What if a lifting accessory is damaged just before the lift?

The planned lift has lost one of its stated controls

The crane is set up, the load has arrived and the installation crew is waiting. During the pre-use check, a slinger finds damage on one leg of the sling named in the rigging arrangement. Another sling is available in the lifting store. It has a visible tag and a recent thorough-examination record. The temptation is to swap it in and avoid missing the crane slot. That decision cannot be made from the tag alone. The alternative may differ in length, material, number of legs, termination, attachment method or working load limit at the actual angle. Each difference can change the forces and the way the load behaves.

Hold the lift and prevent the damaged item from being used. Tell the crane operator, lifting supervisor and person responsible for the lift plan what was found. Do not attach the load and then debate whether the sling is acceptable while it hangs from the hook. The stop should cover the affected lifting operation, including any trial pick proposed to “see if it works”. A current examination record is important evidence but cannot override damage found today. HSE's examination and inspection guidance identifies simple pre-use checks as part of continuing safe use. HSE's safe lifting guidance says not to lift when the adequacy of the equipment is in doubt.

This page begins at a specific failed pre-use or immediate pre-lift check. The PUWER and LOLER inspection guide explains how an organisation sets examination and inspection regimes. The hired plant handover draft covers suitability when equipment first arrives. The changed crane-ground draft covers a different change to the planned lift. This page owns the real-time accessory withdrawal and replacement decision. It does not create a new generic LOLER overview or prescribe one rejection checklist for every product.

Make the stop unambiguous at the workface

An operational hold needs a named controller and a visible boundary. Tell all crew members which accessory is affected and which lift is stopped. The item may be one of several identical-looking slings laid beside the load. Record its unique identifier or other reliable identity immediately. Separate it physically from serviceable items, attach a clear out-of-use label where appropriate, and place it where the next shift cannot mistake it for a ready spare. A red tag alone may fall off. A digital defect flag alone may not reach the crew standing beside the crane. Use both a physical control and a controlled record according to the site's system.

Do not allow someone to cut off the damaged portion, turn a webbing sling over, shorten a chain with an unapproved device or substitute a different connector without competent approval. The actual defect may be more serious than it looks. Heat, chemicals, abrasion, sharp edges, overload or shock loading can affect more than the visible spot. The manufacturer and a competent person should determine whether the item is repairable, needs further examination or must be destroyed. Site staff should not mark a suspect accessory “safe for light lifts” because the next load is smaller.

Check whether the problem extends beyond one item. If the sling was damaged against a sharp corner of this load, another sling rigged the same way may fail. If a shackle pin is deformed, inspect the corresponding lift point and any other connector exposed to the same loading. If the item came from a shared store, look for others from the same batch or storage condition where there is a credible common cause. The response should be proportionate to the finding. It should not turn one isolated defect into an assumption that every accessory on site has failed, nor should it ignore a repeat pattern.

Identify where the load and equipment are now. If the load is still on the ground, keep people out of the proposed lift zone and do not start. If a defect becomes apparent after a load is already supported, the immediate task is to manage the suspended load safely under the lifting supervisor's direction. Do not send a person under it to inspect the accessory, and do not make an improvised adjustment while it is under tension. The plan for safely landing or stabilising the load depends on the equipment and situation and needs a competent decision at the site.

Describe the defect without pretending to diagnose it

The first report should say what was seen, where it is and how the item was being used. Useful observations might include torn stitching, a cut in webbing, a missing identification label, a bent hook latch, a damaged shackle pin, corrosion, an eye deformation or a chain link that no longer sits as expected. The words “looks a bit worn” are too vague for the lifting planner. Photographs with scale and the item ID can help, but photographs do not replace a competent hands-on assessment. Avoid bending or loading the item to demonstrate the defect.

Different accessories have different rejection criteria. A synthetic sling may be affected by cuts, heat or chemicals that would not present like chain damage. A chain sling can have link wear, elongation or damaged fittings. A wire rope sling has its own broken-wire and deformation considerations. A shackle's marking, pin engagement and compatibility matter. Do not publish a universal numeric threshold without the accessory standard, manufacturer's instructions, equipment history and specialist review. This guide tells the site what decisions to make, not how to certify a particular sling by eye.

