certex.

Looking for lifting products in Sacramento? You’ve come to the right place. Our location at 2445 Front Street in West Sacramento can help with all your lifting needs. This branch specializes in chains, wire rope and nylon rope but also carries a range of lifting products including hoists.

Wire rope is made up of all independent parts – wires, strands and cores – that continuously interact with each other during service. Wire rope engineers design those parts in differing steel grades, finishes and a variety of constructions to attain the best balance of strength, abrasion resistance, crush resistance, bending fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance for each application. Certex employees understand wire rope and which variances are best for specific jobs.

There are several types of hoists and load limiters available with Certex. Puller hoists are made with tough aluminum alloy construction for strength and durability and are compact, lightweight, and have simplified construction for ease of use and service. Cyclone hand chain hoists are high speed, spur geared hoists that delivers maximum efficiency and requires minimum maintenance.

You can rely on the team at Certex Sacramento to determine the best products based on your project. We employ a knowledgeable staff and source high-quality products from manufacturers like WireCo World Group, Suncor Stainless and Harrington Hoists.

In addition to safety supplies, we also offer fall protection equipment and training. We are members of the ITI Training network which provides world-class crane and rigging training to customers.

We can provide training right on your job site in the Sacramento area. We also have two state-of-the-art safety training facilities in Tucson AZ and Bakersfield CA. There your team will experience 8 hours of working with equipment from over 20 different manufacturers. The modern, climate-controlled environment creates ideal surroundings for learning and every course meets or exceeds applicable ANSI Z359, OSHA Sub Part M, CSA and Manufacturers requirements. We focus our course offerings to enhance your safety culture through unbiased overview and exposure to all manufacturers equipment.

If sending your team to Tucson AZ or Bakersfield CA isn’t an option, take advantage of the training our Sacramento team can provide at your location. We also offer expert consulting, rescue plans and hazard analysis.

At Certex Sacramento, you’ll find a dedicated team on hand, waiting to help you meet your safety needs. Reach out to discuss your budget, the type of rigging equipment, lifting products, safety supplies, and training your company needs to get the job done.

A portion of our work involves performing testing and accident investigation for numerous clients. When we have needed special wire rope fabrication and proof or ultimate break testing, we have decided to call on WCWR as the provider for these operations. Whether we needed to test stainless steel, galvanized, or bright wire rope assemblies, we have willingly put our reputation on the line alongside the professional work provided by WCWR. Their investment in fabrication equipment and their exceptional attention to maintenance and quality control is among the highest in their industry. West Coast delivers on their promises and have always ensured that their technical expertise accompanies each order. Besides delivering quality assemblies, they can be counted on for immediate, quality assistance in solving field problems or unexpected challenges.

Unirope LTD. is an ISO 9001 and LEEA-Lifting Equipment Engineers Association certified company, specializing in the manufacturing, distribution, testing, certification and inspection of Lifting- and Rigging Products. Unirope is servicing the industry since 1956.

In Germany we manufacture High Performance PYTHON® Wire Rope which we stock in a wide variety of constructions for Tower Cranes, Mobile and Truck Cranes, Overhead Cranes, Gantry Cranes in Construction, Automotive and the Steel Industry. We also stock a large variety of standard and custom designed ropes meeting national and international standards.

The SLINGMAX® product line includes TWIN PATH® Slings made from high strength K-SPEC® fibres, super flexible GATOR FLEX® and TRI-FLEX® wire rope slings, and much more. We also provide a complete range of wire rope fittings, rigging hardware, magnets, clamps, hoists, synthetic ropes, and all types of lifting slings. Find Out More ›

CLEVELAND, OH – Mazzella Lifting Technologies, a Mazzella Company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Denver Wire Rope & Supply. This acquisition will strengthen Mazzella’s footprint west of the Mississippi River and reinforce Mazzella’s commitment to be a one-stop resource for lifting and rigging services and solutions.

