Proper Use and Care of Rope

The Lehigh Group
2834 Schoeneck Road
Macungie, PA 18062
Tel: (610) 966-9702
Fax: (610) 966-3246

Leslie-Locke
675 W. Manville Street
Compton, CA 90220
Tel: (800) 755-9520
Fax: (310) 638-1829

In Canada:
Royal International Corporation
Montreal, QC H4T1T9
Tel: (514) 735-4566

Related Information:
Which is the best rope for the job? See rope properties.
What is the safe working load of my rope? See safe working loads.
What is the proper technique for knotting rope? See rope knotting techniques.
How do I splice rope? See rope splicing techniques.

Proper Use and Care of Rope:
Avoid using rope that shows signs of aging and wear. Rope should be inspected periodically for cuts and worn spots, and for discoloration that can indicate chemical deterioration.

Avoid Knotting And Abrasive Conditions:
Knots reduce the breaking strength of rope as much as 40%. Energy which is normally spread over the entire length of the rope directs itself to the knot. For this reason, splicing is preferred to knotting. Rope will wear excessively when used with pulleys that are too small.

Avoid Excessive Heat And Prolonged Exposure To Direct Sunlight:
Use of rope where temperatures exceed 140°F can seriously affect the strength of the rope. Rope can be severely weakened when subject to prolonged exposure of ultraviolet rays of sunlight.

Avoid Sharp Angles:
Sharp bends greatly reduce the strength of a rope.

Use of Working Loads:
Because of the wide range of rope use, rope condition, exposure to factors affecting rope behavior, and the degree of risk and life and property involved, it is impossible to make blanket recommendations as to working loads. However, to provide guidelines, working loads are tabulated for rope in good condition with appropriate splices, in non-critical applications and under normal service conditions. Lehigh prints a safe working load chart on each package of rope. These figures are published by The Cordage Institute which sets the industry standards. The application does not involve elevated temperatures, extended periods under load or obvious dynamic loading. Whenever a load is picked up, stopped, moved or swung, there is an increased force due to dynamic loading. Examples include picking up slack on a tow line or using a rope to stop a falling object. In all such applications, stated working loads should be reduced by 1/3.

Warning:
Never stand in line with or within 45° on either side of a rope under tension. Should the rope fail, particularly nylon rope, it may recoil with sudden force and cause serious injury or death.

To prevent twisted rope from unraveling when cut...
Nylon, Polyester, Polypropylene:
Tape the rope around the area to be cut. Cut in middle of the tape leaving tape intact on each side. When cutting these fibers with a pocket knife or scissors, the cut ends should be fused with a match flame to prevent untwisting. Tape is unnecessary if a hot knife is used, as heat will melt and fuse the cut ends.

Manila, Sisal:
Tape the rope around the area to be cut. Cut in middle of the tape so that each end remains permanently taped. Natural fibers do not fuse with heat.

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