Slinging, Rigging &

Manual Handling

Prepared By:

Masood-Ur-Rehman

Definition
Rigging is a technique for lifting heavy
loads using lifting equipment, tools and
standard signals, safely and efficiently

Introduction
Rigging is a critical and hazardous job and must
be done properly and carefully. Job execution in
improper or unsafe way may result into loss of life
and serious injury and extreme damage to plant
equipment
We must remember, every job is safe if done in

proper way with regulation and prior training

3

Contents Of Slinging & Rigging

Fundamentals of slinging & rigging

Rigging Equipment

Slinging, Rigging Techniques

Safety Rules for load handling

Load lifting
Communication Pyramid

Fundamentals Of Rigging

Determine the Weight of the Load

Selection of proper Rigging Equipment
Method and Procedure of load lifting
Look for hazards
Preparation of area of activities
Lifting and shifting of load

Selection of Rigging Equipment

Equipment used should have adequate

strength
Equipment should have load capacity tags
Inspected within last one year
Physical condition to be checked before job
start
Predetermine hazards associated

Look for hazards

Swinging, falling or dislocating material and

equipment
Pinching or crushing
Whipping of cables and ropes
Falling of rigging equipment

Load Lifting Procedure

Type, size, location & load charts of

equipment
Number and size of slings to be used
Method of sling installation
Location, type and capacity of lifting lugs
Boom lengths, angles and radius of lift
Proportional load for multi-equipment lifts
Bracing, balancing or reinforcement of
equipment to be lifted
9

Good Practices

Hoist load a couple of inches before lifting

One man to pass signals to crane operator
Pads be used at sharp corners to protect
slings from kinks and crushing of load
Tag lines may be used for balancing of load
Load to be positioned for vertical lifting
Avoid rush near the activity area
All safety gadgets to be used
Compact ground for crane if required
10

Think Before You Pink !

Calculate not guess the load weight

Shape of load matters
Slinging positions be defined
Define the route for load travel
Where will the load be placed
What is to be done with the load

11

Pre-arrangements Do Payback

Prepare and mark & mark area where crane

will dock.
Cordon off Area.
Remove insulation and expose lifting lugs
before finalizing rigging plan.
Prepare stands and wooden blocks for
placing equipment.

12

Safety Rules

Dress safely
Use personal protective
Cordon off area
Select correct rigging equipment
Keep equipment clear of electric wires/poles
Never overload any rigging equipment
If in doubt always ask your supervisor
Secure load before lifting and movement
Always watch load while being lifted
Inspect load from all sides before lifting
Check stability of crane as it is lifting load
13

Safety Rules (Continued)

Never ride over a suspended load

Dont lift load with a jerks
Never stand under a suspended load
Rigger should not work under influence of any drug,
medicine or alcohol
Job scope should be clear to rigger, crane operator
and area supervisor
No horse play or jokes
Keep good house-keeping all the time and clear
passages
If tools get damaged, inform tool room incharge
Store equipment properly after use
14

PP & Safety Equipment

A Rigger should work safely and
wear his Personal Protective
Equipment.
Following safety equipment should
also be used where applicable:

Ear plugs or muffs

Leather Gloves (For handling wire rope)
Gas mask
Safety belt or harness
Communication signal other than
hand signals if visibility or
hearing is restricted
15

Other Safety Tips

Never lift bulky but light loads in high wind

speed
Watch for crane overturning at its tip as load
is lifted for the first time
Watch out for any electric cables and their
safe range. High voltage shock may hit from
a distance

16

Wire Rope
Wire rope composes:
Cold drawn wire strands
Strands laid in a particular way around core
There are a definite number of strands
There are a definite number of wires in each
strand.
The direction the wires or strands are laid
also called LAY is also important
The core consists of wire rope strand, fiber
rope or a single strand
17

Wire Rope LAY

The size, number and arrangement of wires
and strands and type of core are determined by
service for which load is to be used

Wires/Strands in a Ropes are laid normally in:

1. Ordinary lay
2. Lang Lay

18

Rope Lay System

Right regular Lay

Left regular Lay

Right Lang Lay

Left Lang Lay

19

Material & sizing (Wire Rope)

Wire rope are made of Iron wire, Mild Plow,
Improved Plow Steel (mostly used), Extra
Improved Plow steel.
Rope are sized by the dia. of circle that will
enclose the cross section. New rope is made
slightly oversize such as to rope is
0-1/32 oversize.
20

Wire Rope Measurement

21

Wire Rope Configuration

22

Precautions

Keep Wire rope lubricated

Before a new wire rope is taken in service,

load it for an hour before actually lifting

Never make slings out of used wire rope

After half of normal life, turn it end to end and

re-install
23

Inspection of Wire Rope

A wire rope should be discarded if there are :
If six randomly broken wires in one lay or three
broken wires in one strand of any lay, observed.
Wear of one third the original dia. of individual
outside wires
Kinking, crushing, bird cage or other distortions
resulting in distortion of rope structure
Evidence of heat damages
Excessive elongation or sharp reduction in diameter
More than two broken wires in one lay in sections
beyond end connections, or more than one broken
wire at an end connection
24

Inspection Of Wire Rope

Core Protrusion

Check Out for broken wires

Bird Cage

Inspect / Replace rope at the fitting

25

SLINGS
Wire rope becomes a sling when splicing or an
end fitting is added to the sling
Sling is also defined as a link between load &
crane hook.