Find the current thorough-examination report and any inspection or maintenance history for the exact item. Confirm the identifier, not just the supplier name or colour code. HSE's LOLER overview explains that lifting accessories are within the regime and that thorough examination records matter. A valid report does not mean a newly damaged item can be used until the next examination date. The report may also identify restrictions or a configuration that must be understood. If the item's identity or marking is no longer legible, the site cannot assume the report belongs to it.

Keep the defect route separate from the formal reporting duty. HSE describes immediate notification and written reporting where a dangerous defect is identified by a competent person during a statutory thorough examination or relevant formal inspection. A slinger's ordinary pre-use discovery still requires a safe stop and appropriate internal escalation. It does not automatically mean the slinger must issue a statutory examiner's report to the enforcing authority. If the finding follows an accident or exceptional event, specialist advice may be needed about examination and any incident-reporting obligations. Record facts and let the dutyholder assess the applicable route rather than applying one label to every damaged sling.

A replacement must fit this lift, not merely carry a larger number

Ask the person responsible for the lifting plan to compare the proposed replacement with the planned accessory and rigging arrangement. Confirm the load's verified weight and centre of gravity. Identify the lifting points, connector dimensions, hook interface, leg count, sling lengths and angles, edge protection, attachment method and intended load orientation. Check the working load limit for the actual configuration and any manufacturer restrictions. A label showing a high single-leg rating does not establish the capacity of a multi-leg arrangement at a wide angle. HSE warns that the force in sling legs increases as the angle between them increases and says safe working loads must not be exceeded.

An accessory of another material can change the contact with the load. A chain may damage a finished surface. A webbing sling may be unsuitable against a sharp unprotected edge. A longer replacement can increase the hook height needed or change the landing position. A shorter one can pull attachment points in an unintended direction. A different shackle can fit loosely, bind against a lifting eye or orient a pin incorrectly. A connector with a suitable rating may still be geometrically incompatible. Treat these as questions for the competent lifting team, not reasons to improvise with extra knots or loose packing.

Check the replacement's identity and status. Its visible marking should correspond to an asset record and relevant thorough-examination evidence. Examine it before use under the appropriate procedure. Confirm it was stored and handled so that its condition is credible. A spare taken from the back of a truck may have been exposed to weather, chemicals or damage. HSE's construction lifting guidance says lifting accessories must be adequate and lifting operations competently planned and supervised. The mere presence of a current certificate does not establish compatibility with this load.

If a suitable identical replacement is available and the original plan explicitly allows it, the competent person may be able to confirm the operation without a major redesign. Record that decision and the item identity. If the change alters rigging, forces, load control, pick or landing, route it through the appropriate lift-plan revision and briefing. The level of documentation should match the risk and plan complexity. HSE's planning guidance says the plan must address foreseeable risks, people and equipment resources, attaching and securing loads, pre-use checks and equipment integrity. It also says a routine plan may need review when conditions change. Calling a changed accessory “equivalent” is a conclusion to support, not a shortcut around the comparison.

Check the plan's dependencies before approving a new rig

Review the whole lifting sequence, not only the sling rating. Will the changed accessory alter the load's balance when the crane takes weight? Can the crew still attach it without standing under a suspended load or reaching into a crush point? Does the lifting beam or spreader remain within its stated configuration? Can the hook travel high enough for the load to clear obstacles? Will the new rig bring a sling into contact with an edge? Will the signaler and crane operator still have the intended view? Will the landing team be able to release the load safely? These are reasons the plan named particular components in the first place.

The load itself may need reassessment. If a sling was cut during an earlier attempt, a sharp corner or projecting bolt may be the actual cause. Replacing the sling without adding approved edge protection would recreate the failure mechanism. If a shackle was bent, the lifting point may have been misaligned or the load may have rotated. If damage occurred in storage, the planned operation may be sound but the equipment control process is not. Separate cause investigation from immediate release, while ensuring the cause that could recur during this lift is controlled first.

Check who owns the decision under the actual lifting arrangement. On a construction site, the principal contractor coordinates interfaces, but the appointed lift planner, crane supplier, user and lifting supervisor may hold different responsibilities under the hire contract and lift plan. HSE's construction lifting page says ordinary crane hire normally leaves planning and supervision with the user unless a contract lift explicitly transfers these functions. The supplier may need to provide a replacement and its records, but that does not automatically transfer the user's planning duty. Name who decides that the replacement and revised rig are suitable.

