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ConstructionInspecting the rigging before the shift
Before a steel beam goes up, every sling, fastening and attachment that will hold it is checked. You are the competent person the employer named for it: you look at each piece for damage or defects before it is used that day, and you take out of service anything that fails. What you look for depends on what the sling is made of.
Free to startScenarios
- A wire rope sling.
- A synthetic web sling (nylon, polyester or polypropylene).
- A natural or synthetic fiber rope sling.
- An alloy steel chain sling.
The steps
- Inspect the rigging before it is used on the shift: each sling with all its fastenings and attachments, for damage or defects.
- Wire rope: in any length of eight diameters, count the visible broken wires; more than 10 percent of all the wires, or other signs of excessive wear, corrosion or defect, and it is not used.
- Synthetic web: look for acid or caustic burns, melting or charring, snags, punctures, tears or cuts, broken or worn stitches and distorted fittings.
- Fiber rope: look for abnormal wear, powdered fiber between the strands, broken or cut fibers, strands that change in size or roundness, discoloration or rotting and distorted hardware.
- Alloy steel chain: check the wear at every link against the maximum allowed for its size, and that no job or shop hooks or makeshift fasteners made from bolts or rods are used.
- Take any damaged or defective sling out of service immediately.
- Inspect again during use when the service conditions call for it.
- Move rigging that is not in use out of the immediate work area so it is not a hazard.
Safety rules that stop the station
- Defective rigging equipment is removed from service.
- A fiber core wire rope sling exposed to more than 200 °F (93.33 °C) is permanently removed from service.
To pass
- Every sling inspected each day before use by a competent person designated by the employer.
- Each sling type checked for the defects the rule lists for it.
- Alloy steel chain slings also get a thorough periodic inspection at least once every 12 months, with a record of the most recent month.
Official source
Federal · OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.251
29 CFR 1926.251, Rigging equipment for material handling
GovInfo publishes 29 CFR 1926.251 free: the inspection before each shift and the conditions that take each type of sling out of service.
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