27

SLINGS
Following are major types of slings:

Single Leg Sling

Bridle Sling
Wire Rope Slings
Web Mesh Slings

28

Single Leg Slings

Single leg sling is most
widely used sling. Single
leg sling is used for :

Vertical Leg Hitch

Choker Hitch
Basket Hitch

Hitch is an attachment of a rope to an object

29

TYPES OF SINGLE LEG SLINGS

Single Leg Hitch
Sling is a straight connector
between hoist hook and the
load. Following factors effect
this kind of lift.

Length of sling
Head room
Load lifting procedure
Weight of load
30

Choker Hitch
This hitch is used for lifting
bundles, pipes etc. Following
must
be
taken
into
consideration:

Balance the load

Give at least two wraps
around the load
Use pads made of wood,
curved plates etc. for sharp
cornered objects
31

Basket Hitch
This technique is used for lifting loads which
can not be lifted by choker hitch. Following
must be considered :

Lifting angle affects

sling capacity
Damage to sling is
susceptible

33

Bridle Slings
When a two or more
single leg slings are
used, the arrangement
is called Bridle sling
It is used for Lifting :

Long loads
Bulky and irregular
shape loads
34

Use of Bridle slings

Bridle slings are used
in variety of styles as
shown according to
the type of load to be
lifted.
Chain
slings
are
widely
used
in
foundries in bridle
arrangement
35

Spread in a basket hitch

To reduce the stress on
individual sling longer slings
are used.
If slipping or rotation is
foreseen use choker hitch in a
round object

37

Centre of Gravity
Care must be taken for centre of gravity when
lifting a heavy Load.
Tilting of load may
cause one sling to be
overloaded
A single eye-bolt at
top ( above c.g.) is
best available option,
with a single vertical
leg sling
Equal slings should be when opting multiple slings
Use of a spreader beam should be sought

38

Rotation of loads
If load is to be rotated, slinging method must be
reviewed depending on shape of load.
Improper handling may cause damage to
personnel, load or the crane

Rotation Of Load
39

Wire Rope Slings

Wire rope used for making slings is more flexible
than normal wire rope used for other rigging
operations.

Improved Plow Steel wire rope in 6x19

configuration is used (6x37 config. is used for
larger rope dia.)
New rope with wire rope core is preferred for
making slings
Safe load limit of sling depends on method
(Hitch) and type of load being lifting
40

End Connection of Wire Ropes

Following
rope
splicing methods are
as shown in figures.
yield a different
efficiency

end
used
Each
load

Swaged Socket
Wire rope socket

Pressed

sleeve

with

thimble
Flemish loop with sleeve
Wedge socket
Clips
Thimble splice
Loop splice hand tucked
41

Web Mesh Slings

Web Slings are made of:
Nylon mesh
Fiber mesh
Nylon mesh
with steel
reinforcement
Steel wire mesh
Link or roller chain mesh
slings
They are used widely to lift:
Bulky But Fragile loads
Flexible
loads with bearing surfaces
Lifting of heat exchangers
43

Uses of Web Slings

44

Fiber Ropes
Manila, Nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene,
Dacron, are most commonly used fiber ropes.

Sizing of ropes up to 1 is done by diameter &

above this it is done in circumference (3x dia.)
Ends of Ropes can be spliced without a
weakening effect
Ropes should be stored carefully in a
moisture & chemical free area, hanged with
wall on pegs
46

Precautions with Ropes

A rope should not be used beyond its load

capacity, which is give in a load chart
Discarded rope should be destroyed at once
No rope should be left loaded for long
Rope should not be allowed to Wet
Remove kinks/twist in rope when Winding
unwinding
Angle between legs of slings greatly
decrease load capacity of the rope
47

CHAINS
Chains are an important rigging tool used
extensively in chain hoists

Roller link chains

Simple link chain
Chains used for rigging purpose are grade
60 or 80 alloy or grade
@ FREQUENT INSPECTION OF CHAINS IS VERY IMPORTANT
48

Chains

chain identification

chain identification

Chain Stretch

Damaged Chain links

49

Links and Rings

Links are used at the ends of chains, wire rope
slings for rigging operation. Following three are
most commonly used:

