Does anyone know of any injuries from wire ropes snapping?

[mikecotterill]

Mythbusters did a load of tests with a pig carcass and some big cables, worth a watch if you can track it down.

 

It came up I'm my searching

, can't find the video but as always with mythbusters people weren't sure how realistic it was, apparently there's a navy training video showing/describing it but I can't find that either, and some people mentioned it was synthetic rope that was dangerous in shipping, so not really any use for me.

 

I can't help but think that all the hype about winch ropes snapping and cutting you in hand is a bit over exaggerated and probably helps plasma type rope sales!

[mikecotterill]

Oh yes. I know a guy who has a big scar on his face from a wire rope snapping on a mantidor.

 

I've broken a steel cable on a 6.5t winch and that narrowly missed me as it came pinging back. I've broken 2 or 3 more out in the woods and not done myself or anybody else any harm. Took a big chunk out of a tree though.

 

The ones you broke, what was the reason? If you know? I think most breakages either occur during bad rigging of the rope or most likely damaged ropes

[teepeeat]

It came up I'm my searching

, can't find the video but as always with mythbusters people weren't sure how realistic it was, apparently there's a navy training video showing/describing it but I can't find that either, and some people mentioned it was synthetic rope that was dangerous in shipping, so not really any use for me.

 

I can't help but think that all the hype about winch ropes snapping and cutting you in hand is a bit over exaggerated and probably helps plasma type rope sales!

 

Bit of an issue in the marine world - numerous sailors and even more fisherman not with us anymore due to both wire and synthetic ropes popping.

A trawl through MAIB (marine accident investigation branch) reports should give a bit more detail, albeit only covering incidents in UK waters or on UK registered vessels. Seem to recall some more recent events reported by the Marine Safety Forum.

[Brushcutter]

The ones you broke, what was the reason? If you know? I think most breakages either occur during bad rigging of the rope or most likely damaged ropes

 

I'd put money on damaged rope. The winch has a horrid habit of crushing its wire on the drum fraying the strands. Normally eats a cable a year.

[mikecotterill]

Bit of an issue in the marine world - numerous sailors and even more fisherman not with us anymore due to both wire and synthetic ropes popping.

A trawl through MAIB (marine accident investigation branch) reports should give a bit more detail, albeit only covering incidents in UK waters or on UK registered vessels. Seem to recall some more recent events reported by the Marine Safety Forum.

 

I'll have a mooch. I'd imagine trawlers and the like are undergoing unknown and varying forces?

[redmoosefaction]

A guy in France, near my sisters house, was erecting a ski lift the cable snapped and he lost his leg, but I suppose that's a different scale.

[Peter]

It came up I'm my searching

, can't find the video but as always with mythbusters people weren't sure how realistic it was, apparently there's a navy training video showing/describing it but I can't find that either, and some people mentioned it was synthetic rope that was dangerous in shipping, so not really any use for me.

 

I can't help but think that all the hype about winch ropes snapping and cutting you in hand is a bit over exaggerated and probably helps plasma type rope sales!

 

I thought it was fairly realistic, insofar as a simulation made for a tv show can be. The myth was that a snapping cable would cut a person in half, the conclusion was that it would probably kill you with the impact and internal injuries, but wont cut you in half.

[teepeeat]

I'll have a mooch. I'd imagine trawlers and the like are undergoing unknown and varying forces?

 

Indeed and ever changing as well

[teepeeat]

I'd put money on damaged rope. The winch has a horrid habit of crushing its wire on the drum fraying the strands. Normally eats a cable a year.

 

Having seen the state of the wires a lot of people continue to use, its surprising there are not a lot more incidents

[teepeeat]

I thought it was fairly realistic, insofar as a simulation made for a tv show can be. The myth was that a snapping cable would cut a person in half, the conclusion was that it would probably kill you with the impact and internal injuries, but wont cut you in half.

 

That would be my general comment of having seen a number of reports - again this is marine based. Most cases I recall seem to have resulted in significant internal trauma rather than amputations. Mind you, we are talking about large wires, often with large lumps of metal in the form of sockets or hard eyes attached.

 

From my experience, at sea and ashore, too many people also are far to brave/thoughless about where they stand in relation to snap back zones!!

Edited July 2, 2012 by teepeeat