Denver Wire Rope & Supply has been in business since 1983 and services a variety of industries out of their location in Denver, CO. Denver Wire Rope & Supply is a leading supplier of rigging products, crane and hoist service, below-the-hook lifting devices, and certified rigging inspection and training. Effective immediately, Denver Wire Rope & Supply will operate as Mazzella / Denver Wire Rope. Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

“Denver Wire Rope & Supply will complement the wide range of products and services that Mazzella Companies offers. We are dedicated to being a single-source provider for rigging products, overhead cranes, rigging inspections, and rigging training. Both companies commit to a customer-first mentality, providing the highest-quality products, and leading by example when it comes to safety and sharing our expertise with customers and the market,” says Tony Mazzella, CEO of Mazzella Companies.

This acquisition will provide Mazzella Lifting Technologies with a western U.S. location that will allow them to grow and expand their reach past the Oklahoma City market.

“Our team and family are excited to be part of the Mazzella Companies. This acquisition strengthens our place in the market and allows our team to continue to provide excellent service and products to our valued customer base and expand our offering,” says Ken Gubanich, President of Denver Wire Rope & Supply.

“Over the years, we have had numerous companies show interest in purchasing Denver Wire Rope & Supply, none seemed to be the right fit. We are looking forward to becoming a part of an aggressive, passionate, and progressive organization. As a family business for over 36 years, it is important to us that our customers/friends, suppliers, and team members continue to be treated with first-class service, products, and employment opportunities. Again, we are very enthusiastic about our future and look forward to being a quality supplier for your crane, safety training, rigging, and hoisting needs for years to come,” says Gubanich.

“We wish Ed and Carol Gubanich all the best in their retirement. We welcome Ken and the other second and third-generation Gubanich family members, as well as the entire Denver Wire Rope Team, into the Mazzella organization,” says Mazzella.

We’ve changed our name from Denver Wire Rope to Mazzella. Aside from the new name and logo, our member experience is virtually unchanged. Here are some common questions and answers related to this change.

In 2019, Denver Wire Rope & Supply was acquired by Mazzella Companies to expand lifting and rigging products and services to the western half of the United States.

In 1954, James Mazzella founded Mazzella Wire Rope & Sling Co. in Cleveland, OH. For over 65 years, the company has grown organically by nurturing historic relationships, expanding its product offerings, and entering new markets through acquisition.

Today, Mazzella Companies is one of the largest privately held companies in the lifting and rigging industries. Since our humble beginnings, we’ve grown to over 800 employees with over 30 locations across North America. Our product offerings have expanded from basic rigging products, to include:Overhead crane fabrication

One thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to a no-excuses, customer-first mentality that extends from the shop floor to the front office. Some of the major markets Mazzella serves are: Mining, Steel, Oil & Gas, Construction, Energy, Shipbuilding, Vehicle and Durable Goods. Mazzella’s diverse portfolio includes Sheffield Metals a manufacturer and distributor of coated bare metal products for engineered metal roof and wall systems. New Tech Machinery is a manufacturer of portable roof panel and gutter machines—recognized as the world’s finest portable rollformers.

Just the name. We want to be clear that our people, locations, products, and services have not changed. We will be moving to the Mazzella name for all rigging brands under the Mazzella Companies umbrella in order to create a better experience for our customers and employees.

With all the Mazzella rigging locations working as one team and under one name, your level of service and support will be improved exponentially. Nothing will change in terms of the local team you’re used to working with. The same people will still be here—the only thing that will be changing will be the name of the organization they work for. You now have more resources, inventory, and clearer lines of communication. Our goal is to improve your experience and instill confidence and comfort in every interaction.

Mazzella is experiencing rapid growth. With this growth, we can better serve our customers as one team under the Mazzella name, versus many companies operating independently. The only change you will experience will be better service and improved lines of communication between our people and yours.

For sure! We hope to expand our service line across the entire United States. With over 30 locations, your level of service should only be improved and lines of communication more clear.

It’s never been officially chronicled, but sometime during the early 1990’s the professional work classification of “Tower Rigger” was eclipsed by “Tower Technician”, some company managers say, because the job requires a greater degree of technical knowledge to construct and maintain communications sites.

However, no matter how many newly acquired skillsets the technican has obtained, rigging knowledge is one of the most essential to ensure a safe installation of structures and equipment. Having safe, fully inspected rigging equipment is vitally as important.

