Which device will probably be required when you are vertically pulling a heavy cable from the top down?

Which device will probably be required when you are vertically pulling a heavy cable from the top down?

• A. Reel brake
• B. Aerial clamp
• C. Mechanical winch
• D. Cable grip

Answer: (A)

When you lower a heavy cable from a reel overhead, the weight of the cable tends to spin the reel freely and feed out cable rapidly. A reel brake provides the needed resistance to that rotation, letting you control the pay-out rate and keep steady tension as the cable descends. This makes the operation safer and reduces the risk of the reel overrunning or the cable snapping. Aerial clamps are used to grab or stabilize conductors in aerial work but don’t regulate reel rotation. A mechanical winch could manage lowering, but the built-in reel brake is the typical device to control pay-out from the reel itself. A cable grip is for gripping the cable to pull it through once anchored, not for controlling reel speed.

When you lower a heavy cable from a reel overhead, the weight of the cable tends to spin the reel freely and feed out cable rapidly. A reel brake provides the needed resistance to that rotation, letting you control the pay-out rate and keep steady tension as the cable descends. This makes the operation safer and reduces the risk of the reel overrunning or the cable snapping.

Aerial clamps are used to grab or stabilize conductors in aerial work but don’t regulate reel rotation. A mechanical winch could manage lowering, but the built-in reel brake is the typical device to control pay-out from the reel itself. A cable grip is for gripping the cable to pull it through once anchored, not for controlling reel speed.