Polyester Round Sling Inspection Guide
How often to inspect endless polyester round slings, how to check the hidden core, and when a round sling must come out of service, based on ASME B30.9. A sling that is worn or damaged can fail without warning, so a quick, consistent inspection before every use is the best protection for your crew and your load.
Safety first: Inspect every sling, with all its fastenings and attachments, each day before use, and remove damaged or defective slings from service immediately. This guide is a summary; always follow the sling manufacturer’s instructions and the current OSHA 1910.184 and ASME B30.9 requirements.
On this page: When to inspect · Who inspects · How to inspect · Removal criteria · Tags · Rejected slings · Records · FAQ
When to Inspect
ASME B30.9 sets three levels of inspection for polyester round slings.
Initial
Before first use, inspect every new, altered, modified or repaired sling to confirm it is correct, undamaged and properly tagged. No written record is required.
Frequent (daily)
Each shift, before the sling is used, do a visual check for damage. Slings in severe or special service should be checked before each use. No written record is required by ASME.
Periodic
A complete inspection of the entire sling, including splices and fittings, at least once a year. ASME guideline intervals: normal service yearly; severe service monthly to quarterly; special service as recommended by a qualified person. Document the most recent periodic inspection.
Slings in storage or sitting idle do not need periodic inspections, but if more than a year has passed since the last one, give the sling a full periodic inspection before putting it back in service.
Who Should Inspect
OSHA requires daily inspections by a competent person designated by the employer: someone trained to recognize sling damage and authorized to take a sling out of service. ASME B30.9 says inspections are performed by a designated person, and any deficiency is evaluated by a qualified person, who decides whether it is a hazard and approves any sling before it goes back into service.
How to Inspect, Step by Step
- Check the tag first: it must be present and legible. Confirm the rating suits the load and hitch.
- Lay the sling out in good light.
- Run the full length of the sling through your hands. Feel for lumps, soft spots or cut core yarns that you cannot see through the cover.
- Look over the whole cover for holes, tears, cuts, snags and abrasion. Any damage that exposes the core yarns means removal.
- Look for burns, melting, heat damage, weld splatter and knots.
- Inspect any fittings for pitting, corrosion, cracks, bends, twists, gouges or breaks.
- If you find any removal condition, tag the sling “Do Not Use” and take it out of service.
Removal Criteria
The load-bearing core yarns are hidden inside the cover, so inspect the full length of the cover by hand and feel for cut or broken core yarns, lumps and soft spots. Polyester round slings should not be used with ethers or alkalis.
Remove the sling from service if you find:
- Missing or illegible sling identification
- Acid or caustic burns
- Evidence of heat damage
- Holes, tears, cuts, abrasive wear or snags that expose the core yarns
- Broken or damaged core yarns
- Weld splatter that exposes core yarns
- Knots in the round sling, other than core yarn knots inside the cover put there by the manufacturer
- Fittings that are pitted, corroded, cracked, bent, twisted, gouged or broken
- Any other condition that causes doubt about continued use
Before you replace a sling, check the rating you need: see our polyester round sling capacity chart or shop round slings.
Missing or Illegible Tags
Every sling must carry permanently affixed, legible identification. OSHA prohibits using a sling without it, and ASME B30.9 lists a missing or illegible tag as the first removal criterion. Without the tag, nobody can confirm the rated load.
What to Do With a Rejected Sling
- Remove it from service immediately and tag it “Do Not Use.”
- Store it apart from slings in service so it cannot be picked up by mistake.
- A qualified person decides whether the sling can be repaired. It may not return to service until a qualified person approves it.
- Repairs may be made only by the sling manufacturer or a qualified person (ASME B30.9).
- If the sling will not be repaired, destroy it so it cannot be used again.
When in doubt, take it out.If you are not sure a sling is safe, do not use it. Remove it from service and set it aside for a qualified person.
Record Keeping & Printable Checklist
- ASME B30.9: keep documentation that the most recent periodic inspection was performed. Written records are not required for initial or frequent (daily) inspections, and individual inspection records for each sling are not required.
- Good practice: give every sling an ID, and log daily checks so removed slings are tracked. Our one-page printable checklist lists every removal criterion with a code and has a daily log.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you inspect a round sling when the core is hidden?
Check the full length of the cover and run your hands along it to feel for cut or broken core yarns, lumps and soft spots. Any hole, tear, cut, snag or abrasion that exposes the core yarns, or any broken or damaged core yarns, means the sling must be removed (ASME B30.9).
How often should round slings be inspected?
A visual inspection each shift before use, an initial inspection of new or repaired slings, and a documented periodic inspection at least once a year, or monthly to quarterly in severe service (ASME B30.9).
Is a knot in a round sling a problem?
Yes. Knots are a removal criterion, except for the core yarn knots inside the cover that the manufacturer puts there during fabrication.
Where should I not use polyester round slings?
Polyester round slings are not recommended for use with ethers or alkalis. Acid or caustic burns and heat damage are removal criteria.
Other inspection guides: Chain slings · Synthetic web slings · Wire rope slings
Questions about a sling or need a replacement? Call (706) 750-9099.
Sources: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.184, Slings; ASME B30.9-2021, Slings. This guide summarizes those requirements and does not replace them.