Shock Loads

Frequency of inspection will depend on environmental

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conditions, application, storage of product prior to use, fre 

Avoid impacting, jerking or swinging of load as the Working

quency of use, etc.  When in doubt, inspect products

Load Limit could be exceeded and the Working Load Limit

prior to each use.  Carefully check each item for wear,

will not apply.  A shock load is generally significantly

deformation, cracks or elongation   a sure sign of imminent

greater than the static load.  Avoid Shock Loads.

failure.  Immediately withdraw such items from service.

Regular Inspections 

Rust damage is another potential hazard. When in

Inspect products regularly for visible damage, cracks, wear,

doubt about the extent of corrosion or other damage, with 

elongation, rust,etc.  Protect all products from corro 

draw the items from service.

sion. The need for periodic inspections cannot be

overemphasized.   No product can keep operating at its

Destroy, rather than discard, items that have been

rated capacity indefinitely.  Periodic inspections help

judged defective. They might be used again by someone

determine when to replace a product and reduce rigging

not aware of the hazard involved.

hazards.  Keep inspection records to help pinpoint prob 

lems and to ensure periodic inspection intervals.

Due to the diversity of the products involved and uses to

which they can be put, it would be counterproductive to

make blanket recommendations for inspection procedures

and frequency.  Best results will be achieved when quali 

fied personnel base their decisions on information from rig 

ging and engineering manuals and on experience from

actual use in the field. 

DEFINITIONS

Information contained in this catalog is subject to change: all

Strength is the average force at which the product, in the condi 

weights and dimensions are approximate.  Ratings are stated in

tion it would leave the factory, has been found by representative

short tons (2,000lbs.) or pounds.  All dimensions are in inches; all

testing to break, when a constantly increasing force is applied in

weights are in pounds, unless otherwise.

direct line to the product at a uniform rate of speed on a standard

pull testing machine.  Proof testing to twice the Working Load

Working Load Limit (WLL)

limit does not apply to hand spliced slings.  Remember:

The Working Load Limit is the maximum load which should ever

Breaking Strengths, when published, were obtained under con 

be applied to the product, even when the product is new and 

trolled laboratory conditions.  Listing of Breaking Strength does

when the load is uniformly applied   straight line pull only.  Avoid

not mean the Working Load Limit should ever be exceeded.

side loading.  All catalog ratings are based upon usual

environmental conditions and consideration must be given to

unusual conditions such as extreme high or low temperatures, 

Design Factor (sometimes referred to as safety factory)

chemical solutions or vapors, prolonged immersion in salt water,

An industry term usually computed by dividing the catalog

etc.   Never exceed the Working Load Limit.

Breaking Strength by the catalog Working Load Limit and gener 

ally expressed as a ratio.  For example: 5 to 1.

Proof Test Load (Proof Load)

The term  Proof Test  designates a quality control test applied to

the product for the sole purpose of detecting defects in material

Shock Load

or manufacture.  The Proof Test Load (usually twice the Working

A load resulting from rapid change of movement, such as impact 

Load Limit) is the load which the product withstood without defor 

ing, jerking or swinging of a static load.  Sudden release of ten 

mation when new and under laboratory test conditions.   A con 

sion is another form of shock loading.  Shock loads are generally

stantly increasing force is applied in direct line to the product at a

significantly greater than static loads.  Any shock loading must be

uniform rate of speed on a standard pull testing machine.  The

considered when selecting the item for use in a system.  Avoid

Proof Test Load does not mean the Working Load Limit should

shock loads as they may exceed the Working Load Limit.

ever be exceeded.

Breaking Strength/Ultimate Strength

Do not use breaking strength as a criterion for service design pur 

poses.  Refer to the Working Load Limit instead.  Breaking

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