30 CFR § 77.1434 - Retirement criteria.

Unless damage or deterioration is removed by cutoff, wire ropes shall be removed from service when any of the following conditions occurs:

(a) The number of broken wires within a rope lay length, excluding filler wires, exceeds either—

(1) Five percent of the total number of wires; or

(2) Fifteen percent of the total number of wires within any strand;

(b) On a regular lay rope, more than one broken wire in the valley between strands in one rope lay length;

(c) A loss of more than one-third of the original diameter of the outer wires;

(d) Rope deterioration from corrosion;

(e) Distortion of the rope structure;

(f) Heat damage from any source;

(g) Diameter reduction due to wear that exceeds six percent of the baseline diameter measurement; or

(h) Loss of more than ten percent of rope strength as determined by nondestructive testing.