Why does nobody talk about sheave wear on crane booms?

Last month, I was lifting a heavy load when I noticed a strange sound. I thought it was nothing, but then the load began to sway. I found a sheave on the boom tip that was worn out, and the cable was grinding on it. This could have made the cable break and drop the load. I stopped the lift fast and got maintenance involved. If I had looked at the sheaves before starting, I would have seen the problem. Now I check them every time, and you should too. It's a small thing that can stop a big accident.

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3 Comments

thea1437mo ago

Friend saw a cable snap from the same thing.

6

harris.eric7mo ago

Cables don't just snap from normal use; they're built to handle a lot of stress. Your friend's case was probably a one-off factory defect or serious misuse. It's far more likely than some common design flaw.

3

julia8927mo ago

My old apartment building had a fire escape that nobody ever checked. The bolts were rusted through for years before someone finally reported it. We get used to things just working until they don't. That sheave is like those bolts. It's out of sight, so we forget it's even there, grinding away a little more each day. It's not about one bad part, it's about the whole habit of ignoring the small stuff because it's always been fine.

1