A/V Geeks 16mm Films: Safe Slinging - 1970s Industrial Safety Film

We move a lot of steel in this yard, pick it up, put it down, pick it up, put it down, off the truck, on the truck, on the car, that's how it goes. And whether you think in terms of thousands of tons or thousands of dollars, the scale is out of sight. That's why when it comes to the handling of loads, the picking up and the putting down, you need the best products on the market. No doubt about that. But there's more to it. Even with a quality product, you've got a lot of hazards in overhead lifting. So if you're not super careful, your life can be a dice roll and a crap game. That's why I think it's important for anyone that moves the big stuff to know exactly what the odds are. And if you're a chain slinger like me, that means knowing the manual. A lot of good design and quality control go into making a chain sling. But like they say, it's all a waste of effort if the weakest link is the guy using it. Now you take me, for instance, there was a time when I was pretty sloppy with a chain sling. Then, one day I got so damn sloppy, I disappeared. Don't stand there gaping. Sit down. What is this? Don't you know? Look, Mac, I got a load to pick. How can you? You're not there anymore. I see. Do you? I think so. Joe, we've had an eye on you for some time. You're a good worker. We all know that. You get the job done and you don't waste time. But lately, you've been getting a little sloppy. Pardon my overalls. Look at the knot you put in the sling to shorten it. Now, it really wouldn't have taken you any longer to get the proper sling off the rack. That shortcut could cost someone else their bread and butter or their life. That sling could break on the next guy who uses it. He might be taking shortcuts too and not inspect the sling for the nicks and gouges you're putting in the chain. Just a few marks on a sling can't be that big a deal. It couldn't be a bigger deal. We're talking about life and death. Dangerous practices resulting from shortcuts and not following basic common sense rules can cause serious accidents. When you drive a car or a boat or a cycle, you follow the rules of the road, right? And if you don't follow the rules of the road, something bad can happen. Well, Joe, the rules of safe slinging are just good common sense. Only now, you've got a guardian angel who's concerned about safety rules and is pretty touchy about how they're followed. Guardian angel? That's you. No. OSHA. Yeah, yeah. One of them studies from Washington. And not a study, Joe. The Occupational Safety and Health Act is the law. And it's got your life as its prime concern. OSHA sets up guidelines, simple basics, common sense rules that must be followed if you want to avoid getting hurt. And especially when lifting heavy loads with slings. Now that knot you put in the sling is just the kind of thing that OSHA is trying to prevent. Believe me, Joe, OSHA can help. But it all depends on you. Okay, okay. I'm interested in safety first. But when you're being pushed for top production and every minute counts, you've got to move fast. So, Mr. Clean, you tell me how you do my job safer without losing valuable time. Alright. First, consult your working load limit chart or this chain sling user's manual provided for you by the chain sling maker. They give you all the facts you'll need to select the proper sling and components needed for the load you'll be lifting. Second, is the chain itself. The most basic element of safe slinging. Remember to use only alloy chain for overhead lifting. Don't use proof coil, high tester, G7 chain. If you use them, you're violating OSHA regulations and you're not thinking about safety. Why the big deal about alloy chain? Safety Joe. Every alloy steel sling will have a registered tag that clearly states some very important information. Like what? Sling number, working load limit at the lift angle, and the reach in feet and inches. That way, you can pick the right sling for the job. You still haven't told me why the big deal about alloy steel chain. I'm going to show you why alloy steel chain is best for slings. You'll see for yourself in this modern chain making plant. Mass production efficiencies and tough quality controls ensure chain that you can depend on. This is Acolloy, a standard alloy chain. It's recommended for all overhead lifting. And after this chain is manufactured and assembled in the slings, it's heat treated. What does heat treating do for the chain? What will it do for me? Heat treating gives alloy steel chain excellent strength, ductility, and energy absorbing properties. Because it's stronger, smaller diameters of alloy chain will do the job previously done only by heavier chain. So alloy chain is lighter and easier on you. Each welded sling is proof tested at twice the working load limit. See that four leg sling? The master link on each four leg sling receives six times the rated working load limit. As you can see, the greatest of care goes into manufacturing and testing each welded sling. And when it's used properly, it will last many lifetimes. Are all slings welded like these? No. Besides welded steel slings, there are many component parts systems available. But if you use them, you ought to make sure all the parts have been proof tested. How the hell will I know if they've been proof tested or not? Check with your safety engineer. He'll know. Remember the load you were working on yesterday? Yeah, that sure was a beaut. My foreman was all over me to get that job out on schedule. And you almost had it all over you. No foreman is going to complain about a man taking the time to do a job properly. Remember what you did, Joe? You were in a hurry. You just reached for the first sling on the rack. Did you check the weight of that load, Joe? Didn't have to. About 5,000. Didn't have time to look. I've been doing my job for a long time. I'm as experienced as the next guy. But is that good enough for you, Joe? According to OSHA regulations, you've got to know, not guess. It's not any harder to do the job right the first time. And most times, you'll find the weight written right on the load. Other times, you may have to dig a little yourself. But where? Check with the design office. Look at the blueprints. Now, you guessed this load to be about 5,000 pounds, right? Yep. What do you bet you're wrong? Hey, pal, I don't make enough money to waste it gambling. You're really betting big stakes. Your life. When you don't check on the weight of a load you're going to lift, if you want a real surprise, look at the weight on the load. 10,000. You can see what it weighs. That was well above the working load limit of the sling you were using, wasn't it? Next time, check the weight first. Then pick the right sling for the job. I hope you realize that you are the key to safety, because you select the right sling and accessories for each job. You know how loads come in all different shapes and sizes. So? Well, chain manufacturers make