A construction-ready rigging inspection checklist follows OSHA's pre-shift and periodic requirements to keep defective slings, hooks, and hardware out of service before they fail.
What are OSHA's two required types of rigging inspection?
OSHA mandates both a pre-use visual inspection and a separate thorough periodic inspection. Under 29 CFR 1926.251(a)(1), rigging equipment for material handling must be inspected prior to use on each shift and as necessary during use to ensure it is safe. Under 29 CFR 1910.184(d)(1), the sling and all fastenings and attachments must be inspected for damage or defects by a competent person each day before being used. Separately, 29 CFR 1910.184(e)(3) requires alloy steel chain slings to receive a thorough periodic inspection by a competent person at intervals not to exceed twelve months. You cannot satisfy the annual thorough inspection with daily walk-arounds, and you cannot rely on the annual inspection to cover today's shift.
Who is allowed to sign off on a rigging inspection?
Only a competent person designated by the employer can perform the inspection. Under 29 CFR 1926.32(f), a competent person is someone capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in working conditions who has authorization to take prompt corrective action to eliminate them. Under 29 CFR 1910.184(d)(1), the inspection must be performed by that designated competent person. The designation is an employer responsibility and does not automatically follow from rigger training. You must document the designation in writing. The person must have explicit authority to remove defective equipment from service immediately. Without that authority, the inspection is incomplete.
What is the difference between a pre-use and a periodic inspection?
The two inspections differ in scope, frequency, and documentation. The table below shows how they compare.
| Element | Pre-Use Inspection | Periodic Inspection (Alloy Chain) |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Prior to use on each shift | At intervals not exceeding 12 months |
| Standard | 29 CFR 1926.251(a)(1); 29 CFR 1910.184(d)(1) | 29 CFR 1910.184(e)(3) |
| Who performs it | Competent person designated by employer | Competent person designated by employer |
| Scope | Visual check of slings, hooks, shackles, and fastenings for damage or defects | Thorough inspection of alloy steel chain slings |
| Removal authority | Immediate removal from service if damaged or defective | Immediate removal from service if criteria met |
| Documentation | No specific federal form required, but prove it was done | Record of most recent month must be maintained and available for OSHA |
What belongs on a daily rigging pre-use checklist?
Run through every item below before the first lift of the shift. If you answer no to any item, remove the rigging from service immediately.
Alloy steel chain slings
- [ ] Durable identification is present and legible, showing size, grade, rated capacity, and sling manufacturer (29 CFR 1926.251(b)(1)).
- [ ] No cracked, bent, twisted, or gouged links.
- [ ] No excessive wear. Measure the cross-sectional metal diameter at the point of greatest wear on any link. Under 29 CFR 1926.251(b)(5), remove the assembly if wear exceeds Table H-1. Under 29 CFR 1910.184(e)(8), remove it if chain size at any point falls below Table N-184-1.
- [ ] No defective welds or increase in link length (29 CFR 1910.184(e)(3)(iii)).
- [ ] No cracked or deformed master links or coupling links (29 CFR 1910.184(e)(9)(i)).
Train your inspectors on caliper use. The measurement is the cross-sectional metal diameter at the point of greatest wear, not link length or overall chain stretch.
Wire rope slings
- [ ] Rated capacity tag is present and legible (29 CFR 1926.251(a)(2)(i)).
- [ ] No kinking, crushing, bird caging, or distortion of the rope structure.
- [ ] No heat damage.
- [ ] End attachments are secure and undamaged.
- [ ] No more than ten randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay, and no more than five broken wires in one strand in one rope lay (29 CFR 1910.184(f)(5)).
- [ ] Wear or scraping of outside individual wires does not exceed one-third the original diameter (29 CFR 1910.184(f)(5)).
Count broken wires across the entire rope lay and within individual strands separately. Do not estimate.
Synthetic web slings
- [ ] Marked or coded to show rated capacity for the hitch type and material (29 CFR 1926.251(e)(1)).
- [ ] No acid or caustic burns, melting, or charring.
- [ ] No holes, tears, cuts, or snags.
- [ ] Stitching is intact, not broken or worn.
Hooks, shackles, and hardware
- [ ] Shackles show permanently affixed and legible identification markings indicating rated capacities (29 CFR 1926.251(f)(1)).
- [ ] Hooks and hardware show no deformation, cracks, or damage.
- [ ] Safety latches are present and function properly.
Edge protection and custom gear
- [ ] Slings are padded or protected from sharp edges of the load (29 CFR 1926.251(c)(9)).
- [ ] Custom lifting accessories are marked with safe working loads and were proof-tested prior to use to 125 percent of their rated load (29 CFR 1926.251(a)(4)).
When must rigging be removed from service immediately?
