Anyone using this publication must read and
understand all warnings and other information listed below
and preceding
and/or adjacent to the product description. The following
apply to all of the products in this price list. Warnings
specific to individual products are printed at the beginning
of each product section.
All warning and safety information
will be bulleted with a symbol.
All products are sold with
the express understanding that the purchaser is thoroughly
familiar with their correct application
and safe use. Use all products properly, in a safe
manner and for the application for which they were intended. Our
Company assumes no responsibility for the use or misapplication
of any product sold by this firm. Responsibility for design
and use decisions rests with the user.
REMEMBER: ANY PRODUCT
WILL BREAK IF ABUSED, MISUSED, OVERUSED OR NOT MAINTAINED
PROPERLY. Such breaks can cause loads to
fall or swing out of control, possibly resulting in serious
injury or death as well as major property damage.
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It would be impossible in the scope
of this publication to list all possible dangers and misapplications
associated with the use of all products contained herein.
However, in order to promote safe rigging habits, the most
common hazards associated
with the use of these products are outlined.
Working
Load Limit is the term used throughout this website.
There are, however, other terms used in the industry which
are interchangeable
with the term Working Load Limit. These are: WLL, SWL,
Safe Working Load,
Rated Load Value, Resulting Safe Working Load, and Rated
Capacity. Never exceed the Working Load Limit. The Working
Load Limit is the maximum
load which should ever be applied to a product, even when
the product is new and when the load is uniformly applied
- straight line pull only. Avoid 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, chemical solutions
or vapors, prolonged immersion in salt water, etc. Such conditions
or high-risk applications
may necessitate reducing the Working Load Limit. Working
Load Limit will not apply if product has been welded or
otherwise
modified.
Matching
of Components Components must match.
Make certain that components such as hooks, links or shackles,
etc. used with wire rope (or chain
or cordage) are of suitable material size and strength
to provide adequate safety protection. Attachments must be
properly
installed and must have
a Working Load Limit at least equal to the product with
which they are used. Remember: Any chain is only as strong
as its
weakest link.
Raised
Loads Keep out from under a raised
load. Take notice of the recommendation from the National
Safety Council Accident Prevention Manual
concerning all lifting operations:
“All employees working at cranes or hoists
or assisting in hooking or arranging a load should be instructed
to keep
out from under the load. From a safety standpoint, one factor is paramount: Conduct
all lifting operations in such a manner, that if there were
an equipment
failure, no personnel would be injured. This means keep out
from under a raised load and keep out of the line of force of any load.”
Do
not operate a load over people. Do not ride on loads.
Shock
Loads Avoid impacting,
jerking or swinging of load as the Working Load Limit could be exceeded and
the Working Load Limit will not apply.
A shock load is generally significantly greater than the
static load. Avoid shock loads.
Regular
Inspections Inspect products regularly
for visible damage, cracks, wear, elongation, rust, etc. Protect all products from corrosion.
The need for periodic inspections cannot be overemphasized. No product can keep operating at its rated capacity
indefinitely.
Periodic inspections
help determine when to replace a product and reduce rigging
hazards. Keep inspection records to help pinpoint problems
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 qualified personnel
base their decisions
on information from rigging and engineering manuals and
on experience from actual use in the field. Refer
to sources listed on page 198 for
technical literature. Frequency of inspection will depend
on environmental conditions, application, storage of product
prior to use, frequency of
use, etc. When in doubt, inspect products prior to each
use.
Carefully check each item for wear, deformation, cracks
or elongation - a sure
sign of imminent failure. Immediately withdraw such items
from service. Rust damage is another potential
hazard.
When in doubt about the extent
of corrosion or other damage, withdraw the items from service.
Destroy, rather than discard, items that have been judged
defective. They might be used again by someone not aware
of the hazard involved.
Additional warnings and information on wire rope, chain,
cordage, blocks and tools can be found preceding each section.
These should be read and understood thoroughly before using a particular
item.
DEFINITIONS
Information contained in this catalog is
subject to change; all weights and dimensions are approximate.
Ratings are stated in short
tons (2,000lbs.) or pounds. All dimensions are in inches;
all weights are in pounds, unless stated otherwise.
Working
Load Limit (WLL)
The Working Load Limit is the maximum load which should
ever be applied to the product, even when the product is
new and when the
load is uniformly applied - straight line pull only. Avoid 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, chemical solutions
or vapors, prolonged immersion
in salt water, etc. Never exceed the Working Load Limit.
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
or manufacture. The Proof Test Load (usually twice the Working
Load Limit) is the load which the product withstood without
deformation when new
and under laboratory test conditions. A constantly increasing
force is applied in direct line to the product at a uniform
rate of speed on a
standard pull testing machine. The Proof Test Load does not
mean the Working Load Limit should ever be exceeded.
Breaking
Strength/Ultimate Strength
Do not use breaking strength as a criterion for service
or design purposes. Refer to the Working Load Limit instead.
Breaking Strength is the average force at which the product,
in the condition
it would leave the factory, has been found by representative
testing to break, when a constantly increasing force
is applied
in direct line
to the product at a uniform rate of speed on a standard
pull testing machine. Proof testing to twice the Working
Load Limit does not apply
to hand-spliced slings. Remember: Breaking Strengths,
when published, were obtained under controlled laboratory
conditions. Listing of the
Breaking Strength does not mean the Working Load Limit
should ever be exceeded.
Design
Factor (sometimes referred
to as safety factor)
An industry term usually computed by dividing the catalog
Breaking Strength by the catalog Working Load Limit and
generally expressed as a ratio. For example: 5 to 1.
Shock
Load
A load resulting from rapid change of movement, such as
impacting, jerking or swinging of a static load. Sudden release
of tension is
another form of shock loading. Shock loads are generally
significantly greater than static loads. Any shock loading
must be considered when
selecting the item for use in a system.
Avoid shock loads as they may exceed the Working Load
Limit.
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