What is the minimum safety factor required when hoisting personnel with a crane that has rotation-resistant wire rope installed?

When hoisting personnel with a crane that has rotation-resistant wire rope installed, the minimum safety factor established by industry standards is 10 to 1. This means that the strength of the crane's components and the wire rope must be at least ten times greater than the maximum load that will be applied during use, including the weight of the personnel being lifted. This high safety factor is necessary due to the increased risks associated with lifting people, where any failure could lead to serious injury or fatality.

The use of rotation-resistant wire rope is specifically designed to handle significant loads without spinning or twisting, providing stability during the lift. However, the inherent risks of hoisting personnel necessitate a more stringent safety factor than what might be acceptable for other load types. The choice of a 10 to 1 safety factor ensures a robust level of protection against unexpected circumstances, such as dynamic loads, which can exceed static weights during lift operations.

In scenarios where less stringent safety factors like 5 to 1, 7 to 1, or 8 to 1 might be acceptable for other types of loads, they fall short when it comes to personnel lifting, thus emphasizing the critical need for the 10 to 1 safety rule in this context.