This International Standard establishes general principles for the care and maintenance, and inspection and discard of steel wire ropes used on cranes and hoists. This International Standard is applicable to those ropes used on the following types of cranes, the majority of which are defined in ISO 4306-1: This International Standard applies to rope on cranes used for hook, grabbing, magnet, ladle, excavator or stacking duties, whether operated manually, electrically or hydraulically. This International Standard also applies to rope used on hoists and hoist blocks. In view of the fact that the exclusive use of synthetic sheaves or metal sheaves incorporating synthetic linings is not recommended when single-layer spooling at the drum, due to the inevitability of wire breaks occurring internally in large numbers before there is any visible evidence of any wire breaks or signs of substantial wear on the periphery of the rope, no discard criteria are given for this combination.