How to make your wire rope slings durable

Mostly what we do is just purchase the wire rope sling from the manufacturer and keep on using it until it is damaged and is of no use. This is where we go wrong, we invest money for buying an asset and without taking care of it we use it till the saturation point comes and after that point what we do is just throw the things away even after spending such a huge amount. At the end what happens? we end up buying a new one and the process continues. Don't you think there should be an alternative way out?

Yes there is! OSHA 1910.184 and ASME B30.9 have different inspecting and requirement criteria for each type of sling be it wire rope sling, alloy chain steel slings

OSHA( Occupational safety and health administration )

ASME ( American society of mechanical engineers)

These are the standards for taking the precautionary measures for providing safety and security.

Inspection is done to calculate their remaining strength  so as to know for how much time it can be used again i.e. to check its durability

Here are some methods of inspection which you can keep in mind from now for your next purchase

Ø  Initial inspection method : First and the foremost step is to check the slings as soon as you receive it from the manufacturer. Check the tags properly and see if its meeting your needs and look carefully if it is what you ordered.

Ø  Daily inspection method: Just keep a regular check on the wire rope  slings. If the slings are used many times you need to inspect not only once but more than that because due to the work pressure it undergoes i.e. lifting, dragging, hoisting, sharp edges, excessive heat etc.

Ø  Periodic inspection: Periodic inspection should be done by some qualified inspection specialist at least once a year. It should include

·         Checking how often is it used.

·         How the lifts are performed i.e. its nature

Talking about the tags that are attached to the slings it should include the name and trademark of the manufacturer, diameter or size, permitted weight it should be loaded with.

If the tag is missing then send the wire rope slings back to the manufacturer for rechecking and testing.

So by keeping in view all the methods of inspection we can make an initiative to make all kinds of wire rope slings durable.