OSHA Sling Inspection Requirements: Daily Checks That Save Lives

OSHA estimates that approximately 50,000 workers are injured annually in incidents involving cranes and rigging, with sling failure as a significant contributing factor. The irony: most sling failures are detectable before they happen — if someone inspects the sling before use.

This guide covers the OSHA requirements for sling inspection, the specific removal criteria for each sling type, and the practical inspection procedures that turn regulations into daily habits.

OSHA 1910.184 Overview

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.184 (Slings) establishes minimum requirements for sling use in general industry. Key provisions:

• Slings must be inspected before each use by a competent person
• Damaged slings must be immediately removed from service
• Slings must not be loaded beyond their rated capacity
• Slings must have identification markings showing rated capacity
• Personnel must be trained in proper sling use and inspection

The standard references ASME B30.9 (Slings) for detailed technical requirements. Many employers adopt B30.9 as their internal standard because it provides more specific guidance than the OSHA regulation alone.

Web Sling Inspection

Synthetic web slings (polyester, nylon, polypropylene) are the most commonly used sling type and have specific removal criteria:

Remove from service immediately if you find:

• Acid or caustic burns — look for discolored, stiff, or brittle areas. Polyester is resistant to most acids but vulnerable to alkalis. Nylon is the reverse — resistant to alkalis but degraded by acids.
• Melting or charring — any evidence of heat damage from contact with hot surfaces, welding spatter, or flame
• Snags, punctures, cuts, or tears — any penetration of the webbing that exposes core yarns
• Broken or worn stitching — particularly at the eye splice or hardware connection points. The stitching pattern is an engineered joint — loss of stitching reduces capacity
• Excessive abrasion — surface fuzzing that has worn through the outer yarns and exposed the inner body of the webbing
• Knots — never knot a web sling. Knots reduce capacity by 40-50%
• UV degradation — fading, brittleness, or powdering of the surface. UV damage is cumulative and irreversible
• Missing or illegible tag — a sling without a readable identification tag must not be used

Polyester vs Nylon identification matters because their chemical vulnerabilities are opposite. If you’re unsure of the material and the sling may have been exposed to chemicals, retire it.

Roundsling Inspection

Roundslings have a core of load-bearing yarns enclosed in a protective cover (jacket). The cover protects the core from damage and provides UV and abrasion resistance.

Removal criteria:

• Cover damage that exposes core yarns — any cut, tear, or abrasion through the cover requires immediate removal. The cover is the only protection for the load-bearing core.
• Core yarn visible — if you can see the white (or colored) core yarns through the cover, the sling is compromised
• Lumps or bulges — indicate internal core damage or bunching
• Cover slippage — the cover has shifted relative to the core, exposing the core at one end
• Hard spots or stiff areas — may indicate internal damage, chemical exposure, or foreign material trapped inside

Color coding: Roundsling covers are color-coded by capacity per ASME B30.9:

Color	Vertical Capacity
Purple	2,600 lbs
Green	5,300 lbs
Yellow	8,400 lbs
Tan	10,600 lbs
Red	13,200 lbs
Blue	21,200 lbs
Orange	25,000+ lbs

Chain Sling Inspection

Alloy steel chain slings (Grade 80 or 100) are the most durable sling type but still require regular inspection:

Removal criteria:

• Stretch: Any individual link that has stretched more than 5% of its original length, or the overall sling length has increased more than 3%
• Wear: Link cross-section reduced by more than 10% at any point
• Nicks, gouges, or cracks — especially at the bearing surfaces of the links
• Bent or twisted links — chain links should lie flat and articulate freely
• Weld splatter, arc strikes, or heat discoloration — indicates the chain’s heat treatment has been compromised
• Missing or illegible grade markings — if you can’t confirm Grade 80 or 100, the chain must not be used for overhead lifting

Chain slings have the advantage of being repairable — damaged links can be replaced by the sling manufacturer using matching grade components. However, field repair (welding, heating, or adding non-matching components) is strictly prohibited.

Wire Rope Sling Inspection

Wire rope sling removal criteria per ASME B30.9:

• 10 randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay length (for single-part body)
• 5 broken wires in one strand in one rope lay
• Kinking, crushing, birdcaging, or other distortion
• Evidence of heat damage (discoloration, melted lubricant)
• End fittings: cracked, deformed, or worn; evidence of slippage at swage fittings
• Corrosion — particularly at terminations and in areas where the rope bends
• Core protrusion
• Diameter reduction exceeding removal criteria for the rope size

Wire rope slings should be lubricated periodically to prevent internal corrosion and reduce friction between wires. Store hanging vertically when possible, or on a rack that supports the full length — never in a pile on the floor.

Documentation and Record Keeping

While OSHA doesn’t explicitly require written records of daily (frequent) inspections, it does require documentation of periodic inspections and ASME B30.9 recommends records for both. Best practice:

• Daily/pre-use inspection: Performed by the user. May be documented on a daily checklist or log sheet, or simply performed as a visual check before use.
• Periodic inspection: Performed by a designated qualified person at defined intervals (monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on service severity). Must be documented with: date, sling identification, inspector name, findings, and disposition (return to service or remove).
• Sling register: Maintain a master list of all slings in service with their identification numbers, date of purchase, rated capacities, and inspection history.

During an OSHA inspection, the compliance officer will ask to see your sling inspection records, your training documentation for sling users, and will physically inspect slings on the floor. Having organized records demonstrates a functional safety program and can be the difference between a citation and a clean inspection.

Conclusion

Sling inspection takes seconds. Sling failure takes lives. Build the inspection habit into every lift — check the tag, check the body, check the hardware. When you find damage, pull the sling immediately. The cost of a new sling is always less than the cost of a dropped load.

Find sling suppliers in our lifting equipment directory.