30 CFR § 57.19024 - Retirement criteria.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t30/s57.19024"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "30 CFR § 57.19024 - Retirement criteria."
title_number: 30
title_name: "Mineral Resources"
section_number: "57.19024"
section_name: "Retirement criteria."
chapter_name: "MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR"
subchapter_number: "K"
subchapter_name: "METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH"
part_number: "57"
part_name: "SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS—UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "30 U.S.C. 811."
regulatory_source: "50 FR 4082, Jan. 29, 1985, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "57"
---


# 57.19024 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.

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