What is established by the manufacturer as the weight or load that new equipment can bear without causing damage?

The correct answer is the safe working load rating. This term refers to the maximum load that equipment can safely handle without risking damage or failure, as determined by the manufacturer. It is a critical guideline to ensure safety during operation, allowing operators to understand the limits of the equipment.

The working load rating generally pertains to the load that can be safely applied during standard operations, but it doesn't address the specific limits for preventing damage. Breaking strength rating often indicates the point at which a piece of equipment will fail, which is not the same as the safe operational limit. Therefore, the safe working load rating is established explicitly to define a safe operational threshold for new equipment.