Circular link

Elliptical link

Pear shape link

Weld-less link

Weld-less or Missing Link are stronger than welded or snap type links
50

Chain Hoists

51

CHAIN HOISTS
Chain hoists Most frequently used
rigging tool for lifting, balancing and
supporting light to medium loads
Mainly designed on spur gear system,
comprise of following parts :1. Hand chain
2. Hand wheel with friction clutch &
ratchet
3. Chain sprocket
4. Load chain
5. Swivel hook
52

CHAIN HOIST SAFETY RULES

Select chain block according to load

Inspect chain block carefully
Chain block to be tied with wire rope to a rigid
structure
Chain blocks are designed for vertical lifting only
Load chain should not be twisted
Operator should stand clear of the load
Area of should be cordoned off
Never use excessive force to lift load, more than
one man are not allowed
53

Chain Hoist Safety

54

CHAIN BLOCK PRECAUTIONS

Complete servicing of chain block be done

once in a year
Store chain hoist after lubrication
Never oil friction clutch plate
Check hooks for deformation and cracks
Test chain block for its load capacity tags

55

Useful Tips

Use right size

chain block

Inspect
Before Use

If It Takes two chain

block is overloaded
56

COME-A-LONGS
A chain hoist with ratchet
lever
action
pulling
arrangement.
They having relatively
shorter travel than chain
block and also chain
travel can be reversed.
Come-A-Long
57

Uses OF Come-A-Longs
Come-A-Longs are used for :
Level the face of load for setting flat
Avoid a heavy load from movement/ turning
Can be used in any direction
To balance the weight of irregular load
Provides 3rd 4th leg to a two leg sling

Load lifting capacity of a come-a-long drops with an increase in angle

58

Hooks
Hooks are made by drop forging and heat
treatment of carbon steel (Use of alloy steel
hooks is avoided)

Eye Type Hooks

Clevis Type Hooks
Swivel Ring Hooks
Clevis-Swivel Hooks
Snatch or Pulley Block hooks
59

Types of Hooks

Eye Hooks

Clevis Hooks
60

Types of Hooks

Swivel Ring Hook

Clevis Swivel Hook

Pulley Block Hooks

61

Precautions using HOOKS

Inspect Hooks before use for cracks, throat

opening
Hook opening >1% is not allowed
Use only that hook which has safety
latches installed on it
Mousing to be done for extra protection
Hook are meant for vertical Lift only
Dont hook the HOOK at its Lip
Never use Painted Hook
62

Precaution using hooks

Use of hook at angle

63

Inspection of Hooks

Check for Increased Clearance

Check for Safety latch

64

Jacks
Jacks are used for lifting heavy load a few
inches, for leveling of machinery, holding a
load at certain height or pushing/pulling load

Hydraulic Jacks
Mechanical Jacks

65

Precautions Using Jacks

Check jack before use

Check if hydraulic oil does not leak
Load within capacity
Place jack on firm footing
Keep hands, feet & body parts away
from load
Never use jack at an angle
Take special care when lowering load
Never leave a load on jacks for long time
66

Turn Buckles
Turn Buckle, Ratchet Binder or Load binder is

a device used to:

Tightly hold down or tie large loads which

may

shift

from

its

position

during

transportation

Employed with a sling for minor adjustment in

load position
67

Types of Turn Buckle

Turn Buckle

Load Binder

Ratchet Type load binder

68

Uses of turn buckle

69

EYE BOLTS
Its a drop forged ring with a bolt at one end
that is screwed in an inside threaded hole.
Abundantly used for :

Pulling of exchanger bundles

Lifting medium weight
equipment

There are two basic types of

eye bolts as shown:

Shoulder

Forged
70

Shackles
Shackles is a U shaped link with a pin at open
end. Shackles are used for:

Joining chains, ropes, slings

To attach a load or sling to crane hook
To make a link between an eye and a sling
To lift a load from a hole cut for the purpose
To attach fittings or to suspend load

Shackles are designed for vertical pull only

71

Classification of Shackles
Shackles are of two types;
Anchor shackle
Chain shackles
Different type of pins are used
in shackles according to need
are:
Screw pin
Floating pin
Bolt type pin
72

Wire Rope and Chain Shackles

73

Precaution Using Shackles

Unbowed anchor shackles must not used for

slings, hooks.
Never use a shackle at an angle for side pull.
If Shackle is too wide for an eye, use packing on
both sides of pin to restrict its lateral movement
Pin of shackle damages wire rope, so an eye
hook should be used with a shackle pin
For heavy loads which tend to twist, a shackle
with bolt type pin is preferred
Always inspect a shackle before use
74

Hand Signals

75

Hand Signals (continued)

76

Hand Signals (continued)

77