Rigging and Load Securement

Talking points

1. Slings — wire rope, synthetic, chain, or metal mesh — are built to a design factor of 5 under ASME B30.9, the industry sling standard; OSHA's rule is that no sling may ever be loaded beyond the rated capacity marked on it.
2. Inspect slings before each use. For wire rope, look for 10 or more broken wires in one rope lay, kinking, crushing, corrosion, or bird-caging.
3. Never wrap a sling around a sharp edge without padding. A sharp corner can cut through synthetic webbing in a single lift.
4. Know the sling angle — as the angle decreases from vertical, the load on each sling leg increases. At 30 degrees from horizontal, each leg carries twice the proportional load.
5. Shackles, hooks, and other hardware must match the sling rating. A 5-ton sling on a 3-ton shackle means your system is only rated for 3 tons.

Ask the crew

What's the first thing you look for when inspecting a wire rope sling — and when was the last time you rejected one?

Standards this talk is built on

• 29 CFR 1926.251
• 29 CFR 1926.1404

A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.

Sign-in sheet

Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.

© Jobsite. Free to read aloud, print and use in your own crew's safety meetings. Republishing, reselling or bulk-copying these talks is not permitted.