C. Type 5: The endless sling is the most versatile of all nylon sling configurations. It can be used in a vertical, choker or basket hitch and the wear points can be adjusted around the circumference of the sling to increase its useful life.

F. Type 4: Twisted eye slings are similar to flat eye slings except the eyes are twisted 90 degrees to form a better choker hitch and they will nest well in a crane hook.

The same sling will have a different capacity for each hitch. The choker has the lowest capacity. The vertical hitch has an additional 25% capacity and the basket hitch is twice the vertical hitch capacity. The horizontal degree of a two-point pick will affect the load capacity of your sling

Avoid shock loading to nylon or wire rope slings when beginning your lift. The crane or hoist should be engaged slowly until the load is suspended. The speed in which you lift or lower the load should be increased or decreased gradually. Sudden starts or stops place a heavy load on the slings and load line, up to 50 times the actual weight. Once any sling has been shock loaded it must be removed from service.

Manufacturers identify their classes of wire ropes beginning with two numbers such as 6x25. The "6" means that there are 6 strands or larger wires making up the wire rope and the second number "25" means that there are 25 smaller wires laid around each other to make up each strand. The other wires in some wire ropes are called filler wire. Wire fatigue resistance will increase as the number of wires per strand increases.

Known as the industry workhorse of wire ropes, the 6x25 Filler Wire maintains a good balance between resistance to abrasion and fatigue resistance. When both abrasion resistance and fatigue resistance are  required, the 6x26 Warrington Seale is a better alternative.

Keep the wire rope lubricated so that rust and dirt will not weaken it  by acting as an abrasive on the rope as it spools through the sheaves and drums. Lubrication of the rope  allows individual wires to move and work together so that all the wires carry the load instead of just a few. Weather and other exposures can also remove

Natural and synthetic fiber rope offerings have expanded over the past years with the introduction of new materials such as Kevlar and other advancements that can provide a higher strength and a better

Recommended working loads will vary according to the rope size, type and manufacturer. Twisted rope is oftentimes has the working load listed between 10% to 15% of the tensile strength and braided rope is between 15% to 20%. Therefore, a braided rope with a listed tensile strength of 12,500 pounds might only have a safe working load of 1,850 pounds. Ropes have different qualities and you should carefully assess your rigging requirements. In example, Kevlar has a considerably higher breaking strength than most available products,

It is necessary to check with your cordage vendor to obtain the safe working load of your rope prior to purchasing it for any rigging or lifting purpose!

The working load is the maximum mass or force which any rigging product is authorized to support in general service when the pull is applied in-line, unless noted otherwise, with respect to the center line of the product. This term is used interchangeably with the following terms:

Many factors, including rope usage, load conditions and weather exposure affect the rope’s working load capabilities. You should inspect your rope daily for concentrated wear. It must be free of frayed strands and broken yarns, cuts and abrasions, burns and discoloration. If there is excessive soiling or paint buildup, place it out of service. Check for chemical or heat damage and ultraviolet deterioration. This type of degradation is indicated by discoloration and the presence of splinters and slivers on the rope surface. Do not use wire rope or V-belt sheaves for synthetic rope as the rope will be pinched inside.

Basic requirements for rigging safety can be found in OSHA standard: 29 CFR 1926.250-251, subpart H. By following the recommendations by manufacturers and being in compliance with ANSI/ASME standards you’ll provide a safe working environment.

We recommend that you contact our rigging supply companies to obtain additional information about their products and services.Many of our viewers have requested information about knot tying for rigging. Instead of duplicating the wealth of information that is already available, it"s easier to purchase one of the rigging books that are available or visit www.animatedknots.com . It provides a wealth of information with animated features and is oftentimes used by tower crews for training.

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Miami Cordage & Florida Wire & Rigging Works is a family owned and operated manufacturer and distributor of fiber and wire rope, custom lifting and boating assemblies, rigging supplies and hardware. We originally began as a distributor of marine and industrial supplies to the Southeastern U.S. and Caribbean Basin. Over the years as both our business and market expanded, we began manufacturing fiber rope and acquired Florida Wire & Rigging Works. Today, our manufacturing capabilities continue to grow and we are now the only fiber rope manufacturer in the U.S. that creates custom-color double braid and 12-strand rope. In addition, relatively new to our product line is Dyneema SK-75 fiber rope and a 3-strand nylon rope with a specialty coating designed specifically for use with windlasses.