special accessories for lifting different type loads, hooks, rings, oblong links, coupling links, mechanical or welded coupling links. Accessories have rated capacities too? Right. Like the sling. And you've got to make sure the capacity of the accessory matches the capacity of the chain. Something else you must determine from the shape and size of the load is the number of legs required for the sling. Now for the loads, like the one you were going to try before I stopped you. Simply estimate the centre of gravity and use an adjustable double leg sling that will enable you to safely shorten the chain accordingly. And Joe, use a grab hook please. Don't ever try to put a knot in the chain. Meeting OSHA requirements doesn't really take much more effort than that. Let's look at another new accessory. This solenoid chain release permits the load to be released from the crane cab with no one on the ground near the load. It permits releasing of loads in tight or hazardous places that could prove dangerous to workers. And these bundling locks prevent the load from spreading on the ground when it's released. That'll be damned. You know, that could save a lot of time too. Yes, it could. Joe, have you ever given much thought to the right way to use hooks? Right way, wrong way. What do you mean? A hook's a hook. When using a hook, Joe, always load it in the bowl area. Never on the point. And the tip should be pointed out, away from the load. Point loading causes the hook to fail at far less than its rated capacity. This hook has a capacity of 20 tons, but with improper point loading, it failed at 17 tons. I get the point. Hey, mister, with all your safety talk, you haven't said a word about angle of lift. I'd say that's pretty important. You bet it is. Consider this. A 5,000-pound load, for instance, needs a sling with a 5,000-pound capacity for a straight 90-degree lift. Each leg is lifting 2,500 pounds. If we decrease the angle to 60 degrees, the load exerts a force of 3,500 pounds on each leg. If we further decrease the angle to 30 degrees, the load on each leg is 4,800 pounds. That sling actually thinks it's lifting nearly double the weight of the load. The rule of thumb to follow when selecting a sling is that the distance between the points of the attachment on the load should be equal or shorter than the reach of the sling. This will give you an angle of 60 degrees or greater. Just what do you mean by reach of the sling? Reach is bearing point to bearing point. A dynamometer test will show the weight on each leg of the sling. I don't have a dynameter on my job. You don't need one, Joe. Here's a handy pocket chart that tells you all you'll need to know to select the proper chain sling for the job. This, plus knowing that the chain I'm going to use isn't going to fail on me because it's been proof-tested. Proof-testing of chain and component parts by chain manufacturers does provide a measure of safety. However... However what? A safe sling, Joe, really depends on good inspection. It's an OSHA requirement that chain slings be inspected daily before use. Once you've inspected the sling, you're ready to rig the load. And there are many, many different types of loads. You're not telling me anything new. Look at what's going on here. They're balancing out the load and adjusting accordingly. Now that's what I call a big load. Here's the right way to use a magnet chain. Remember what I said about point loading on hooks? Yeah, the point of the hook should face out and the load should be in the bowl area. Otherwise the hook might fail at less than its rated capacity. That's right, Joe. Now, do you know what else is important when you rig and load? Padding. You've got to place pipe or timber padding between the sling and the sharp corner of the load and make it a smooth lift. Watch this laboratory demonstration and you'll see what happens when chain is subjected to excessive shock. Damn, what happened? That swinging pendulum increased the striking force of a one-ton weight almost four times, thereby exceeding the chain's working load limit. Be sure you have wooden planks positioned properly under the load. A chain sling is a valuable piece of equipment, Joe, and it should be taken care of, just like office furniture or typewriters or power tools. And records should be kept on all of them. What kind of records? Inventory records, like this, are kept on all equipment, including chain slings, not only listing how many, but also the condition of each. We only touched on the importance of chain sling inspection a little while ago. I know, I know, you told me. I didn't tell you everything, Joe. Careful inspection of slings will weed out those that should be taken out of service. When we do that, we're not just abiding by OSHA regulations, we're protecting lives. Okay, show me what to do, fancy man. First, we physically inspect the chain for defects or damage. Qualified chain inspectors can be provided by leading chain manufacturers to spend time with your foreman and help him do these inspections. What exactly do they do? They examine all your chain slings for the defects we talked about earlier, Joe. Bent and gouged links, crushed and stretched links, worn and damaged links and fittings. The chain inspector goes from department to department inspecting each chain sling, link by link. These results are recorded on inspection forms, specifying chain sling size, type, reach, and condition, as well as the department where they're located. If a broken or damaged sling is found, he recommends it be taken out of service immediately and sent back to the chain manufacturer for repair and reconditioning. Here, the chain will be fully reconditioned and reproof tested and recertified that it's as good as a new sling. This certificate shows that the chain manufacturer stands behind the repaired sling. What do I need a certificate for? OSHA requires a certificate of proof test for all chain sling assemblies. They require that each sling be inspected once a year, link by link, and an accurate record kept of that inspection. That card has to show the date the sling was put in service and its condition at each inspection. And if job conditions are really tough on slings, inspections should be more frequent. Yeah, I know, we're protecting lives, not just sticking to OSHA rules. Speaking of rules, Joe, you really should set some for yourself. But there's so damn much to remember. I suppose I'll have to do some homework. Joe, American Chain provides a chain sling user's manual, so you don't have to remember the do's and don'ts. Well, Joe, does all this make good sense to you? I think I'd like to get back to work. So that's what happened. Now I'm a kind of fanatic about rigging with a chain sling. And why not? I think it's terrific to know what the hell you're doing. Besides, if I screw up, get sloppy again, someday one of those buggers will fall and I'll disappear for good. But that doesn't have to be. Safe chain slinging is common sense.