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Check the sling before the pick

Check the sling before the pick

Cranes and rigging 5 min 29 CFR 1926.251

Ironwork

Why it matters

A cut sling, a kinked wire rope, a cracked hook, a missing latch, or a stretched link can let the load go. Inspect the sling and the hardware before the pick, and take bad gear out of service. The rigger and the operator agree on the weight and the hitch first.

The talk

Before the pick, look at every sling and every piece of hardware. Run your eyes along the sling. A cut, a burn, or a flat spot that should not be there means that sling comes out. On wire rope, a kink is enough. A hook with a crack, or a latch that is gone or sprung, comes out. A chain link that is stretched, bent, or open comes out. Do not set the bad piece beside the load in case you need it later. Get it away from the pick. The rigging rule is 1926.251. Gear that fails that look does not go on the crane.

Do not shorten a sling with a knot. A knot changes the sling and hides the damage under the turns. Do not shock-load a sling. A shock load is a sudden jerk. The load drops and the sling catches it, or the operator snatches the line instead of picking smooth. That hit can break a sling that looked fine a minute ago. If the load has a sharp corner, protect the sling. Use a pad or a corner piece so the edge does not cut the webbing or the rope. A sling sawing on bare steel is a sling being ruined during the pick.

The rigger and the operator agree before the hook comes tight. What does the load weigh? How will the sling grab it? Which hitch, and is the sling long enough without a knot? If either person is not sure, the pick waits. Do not guess the weight because the piece looks like the last one. Do not add another load because the first one is already in the air. The operator should not find out about a sharp edge or a bad latch after the load leaves the ground. Say it while the load is still sitting and people can still step back.

Key points

  1. Inspect slings and hardware before every lift.
  2. A cut sling, kinked wire rope, cracked hook, missing latch, or stretched link comes out of service.
  3. Do not shorten a sling with a knot.
  4. Do not shock-load a sling with a jerk or a snatched pick.
  5. Protect a sling from a sharp corner with a pad.
  6. The rigger and the operator agree on the weight and the hitch before the pick.
  7. If either person is unsure, the load stays on the ground.

Do this

  • Look over every sling and every hook before the pick.
  • Take damaged gear away so nobody uses it on the next lift.
  • Pad a sling where it bears on a sharp corner.
  • Agree on the weight and the hitch while the load is still down.
  • Pick smooth so the sling is not jerked.

Do not do this

  • Do not put a cut, kinked, cracked, or stretched piece on the crane.
  • Do not shorten a sling by tying a knot in it.
  • Do not snatch the load or let it drop into the sling.
  • Do not let a sling ride bare on a sharp edge.
  • Do not guess the weight because the piece looks like the last one.

Talk about it

  1. Which slings are we using on the next pick, and who looked at them today?
  2. Where are the sharp corners, and what will we use to pad the sling?
  3. Do the rigger and the operator agree on the weight and the hitch?

This is a short crew briefing. It does not replace a competent person, training, or the law.

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