Olsen Chain & Cable wire rope and cable slings allow you to safely lift even the most difficult loads. Cable and wire rope slings are manufactured with various grades of wire rope with different rope lays (the direction the wires and strands are twisted). Olsen Chain & Cable also manufactures Independent Wire Rope Core (IWRC) or fiber core.

Olsen wire rope and cable slings allow you to safely lift even the most difficult loads. They are strong, safely grip and lift some hot materials, and are built to better tolerate abrasive wear. We produce various types, including:

Wire rope slings are manufactured with various grades of wire rope using different rope lays (the direction the wires and strands are twisted). Olsen Chain & Cable wire rope slings are strong, bend without distortion, safely grip and lift even hot materials and are built to handle abrasive wear. We produce various types, including Independent Wire Rope Core (IWRC) or fiber core.

If fiber core wire rope slings are exposed to temperatures above 180° F (82° C), retire these slings. For metallic core wire rope slings of any grade, follow manufacturer’s recommendations on use at temperatures above 400° F (204° C) or below minus 40° F (minus 40° C).

Most wire rope slings are made of Independent Wire Rope Core (IWRC) or fiber core. Fiber core is a bit more flexible but less resistant to environmental damage. Wire rope core has great strength and is more resistant to heat damage.

Properly match components. Ensure that the fitting is the right shape and size so it accurately seats in the hook or lifting device. For multiple-leg slings used with nonsymmetrical loads, have a qualified person do an analysis so you don’t overload any leg. Select multiple-leg slings according to OSHA guidelines for wire rope slings.

OSHA rates loads based on material strength, design factor, type of hitch, angle of loading, diameter of curvature over which the sling is used and fabrication efficiency. Never exceed the working load limit and avoid shock loads. Refer to OSHA guidelines for wire rope sling rated loads.

Properly hitch slings, pad sharp edges, balance loads, don’t drag slings, keep them free of knots or twists and don’t pull a sling from under a load when the load is on the sling.

Have each person who will use your wire rope sling know and follow its type of load, hitch and rated load capacity. Contact us for clarification. Follow other safe operation procedures, including selecting the right sling, keeping people safe distances away from the sling and its load during movement, properly rigging loads and inspecting all slings daily and according to OSHA-approved ASME guidelines.

Do not use worn or damaged slings or attachments. Discard or refurbish them. Use damaged slings only after they are reconditioned, and proof tested by the sling manufacturer or a qualified refurbishing source. Keep certificates of proof test. You may also use Olsen Chain & Cable’s lifting equipment inspection services

Jerry Klinke founded ACRA in 1995. After serving in the US Marine Corps as an engineer, Jerry began his industrial career in 1976 working in the Nuclear Power Industry. Ultimately, his diverse background and skills made him the ideal choice to manage the training programs for Skilled Trades at the Nuclear Training Center for American Electric Power.

Jerry is a contributor for industry publications and has written numerous articles on cranes, rigging and technical training issues. He has been a frequent speaker on behalf of safety in the construction industry, promoting standardized testing and qualification of crane operators, riggers, and signalmen. He is an Officer and Board Member for the Association of Crane & Rigging Professionals (ACRP) and is the Continuing Education Program Director for the training sessions offered by the organization.

Dave Decker, President of Becket Training & Consulting has made a life time commitment to improving crane & rigging safety. He has over 35 years" experience in every facet of crane & rigging including operations, maintenance, inspection, management, training and testing. He remains actively involved in writing standards that guide crane users and regulatory bodies by serving on key committees and subcommittees of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Dave started his career at the Philadelphia Shipyard as a crane mechanic. Later, he went to the Navy Crane Center where he developed and managed the U.S. Navy"s first comprehensive crane & rigging training program, serving 250 Navy bases around the world. For these efforts he was awarded the Meritorious Civil Service Award, the highest honor given to a civilian.

