Index
Book No. 33 Guidelines for assessing the safety of circulating monocable passenger ropeways
Book No. 32 Recommendations on the operation of passenger ropeways
Book No. 31 Recommendations for handling Missiontime of the electrical equipment on ropeways
Book No. 30 Possibilities to improve visual rope inspection (VI) (Edition 2019)
Book No. 29 Recommendation on Planning and Construction of ropeway installations designed to carry persons (Edition 2013)
Book No. 28 General recommendations for the manufacturer’s lubrication of steel wire ropes used in ropeway installations for passengers (edition 2014 available in German, French, Italian and English) replaced the books no. 4 and 21
Book No. 27 Hazardous scenarios which ought to be given due consideration in a safety analysis of electro technical components of a unidirectional aerial ropeways (edition 2010) available in German and French
Book No. 26-1 Calculation method for rescue team determination (Edition 2015)
Book No. 26 Guideline for the evacuation from ropeways edition 2010 available in German, French, Italian and English
Book No. 25-2 Fundamental safety aspects of bicable reversible aerial ropeways (edition 2009) available in German, French and English
Book No. 25-1 Recommended guidelines for the identification of fundamental safety aspects of bicable reversible aerial ropeways (edition 2009) available in German, French and English
Book No. 24 Recommendation relating to Relocation of existing ropeway installations designed to carry persons (high rope ski tows, fixed grip and detachable grip unidirectional ropeway installations). edition 2008 available in German, French, Italian and English
Book No. 23-1 On environmental protection in the ropeway industry Documents and guidance for good practice with regard to (Edition 2018)
Book No. 23 Environmental protection responsibilities of transportation by rope edition 2008 available in German, French, Italian and English
Book No. 22-2 Fundamental safety aspects of unidirectional aerial ropeways. (edition 2007) The German and the French versions of the document are already available. The translation of the English and the Italian version is under way.
Book No. 22-1 Recommended guidelines for the identification of fundamental safety aspects of unidirectional aerial ropeways (edition 2007) The German and the French versions of the document are already available. The translation of the English and the Italian version is under way.
Book No. 20 Recommendation relating to fire prevention and control requirements to be met in operation and during maintenance of ropeways installations available in German, French, Italian and English (edition 2005)
Book No. 19 Legal Glossary of ropeways available in German, French, Italian, English, Slovenian, Spanish and Catalan. (edition 2003)
Book No. 18 Recommendations for the design and construction of double monocable aerial ropeways with regard to their specific features (edition 2001)
Book No. 17 Report about the state of investigation in the field of steel ropes Part. 1: Achievements in wire rope production Part. 2: Achievements in operation of wire ropes Prepared in 1978/79 by professor Z. Kawecki and Prof. J. Stachurski. available in English.
Book No. 16 Technical recommendations for the design and construction of conveyors intended as a boarding help for chairlifts (edition 2000) available in German, French, Italian and English.
Book No. 13 Technical recommendations for braces on the winch of ropeways installations (edition 1991) available in German, French and Italian.
Book No. 12 Technical recommendations for the construction and operation of ropeways for transportation of goods with payloads up to 2000 kg (edition 1998) available in German, French, Italian and English.
Book No. 11-1 International recommendations for the construction and operation of non-public ropeways for transportation of people and goods. Reversible aerial ropeways (Edition 2012) Replace book 11
Book No. 9-2 Operation in exceptional circumstances (Edition 2016)
Book No. 9-1 Provisions for special transport cases (Edition 2014) Art. 3 of the book 9-1 replace book 9
Book No. 9 Ropeway transport conditions (edition 1989) available in German, French, Italian and English.
Book No. 8-2 Recommendations for the construction and operation of material handling unidirectional and reversible ropeway installations, cable cranes and material handling funiculars (Edition 2018) Replaces books 8 and 8-1
Book No. 7 Studies and experiments on rescue equipment for rescuing passengers on ropeways: Part 1: construction and use Part 2: inspection available in German, French and Italian
Book No. 3-1 Survey of magnetic rope testing of steel wire ropes (Edition 2015) Replace book 3
The guidelines in Book n. 33 “Guidelines for assessing the safety of circulating monocable passenger ropeways” addresses ropeway operators, manufacturers, inspection bodies, national authorities responsible for ropeways and notified bodies.