Keep the affected crew informed. The crane operator should know that no load may be picked until the agreed release. The slinger should know which accessory is approved and which is isolated. The signaler should know whether the sequence, exclusion zone or communication method changed. The receiving team should know if the load will arrive in a different orientation. A revised lift sketch in a document store cannot control a crew still holding yesterday's rigging instruction. Withdraw or mark the old arrangement superseded where it no longer applies.

Do not let programme pressure decide the defect classification

A mobile crane can be expensive to keep on hire. A concrete pour may depend on the load arriving before another trade starts. Those pressures are real and should be handled openly, but they cannot decide whether an accessory is safe. A short delay to obtain a verified substitute can be better than a rushed lift with uncertain rigging. If no suitable accessory can be supplied, postpone the lift and secure the load and work area. Do not hide the delay by recording the lift as complete or by changing the material-transfer method without assessing it.

Consider the operational consequences of postponement. Is the load stable where it is stored? Does it block a pedestrian or emergency route? Does the crane need to move or remain in a safe position? Are temporary works or weather protections waiting for the installation? Who tells the client, supplier and following trades? A stop-work decision is complete only when the site is safe during the wait. A defect record may therefore generate separate actions for storage, access and programme coordination.

If another lifting method is proposed, treat it as a new method. A telehandler, forklift or excavator may have different capacity, ground, reach and load-control limits. The workface and people exposed may change. A manual handling workaround may create a different injury risk or be impossible for the load. The fact that the original crane rig is unavailable does not authorise a different machine or improvised load path. Ask the competent planner to assess the new method on its own terms.

Keep the record tied to an actual item and decision

A concise record should identify the defective accessory, who found the problem, when and where it was found, the observed condition, the lift affected, the immediate hold, where the item was isolated and who was informed. Link the relevant examination record and any supplier communication. Record the replacement's ID, markings, evidence and pre-use check. Then capture the planner's comparison with the approved rig, any revised drawing or method, the crew briefing and the person who released the lift. If the original item goes for repair, examination or destruction, retain that outcome so it cannot return to a store without authority.

The record should not pretend that a database status proves the physical sling is isolated. Check the store and the workface. If an item is hired, tell the supplier and agree who retains or removes it. Avoid leaving a damaged item in a general return box where it can be reissued at another site. If the defect could affect other accessories, note what was checked and why. A useful record explains a practical decision rather than reproducing a generic hundred-point checklist.

Where Complys is used to hold asset or project evidence, a product reviewer should confirm the exact capability before a CTA promises a defect status, task assignment or document link. This draft does not claim that Complys diagnoses sling damage, calculates sling-leg forces, validates a lift plan or issues a LOLER thorough-examination report. Those technical acts require competent people and equipment-specific information. The Complys Projects guide is a possible commercial context only after route and product review.

Release the first pick, then test the correction

Before the first pick, the lifting supervisor should confirm that the damaged item is out of reach, the approved replacement is the one actually rigged, its configuration matches the current plan, the load's attachment points and edge protection are correct, and the exclusion zone and communications are ready. The operator, slinger and signaler should describe the same rig and stop signal. If their descriptions differ, stop and brief again. The person responsible for planning should have approved any material deviation from the plan. The supervisor should not treat a verbal “new sling fitted” as the whole release evidence.

The first controlled movement can reveal an unexpected balance or clearance issue. The crew should respond according to the plan and stop if the load behaves differently from the assessed condition. Do not use an uncontrolled test lift to discover whether an unsuitable replacement will hold. If the lift cannot be completed as planned, land or stabilise the load safely and return the change to the competent planner. Once complete, record whether the substitute worked as intended and whether the original defect points to a recurring edge, storage or selection problem.

Recheck triggers include a new accessory type, changed sling angle, altered load weight or centre of gravity, different lifting points, additional damage, a shock-loading event, a changed lifting machine, and any discrepancy between the plan and actual rig. A scheduled examination date is another control, but it does not defer the response to a defect found now. The useful outcome is a lift that proceeds only with a known, suitable accessory and a crew that understands the approved method.

Suggested CTA: Record the damaged accessory and hold decision in the project's existing equipment process, then attach the competent replacement and lift-plan decision. Confirm any Complys workflow claims with the product owner before publication. Related tool opportunity: A one-page accessory substitution decision record with fields for original and replacement IDs, markings, configuration, load and sling-angle check, revised plan, crew briefing, quarantine and first-pick observation. It must not calculate or auto-approve a rig.