Wire Rope Sling and Hook Deficiencies at the Point of Use
A 1 in. 6x37 IWRC wire rope sling returns from a job. The tag is faded and the sling has a tight kink near one eye, two broken wires in one strand within one lay, and light surface rust. The crane hook has a missing safety latch. The crew wants to use the sling for a 7,000 lb pick because the sling is stamped 12,000 lb vertical. The lift is scheduled in 30 minutes and no replacement sling is on site. The sling would be used in a basket hitch around a sharp corner without softeners.
1. What is your disposition of the sling and the hook, and why?
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Remove the sling from service. The tight kink is a removal condition because it permanently distorts the rope and makes strength unpredictable. The faded tag prevents verification of the sling's rating and configuration. The broken wires and rust are additional reasons to reject it; even if the broken-wire count alone were below a removal threshold, the combination and the kink justify rejection. Remove the hook from service as well because the missing safety latch is a deficiency. Do not use either item for the 7,000 lb pick.
2. Can the crew field-repair the sling or down-rate it for this lift?
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No. Field repair, re-rating, or downgrading a wire rope sling is not acceptable unless done under a qualified person's procedures and the sling is re-identified and tagged. A kink cannot be straightened back to service. Cutting off the damaged eye changes the sling geometry and capacity unless properly re-fabricated and tagged. The missing hook latch must be repaired or the hook replaced according to the manufacturer. The correct action is to tag the items out and remove them from the work area.
3. What is the minimum safe plan for the 7,000 lb pick given the schedule pressure?
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Locate a certified replacement sling with a legible tag and adequate capacity for the actual hitch and angle. Use softeners or corner protection for the basket hitch. Inspect the replacement sling and shackles before use, verify the hook latch, and confirm the load weight and CG. If no suitable equipment is on site, delay the pick rather than improvise. Schedule pressure is not a reason to use a damaged sling or an unlatched hook.