Regulation (EU) 2016/424 (ex-Directive 2000/9/EC) on cableway installations designed to carry persons as well as the European standards adopted to further define safety requirements for ropeways carrying passengers , establish a framework that is to ensure high safety standards especially for the passengers transported. This is not the only reference framework for achieving these high safety standards, but it is the one used most frequently and, hence, most tried and tested.
There are ropeways that do not live up to such safety standards. Moreover, there are ropeway installations showing symptoms of fatigue, wear and tear that have never been subject to suitable measures.
These cases raise the question whether minimum measures should be taken to raise the safety levels. In the present Guidelines, OITAF wants to address that question out of the conviction that high safety standards of ropeways are a basic condition for the further development of the industry.
The Guidelines do not cover any evaluation of the dimensioning of the ropeway and its components.
The present Guidelines apply to monocable circulating ropeways.
The recommendations in Book n. 32 (edition April 2026) “Recommendations on the operation of passenger ropeways” addresses ropeway operators, manufacturers, inspection bodies, national authorities responsible for ropeways and notified bodies.
This document is to be understood as a continuation of the “Recommendations on the planning and design of ropeway installations” published as OITAF Book 29.
It was drawn up to give operators an overview of the arrangements and measures they need to take for the operation of ropeways. Some of the measures also relate to the owner, the competent authorities and the manufacturers of the ropeway installation.
This Recommendation is not a binding regulation but provides guidance for the parties involved. Its application would be desirable in all countries. National standards as well as requirements specified by public authorities take precedence over this Recommendation.
Book no. 31
Book No. 30
Book No. 30 (5 MB)
Book No. 29
Book No. 29 (267 KB)
Book No. 28
Book No. 28 (355 KB)
Book No. 27
Book No. 26-1
Book No. 26-1 (283 KB)
Book No. 26
Book No. 26 (799 KB)
Book No. 25-2
Book No. 25-2 (696 KB)
Book No. 25-1
Book No 25-1 (678 KB)
Book No. 24
Book No. 24 (706 KB)
Book No. 23-1
Book No. 23-1 (867 KB)
Book No. 23
Book No. 23 (716 KB)
Book No. 22-2
Book No. 22-1
Book No. 20
Book No. 20 (654 KB)
Book No. 19
Book No. 19 (993 KB)
Book No. 18
Book No. 18 (562 KB)
Book No. 17
Book No. 16
Book No. 16 (456 KB)
Book No. 13
Book No. 12
Book No. 11-1
Book No. 11-1 (444 KB)
Book No. 9-2
Book No. 9-2 (435 KB)
Book No. 9-1
Book No. 9-1 (436 KB)
Book No. 9
Book No. 9 (526 KB)
Book No. 8-2
The recommendations in Book n. 8-2 (edition 2025) “Recommendations for the construction and operation of material handling uni-directional and reversible ropeway installations, cable cranes and material handling funiculars” addresses ropeway operators, manufacturers, inspection bodies, national authorities responsible for ropeways and notified bodies.
Considering the many years that have elapsed since the first publication of the “Recommendations for the Construction and Operation of Material Transport Ropeways and Cable Cranes” in 1980 the International Organization for Transportation by Rope, O.I.T.A.F., has decided to rewrite the document.
The latest edition of these recommendations is the result of the cooperative work, discussions and contributions made by delegates appointed by the manufacturers, designers, operators and supervisory authorities of the following European countries: Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland.
The subject matter covered by this document is being dealt with in the following three chapters I. General Recommendations II. Permanent Material Handling Ropeways: Mono-cable and bi-cable uni-directional and reversible ropeway installations, cable cranes, rope cranes, jig back rope cranes, material handling funiculars III. Temporary Material Handling Ropeways: mono-cable and bi-cable uni-directional movement and reversible ropeway installations, cable cranes, rope cranes, jig back rope cranes.
This document is intended as a practical guide and helpful aid for all concerned designers, technicians, managers who design, manufacture, operate, maintain etc. material handling ropeway installations, as well as all other concerned persons, meant to facilitate the exercise of their responsibility and the correct execution of their job in a way which is mindful of all safety requirements and environment friendliness
These recommendations are not concerned with ropeway installations designed to carry persons nor material handling ropeway installations for pay loads up to 2000 kg, seen that specific recommendations have already been published for either of these two systems.
Book No. 7
Book No. 3-1
