A rigger was injured when a brand new soft ‘sausage’ sling ripped while lifting a 4 tonne valve into place during a shutdown at Boral Cement, Waurn Ponds on February 4. The valve fell into the knuckle boom he was working from 12 metres above ground.

This was another example of a soft sling being wrongly used to lift a load with sharp edges. The use of a sling of this kind was inappropriate for this lift. It was also completely uneccessary as the valve had lifting lugs attached to it.

A rigger was killed on the Adelaide deslaination plant last year when a soft synthetic sling being used to lift a beam ripped and the load fell onto him.

Synthetic slings must be checked daily for signs of damage and wear and tear but as this latest incident shows, brand new slings can rip if used to lift loads with sharp edges or uneven surfaces, even if the load is within the limit specified for the sling.

Download synthetic sling safety alert