As Holloway Houston says, “Rigging slings are a significant piece of lifting equipment — even though they are relatively small compared to the large cranes they are used with.

Rigging slings support material handling equipment by ensuring that items are not damaged as they are hoisted.” And of course, they’re absolutely right, but we would add one other reason that slings are a significant piece of lifting equipment…crews rely on them to hoist materials that can cause catastrophic damage if dropped.

Slings need to be protected, for the protection of the materials, as well as those on the ground at the site.

They must be routinely inspected for signs of wear and replaced if they fail inspection. The different types of slings include wire ropes, alloy chains, and synthetic materials.

In today’s “Safety Saturday” by Craneology Inc., we discuss ASME B30.9- Slings. As you may or may not be aware, another volume was published on schedule, as of Sept 9, 2021.

This latest volume comes with quite a few revisions. Most importantly, is the brand new addition of the Non-Mandatory, Appendix A, which offers guidance for the protection of various slings.

This Appendix plays a big role in the number of revisions for this particular update to the volume. This addition is not a simple word or two for clarification, but rather three entire pages at the back of the volume, dedicated to sling protection. It’s important enough, that it is mentioned 6 different times throughout the volume itself.

In past volumes, this material was left up to the Qualified Person on-site to determine sufficient protection protocols, and in all honesty, the Qualified Person still has the final say…but this appendix offers more information and is a great tool for the user in making ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN their equipment is SAFE and is in WORKING condition.

The appendix is broken down into 3 main sections: Precaution, Consideration, and Guidance.

What we are discussing today is just an introduction. We will not be copying and pasting copyrighted materials, period. However, what we can do is paraphrase the material and challenge you, the reader, to purchase the volume and educate yourselves on the industry leaders’ recommended best SAFE practices.

The first section is simply a precautionary statement that explains the need and sets the tone for the rest of the Appendix.

The next section takes the user through a list of considerations to better evaluate the damage that can potentially occur by type of sling. These considerations include, but are not limited to:

...steel and synthetic slings with different components that can be damaged by peeling or shredding of different fibers...

...bearing pressure at the contact point, especially with a small diameter surface...

...sharp edges combined with even more moderate pressure can be catastrophic...

The last section offers guidance in the way of a checklist to walk the user through a series of steps, in order to ensure they are using the best possible protection for the task at hand. This checklist includes:

…confirming sling-type…

…ensuring rated capacity…

…consulting with sling your supplier on any reduction factors…

…evaluating the need for sufficient protection…

…Analysis and calculations….

Following the 3 main sections, are a series of figures which offer examples of more common types of protection you may see in the field, and how to properly apply them to the load.

As with all other ASME Volumes, this volume will become effective 1 year from the Date of Issuance: September 9, 2021., so we ask you to further educate yourselves, in order to ensure a culture of the utmost safety in your workplace.

If there is anything you would like to see us discuss in future blogs, or you’d just like clarification on a topic, PLEASE leave a comment and let us know!

As Always, BE SAFE.

Craneology, Inc. is a registered “Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business” and a minority-owned business, whose main objective is to provide comprehensive training courses and certification examinations. Craneology, Inc. achieves this objective through its team of expert trainers from the various fields within the Crane and Rigging Industry. Craneology, Inc. has provided training and certification services locally, and around the globe. We look forward to working with you!