Which safety factor corresponds to a safe working load of 900 lbs. for supporting personnel?

To determine the appropriate safety factor corresponding to a safe working load of 900 lbs. for supporting personnel, it is essential to understand the concept of safety factors in relation to working loads. A safety factor is a design criterion that provides a margin of safety in the event of unexpected loads or conditions.

In general, a higher safety factor indicates a greater degree of safety and robustness, accommodating more potential variations in load. For supporting personnel, a common safety standard adopted in many industries is the 5:1 safety factor. This means that the equipment should be capable of handling five times the intended load.

Thus, to find the minimum breaking strength of the equipment or support needed when the safe working load is 900 lbs., you multiply the safe working load by the safety factor. For a safety factor of 5:1, this would be calculated as:

900 lbs. (safe working load) x 5 (safety factor) = 4500 lbs.

This result indicates that the equipment or support structure must withstand up to 4500 lbs. to ensure safety when allowing up to 900 lbs. of working load. Therefore, a safety factor of 5:1 is appropriate to maintain a significant margin for the safety of personnel being supported