The standard makes removal mandatory, not optional. Under 29 CFR 1926.251(a)(1) and 29 CFR 1910.184(d)(1), damaged or defective rigging must be immediately removed from service. A missing or illegible capacity tag is an automatic failure. Under 29 CFR 1926.251(a)(2)(i), each sling must be marked with its rated capacity. If the tag is gone or unreadable, the rated capacity is zero. Tag it out. Do not let crews estimate capacity from wire diameter or chain grade.
For alloy steel chain, there is no ten percent wear rule. The wear limits are absolute inch values. For example, under 29 CFR 1926.251(b)(5), wear at any point of any chain link exceeding Table H-1 removes the assembly from service. Under 29 CFR 1910.184(e)(8), chain size at any point of the link falling below Table N-184-1 also removes it. As examples from the standards, 1/4-inch chain must come out of service below 13/64 inch, and 1/2-inch chain below 25/64 inch. Measure with calipers at the point of greatest wear.
For wire rope, 29 CFR 1910.184(f)(5) lists absolute criteria. Remove the sling when you find ten randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay, five broken wires in one strand in one rope lay, wear or scraping of one-third the original diameter of outside individual wires, kinking, crushing, bird caging, distortion, or heat damage.
How do you document rigging inspections so they hold up?
Alloy steel chain sling records are the most common paper-trail citation. Under 29 CFR 1910.184(e)(3)(ii), you must make and maintain a record of the most recent month each alloy steel chain sling received its thorough periodic inspection. You must make that record available for OSHA examination. Store records for the duration the sling is in service. If OSHA arrives and you cannot produce the most recent inspection month for every alloy chain sling on site, you will be cited.
For daily pre-use inspections, the standard does not require a specific form, but you need evidence that a competent person performed the check. More importantly, you need written proof that the inspector is a designated competent person with authority to remove gear from service. Keep that designation letter or memo on file. If you use a checklist form, have the competent person sign and date it.
What are the most-cited rigging inspection failures?
The same violations appear repeatedly on OSHA citations. Employers allow slings to remain in service with missing or illegible capacity tags. They designate a rigger as the competent person without written authorization to remove equipment from service. They skip the record of the most recent month for alloy chain periodic inspections. They fail to pad slings from sharp edges. They retire wire rope based on guesswork rather than the broken-wire counts and diameter-loss thresholds in the standard. They also confuse operator certification or rigger training with competent-person status for inspection duties. You cannot simply point to your most experienced rigger and call them the competent person without explicit written designation and the authority to stop the job and pull gear. The authority to take prompt corrective action is a core element of the definition at 29 CFR 1926.32(f).
Do missing capacity tags really make a sling unusable?
Yes. A missing tag makes the rated capacity zero. Under 29 CFR 1926.251(a)(2)(i), each sling must be marked with its rated capacity. Under 29 CFR 1926.251(b)(1), welded alloy steel chain slings must have permanently affixed durable identification stating size, grade, rated capacity, and manufacturer. Under 29 CFR 1926.251(e)(1), synthetic web slings must be marked or coded to show rated capacity for the hitch type and material. Under 29 CFR 1926.251(f)(1), shackles must have permanently affixed and legible identification markings showing rated capacities. If any of these markings are missing or unreadable, the item fails inspection and must be removed from service. Do not attempt to calculate or estimate capacity in the field.
Jobsite tracks OSHA compliance, training, certifications, and inspections for contractors. If you need a system that keeps your competent-person designations, alloy chain inspection records, and pre-shift checklist documentation organized and audit-ready, see how it works.
FAQ
How often must alloy steel chain slings be inspected?
They require a thorough periodic inspection at intervals not to exceed 12 months under 29 CFR 1910.184(e)(3). They also require a visual pre-use inspection prior to each shift under 29 CFR 1926.251(a)(1).
Can a rigger automatically serve as the competent person for inspections?
No. Under 29 CFR 1926.32(f), the employer must explicitly designate the competent person in writing, and that person must have authorization to take prompt corrective action and remove defective equipment from service. Rigger training alone does not confer competent-person status.
What happens if a sling's capacity tag is missing?
The rated capacity becomes zero. Under 29 CFR 1926.251(a)(2)(i), each sling must be marked with its rated capacity. If the tag is missing or illegible, the sling must be removed from service immediately and cannot be used based on field estimates.
Is there a 10% wear rule for alloy chain slings?
No. The standards use absolute inch values, not percentages. Under 29 CFR 1926.251(b)(5), remove chain if wear at any link exceeds Table H-1. Under 29 CFR 1910.184(e)(8), remove it if chain size falls below Table N-184-1. You must measure the cross-sectional metal diameter at the point of greatest wear with calipers.
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About the author
The Jobsite Editorial Team — Construction safety & OSHA compliance
The Jobsite Editorial Team writes the safety and compliance library behind Jobsite, the construction safety, OSHA compliance, and training platform for contractors. Every article starts from the primary regulatory text — the CFR section itself, not a summary of it — and is fact-checked against that source before it publishes, so what you read here is what the standard actually requires of small and mid-size contractors in the field.