Starting in 1979, Mike Parnell enjoyed time with Wire Rope Corporation of America and River Rigging before he started Wire Rope & Rigging Consultants in 1986. The Company was renamed Industrial Training International in 1995 due to the large amount of overseas work. By listening to clients and seeing voids in the marketplace, Mike and the ITI crew developed a world-class set of programs often imitated by others around the world.

Mike is a member of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) serving on several Subcommittees and currently chairs both the B30.9 (Slings) and the P30 Main Committee (Lift Planning) and a Vice Chair of B30 Main Committee (Crane & Rigging). He is the founder of ACRP (Association of Crane & Rigging Professionals), and has earned many industry certifications from organizations such as NCCCO (National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators), CIC (Crane Institute Certification) and NCCER. Parnell has testified in numerous cases as an expert witness for both depositions and courtroom testimonies.

In his home of Washington State, he is a member of the Washington State Rigging Regulations Task Force and still finds time to serve as an Eagle Scout.

We represent RopeBlock in North America and distribute blocks, overhaul balls & sockets through three channels: industrial distribution, crane dealers and crane manufacturers.

Currently, Tadano, Tadano Mantis, Broderson, Elliott, Terex & Manitowoc/Grove are some of the crane manufacturers that purchase RopeBlock products for use on their equipment.

Each year in the United States about 50 people are killed in crane accidents and hundreds more are injured. These incidents are frequently attributed to poorly inspected rigging equipment and improper or unsafe rigging techniques performed by inadequately trained riggers.

During the development of our own Wire Rope Safety training videos, we were fortunate to receive some expert feedback from Howard Kaplan, trainer and owner of Liberty Crane & Rigging Consultants in Phoenix, Arizona. We recently caught up with Howard again for a brief Q&A about wire ropes, rigging safety, and the importance of proper training.

I started my career way, way back in 1982 at a trade school, and the best part about that trade school was I had some instructors who just loved heavy equipment and they were great instructors simply because they had a passion for teaching. I was very, very lucky that I didn’t learn a lot of bad habits. I learned the right way to operate stuff right from the beginning. And since my instructors really liked teaching, it gave me a kind of sense for it as well. At the trade school you became a sort of mentor as you became more experienced. So as you progressed through the program it was your job to teach the newer people as they came on. I didn’t even know you were supposed to be nervous doing public speaking. I didn’t know any of that. I was just being a heavy equipment operator and helping other people out because they helped me out.

After that I went into construction for several years. I joined the military. I was in the military for almost 14 years. I was in the crane rigging field my last 7 years in the Navy. When I got out I went to work for a crane company. I’d been a crane operator in the Navy, and they’d sent me to all these schools to be a crane instructor.

Well, in 2010 OSHA came out and said every mobile crane operator needs to be certified. Truth be told, probably 70-80% of crane operators out there already were, but what happened was the little mom-and-pop shops, the folks with one or two cranes, find out that their crane operators need to be certified and they start freaking out. Most of those guys unfortunately are not crane operators. If you met one on the street he would tell you he was an electrician, he’s a plumber, he’s a welder, he is anything but a crane operator. But the mom-and-pop has a crane that they need to use incidentally, to pick stuff up and put it down, and they can’t for the life of them understand why somebody would need to be certified to run that thing when they barely even use it. And truth be told, those are the ones that need the certification and training far more than somebody who does it every single day. Those are the types of customers I’ve had the last couple of years.

Way back in 1970 the department of labor came out with the OSHA act that said everybody has to be trained to recognize the hazards associated with their particular field. The issue was, back then, they knew that there were going to be a lot of new tasks coming up, a lot of new jobs coming up, and people had to be trained on how to do all that. So, if you were just trained on how to be a rigger, being trained means you’re qualified.

There is a new requirement that stipulates that riggers do need to be qualified, and they spelled it out a little clearer in the crane standard, but the problem is, you take a guy who’s working underneath the hook of a crane with a sling — that guy needs to be qualified and they spell it out in a couple of different laws. You take that same guy, and now he’s working underneath an excavator or backhoe. Same sling, still picking up a load, but now it’s on an excavator. Now it’s not so clearly spelled out how that he has to be qualified. He does – it is written in the law, but it’s just not as clear and not as easy to find. So, people just say, “well, it’s only a backhoe, how bad can it be?”

