How do you Inspect a Lifting Chain?

When it comes to lifting, the best safeguard against personal injury fatalities and damage to property is frequent and careful inspection of lifting chain slings. In doing so, organizations are encouraged to be just as vigilant with equipment that is used on the end of a lifting hook as well as the hoists and winches themselves above the lifting hook.

There are some sling inspection methods for people who want to learn about chain inspection. The information provided on this page has been curated for guidance purposes only and is not to be construed as approved custom and practice.

When should you inspect chain slings? 

When you just bought it, you have to check for visible faults in links and hooks and distortion of fittings. Check if the label is clear and complete. 

After that, sling routine inspection must be done before each use and before placing into storage. 

How should you check chain slings during inspection?

According to the manufacturer's recommendations, a competent person should inspect chain slings periodically. For record keeping purposes it is useful if each chain has a metal tag with an identification number and load limit information. Information about the chain length and other characteristics and an inspection schedule should be recorded.

Wire rope slings should not be inspected by running bare hands over theme because the presence of a broken wire could result in a serious puncture wound.

Examinations should be thorough with particular emphasis on the following checklist:

·Doglegs, bird caging and kinking

·Broken wires

·Severe wear from scraping and abrasion

·Heat damage

·Corrosion of wire rope and fittings

·Missing or illegible ID tags

·Damaged fittings – worn, cracked or ill fitting

If inspectors detect any of the above signs of damage, the affected sling needs to be removed from active service immediately and destroyed so it cannot be used further. Damaged slings should never be repaired and put back into service

The same critical lifting chain inspection vigilance employed when inspecting wire rope slings should also be utilized out with chain slings inspections also. This makes sense because a thorough chain sling inspection regime will help keep employees safe, extend the working life of the lifting slings and ensure compliance with legal regulations.

Chain slings should be inspected before every lift and also be subject to periodical thorough examinations by a competent person. The relative frequency of chain sling inspections is driven by several factors including the nature and type of lifts being undertaken, how often the slings are being used, how severe the operating environment is as well as the average anticipated “sling life” experienced for similar operations.

Employers are responsible for ensuring that a fully trained and highly experienced “competent person” inspects all slings in accordance with LOLER and PUWER regulations. Competent persons can be company employees or specialist third party inspection service providers.

The LOLER regulations stipulate that regular inspections should occur while the sling is in service and that a “thorough examination” to be carried out at the intervals specified by LOLER i.e. every 6 or 12 months, depending on the equipment. In addition, organizations are mandated to keep accurate records of thorough inspections conducted throughout the sling’s service lifetime.