<p>See the <ahref="../survey/newrig.html">New Rigging Guide</a> part of the survey preparation process for where and when to do the initial and the final rigging guides for a new cave you have discovered.
Instructions for the first, immediate rigging guide are in the <ahref="../logbooks.html">Logbook write-up</a> part of the survey handbook.
<p>Rope should be chained only when it is washed and checked. Dirty or unchecked rope may be coiled. Rope should be washed, checked and measured at the end of each expo. See the <ahref="/expofiles/documents/notice_generale_cordes_courant_downloaded_22_07_16.pdf">Courant rope care notice</a>.
<p>Rope should be labeled at both ends with "CUCC", the year of first use and the rope length. Where the manufacturer specifies the maximum end of life date, this may also be specified, eg CUCC 2016-25. The maximum end of life date may be determined by cutting of a section of rope and finding the plastic strip that should contain the manufacturer and date of manufacture.
<p>The rope retirement policy is under annual review. See the above links dated 2019.
<p>In 2016, the retirement policy was:<br>
<em>
"Ropes should be retired, when they have received a fall with a factor of greater than 0.5, when there any defects detected or are older than 5 years without a maximum end of life date."</em>
which was revised in the 2019 <ahref="../../documents/rope-age-agm-2019.pdf">retirement age of caving ropes</a> (2019) report.