The problem is if you grab hold of a sling — take a wire rope sling, for instance — and you throw it on a hook, and you motion your finger up and the crane operator picks up the load… If the load comes off the ground and the sling didn’t break… everybody’s happy. No harm, no foul. But, if you didn’t know what the capacity of that sling was; if you didn’t know the capacity of the hook, or what the load weighed… if you didn’t know all those things and you were successful, you were only successful because there’s a design factor built into that sling that prevents it from just failing immediately. But failures do still happen. Slings break all the time – people overload them, they misuse them, they don’t know what it is they’re doing.

Generally speaking it’s in the hitching – how they actually connect it to the load. There are often capacity reductions, and/or additional stresses put on the sling that a layman wouldn’t see. Let’s say you take a two-leg sling – what we call a two-legged bridle – and you put it on a hook. You were going to pick up a piece of steel culvert and you were going to pick it up from both ends, with really big hooks on either end. You have to factor in the length of the sling, and the length of the culvert. Let’s just say, for sake of analogy, that both ends of the sling just barely fit – the hooks just barely fit into the ends of the piece of culvert, so that the wire rope sling is very very close to the culvert all the way across the top, and when you pick it up, it’s a triangle, but it’s a very, very small triangle, and the hook itself is maybe a couple feet off the top of the culvert. That triangle is called a sling angle, and the closer that sling angle is to horizontal, the more stress is being introduced into the sling. That culvert weighs 1000 pounds. And you and I think that two 500 pound slings is going to do the job, because, hey, that’s half the load times two. But what happens is, at 30 degrees, that sling angle actually creates 1000 pounds of stress on each sling. And it’s not anything that you can see – you just need to be trained to know the stress that that angle introduces to the sling.

So what happens is, a guy grabs a sling that’s cleared for 500 pounds, he rigs it that way, makes the lift, and nothing happens. Well, nothing happens because there’s a design factor, a safety factor, built into that sling. And this guy keeps doing it, and doing it, and doing it, and every single time he’s done this he’s overloaded that sling. It’s like taking a paper clip and bending it back-and-forth – if you keep bending a paper clip back-and-forth enough, eventually it’s going to break. Certainly that sling is going to do the same thing. And then when that happens, and OSHA comes out, the very first thing that the rigger says is “I didn’t overload the sling, it was rated for 500 pounds and the load was only 1000 pounds and I had two slings.” And truth be told, he overloaded it a bunch of times, he just didn’t know it.

Watching the videos you helped us with, it seems that wire ropes are far more complex than most people realize; with different materials and different methods of construction – each suitable for different purposes. And rigging is very technical, like a combination of geometry and physics – you can’t really be a dummy and safely operate a crane or be a rigger. It really highlights the importance of proper training. How much training would you say that somebody really needs to be competent?

Generally, I have an 8 hour basic rigging safety program that introduces riggers to sling angle, to sling stresses and how they affect lifting. And I do training from that 8 hour course up to a 40 hour course which is an advanced rigging program. But there’s two problems with that. First, you can’t teach experience. And the other thing with sling angles is that you’re right, it’s physics, it’s geometry, and it’s trigonometry, because it’s the study of angles. You can’t be a dummy. I get guys that get really upset all the time at me when I start out our rigging class by handing out calculators. And they’re like “wait a minute, we thought this was a rigging class.” They want to know why they have to do math and my favorite answer is: “well, because you want to try and defy gravity and gravity is a known force. To calculate that force you need a calculator.”

The biggest problem with rigging is that you learn how to move the levers, and you manipulate the crane, and usually nothing bad happens. Why wouldn’t you think everything is ok? Truth is, you could have been within pounds of a catastrophic failure, but there is no way to physically see that. And it’s not until something does happen that people understand it could have happened years ago.

Check out a sample from our Wire Rope Safety and Operation course (above). Our Wire Rope Basics and award-winning Crane and Hoist Rigging Safety course can also be previewed on our website.