Section 1918.54 - Rigging gear(a)Guy and preventer placement. Each guy or preventer shall be placed to prevent it from making contact with any other guy, preventer, or stay.(b)Guys. When alternate positions for securing guys are provided, the guys shall be so placed as to produce a minimum stress and not permit the boom to jackknife.(c)Boom placement. The head of the midship boom shall be spotted no farther outboard of the coaming than is necessary for control of the load.(d)Preventers.(1) Preventers shall be properly secured to suitable fittings other than those to which the guys are secured, and shall be as nearly parallel to the guys as the fittings will permit.(2) Unless the cleat is also a chock and the hauling part is led through the chock opening, the leads of preventers to cleats shall be such that the direction of the line pull of the preventer is as parallel as possible to the plane of the surface on which the cleat is mounted.(3) Guys and associated preventers shall be adjusted to share the load as equally as possible where cargo operations are being conducted by burtoning. Exception: Where guys are designed and intended for trimming purposes only, and the preventer is intended to do the function of the guy, the guy may be left slack.(e)Cargo falls. Cargo falls under load shall not be permitted to chafe on any standing or other running rigging. Exception: Rigging shall not be construed to mean hatch coamings or other similar structural parts of the vessel.(f)Bull wire.(1) Where a bull wire is taken to a winch head for lowering or topping a boom, the bull wire shall be secured to the winch head by shackle or other equally strong method. Securing by fiber rope fastening does not meet this requirement.(2) When, in lowering or topping a boom, it is not possible to secure the bull wire to the winch head, or when the topping lift itself is taken to the winch head, at least five turns of wire shall be used.(g)Trimming and deckloads. When deck loads extend above the rail and there is less than 12 inches (30.48 cm) horizontal clearance between the edge of the deck load and the inside of the bulwark or rail, a pendant or other alternate device shall be provided to allow trimming of the gear and to prevent employees from going over the side.62 FR 40202, July 25, 1997, as amended at 65 FR 40945 , June 30, 2000