Lift-All®  Wire Rope Sling Inspection

Lift-All instructional video on inspecting wire rope slings.

I’m Jim with Lift-All, and in this video we are going to explain how to properly inspect your wire rope slings.

To begin with, let’s review the correct inspection schedule. This consists of an initial inspection, frequent inspection, and periodic inspection.

A designated person needs to perform the initial inspection, which is given to any new, altered, modified, or repaired slings prior to use. After the initial inspection, frequent inspections should be carried out before each use using the removal criteria we’ll discuss later in this video. The third scheduled inspection is a periodic inspection. This inspection should be regularly scheduled based on the frequency of the sling use, the severity of the conditions, nature of lifts, and the experience gained on the service life of slings used in similar circumstances. Periodic inspections should not exceed an interval of one year.

Who should perform sling inspections?

This inspection should also be performed by a designated person. While this person does not need to be a representative of the sling manufacturer, it should be performed by somebody other than the person performing the frequent inspection. A written record must be kept of the most recent periodic inspection. Lift-All recommends using documentation similar to what is shown here.

Now that we’ve explained the proper sling inspection schedule, let’s review some of the specific signs of damage you should be looking for, that could indicate a severe reduction to the integrity of the sling.

Wire Rope Sling Inspection Demonstration

When I begin the inspection of a wire rope sling, I first want to make sure that I’m wearing gloves to protect my hands from any broken wires. I first look to see if the sling tag is present and legible. If so, I begin my inspection. When inspecting the wire rope sling, if I find that there are more than 10 broken wires in one rope lay, or more than five broken wires in one strand such as here, I need to remove the sling from service. The definition of a rope lay is the length of rope in which one strand makes one complete revolution around the core. I’m looking for any crushed, bent, kinked, bird caging, or broken wires. Here I have broken wires in the body of the sling. I know this sling fails inspection. I also have broken wires in the eye of the sling. Whether the broken wires are found in the body of the sling, or the eye of the sling, the sling will need to be removed from service. The wire rope does not need to lay perfectly flat on the ground, but when it has a severe bend such as this, it will need to be removed from service. When inspecting wire rope it can be difficult to identify corrosion. When corrosion is seen on the outer layers of the wire rope, it is likely that the interior wires are also damaged, and the sling should be removed from service. Additionally, if any of the following forms of damage are visible, the sling should be immediately removed from service:

  • If there is any evidence of heat or chemical damage to any part of the sling.
  • If the metal fittings are cracked, deformed, pitted, corroded, or excessively worn.
  • If the hook throat opening increases by more than 15 percent, or is twisted out of plane by more than 10 degrees.
  • If any other damage is found that causes doubt as to the strength of the sling.

How strictly should I follow the inspection criteria?

When inspecting each sling, the inspector should assess the cumulative effects of all the damage when determining whether a sling passes or fails. Generally speaking, when the total damage to the sling equates to a loss of strength of 20 percent compared to new, it should be removed from service. Here at Lift-All, we take the inspection of our slings extremely seriously. We suggest taking a conservative approach to sling inspections, and remove them from service if there are any questions as to the integrity of the sling.

Lift-All is the trusted name for quality lifting and rigging solutions. Whether it’s a standard item, or something requiring custom engineering, Lift-All is here for you. For more information visit www.Lift-All.com or contact us at 800-909-1964.

Products featured in this video: wire rope slings

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