By Skydew Energy Services Limited · Technical Insight
A practical guide to slings, shackles, hooks, cranes and the records behind a safe lift
A lift can look routine right up to the moment a small defect matters. A sling eye with a few broken wires. A capacity tag worn smooth. A hook latch that no longer closes. Any one of them can change the risk of the whole operation.
So the useful question before a lift is not whether the gear looks familiar. It is whether the right item has been identified, examined by the right person and matched to the job the crew is about to do.
For Nigerian facilities, that means keeping the statutory examination schedule clear while still checking condition at the point of use. A certificate tells you what an examiner found at a particular time. It does not check today's equipment, today's load or today's lifting plan.
QUICK ANSWER Under Nigeria's Lifting and Allied Work Equipment (Safety) Regulations, 2018, an Approved Person must thoroughly examine lifting accessories, hoists, lifts and work platforms at least every six months, and other lifting equipment at least every 12 months. A competent person must also examine lifting equipment daily, before work starts. [1]
The seven points below give facility and maintenance teams a more deliberate way to run lifting equipment inspection, from the register to the lift plan.
KEEP THE TWO LAYERS APART The regulatory points in this article come from Nigeria's Lifting and Allied Work Equipment (Safety) Regulations, 2018. The field checks are practical guidance for a safe system of work. They do not replace the Regulations, an approved examination, the manufacturer's instructions or your site lifting procedure.
1. Know exactly what you are inspecting
Start with the asset and what it does. "Lifting gear" is a loose label. It can mean a crane or hoist, a hook block, slings, shackles, lifting beams, below-the-hook devices, or any attachment that connects a load.
A good service scope names the items included, says how each one is identified and states what decision the inspection is meant to support. That matters most where a facility has mixed gear, hired equipment or accessories that move between work areas. [3]
Before you book an inspection, pull together the equipment register, identification numbers, type, rated capacity, manufacturer details, location and earlier certificates. With those in hand, the inspection provider can set the right scope, and a certificate is far less likely to end up matched to the wrong item. [3]
2. Put statutory examination dates where people can see them
Nigeria's regulations set examination intervals by equipment category. Build those dates into the asset register and make the due status visible to whoever plans the lift.
Under Regulation 11, lifting accessories must be thoroughly examined by an Approved Person at least every six months. The same six-month interval applies to hoists, lifts and work platforms. Other lifting equipment must be examined at least every 12 months. [1]
| Equipment category | Minimum examination requirement |
|---|---|
| Lifting accessories | At least every 6 months, by an Approved Person |
| Hoists, lifts and work platforms | At least every 6 months, by an Approved Person |
| Other lifting equipment | At least every 12 months |
| Before each day's work | Thorough examination by a competent person |
Confirm the applicable category and any approved examination scheme for the specific asset.
Some triggers have nothing to do with the calendar. Equipment that depends on its installation condition must be examined after installation and before first use, and again after assembly at a new site or location. A new item going into service for the first time also needs the specified examination by an Approved Person. [1]
3. Treat identification and capacity as safety information
An item that cannot be identified is hard to manage safely. Before use, check that the markings or tag are present, legible and consistent with the equipment register and the job plan.
Confirm the rated capacity (the safe working load), the unique identifier and any configuration limits. Capacity changes with sling type, hitch, angle, number of legs, the way connections are arranged and the way the load is supported. Do not guess capacity from appearance, and do not rely on a tag from a different component. [4, 5]
If the identification is missing or unreadable, keep the item out of use until its identity and rating are established through the proper process. A colour code is not a substitute for a readable identification record. [4]
4. Look at the whole load path, not just the sling
An inspection that stops at the sling body misses the connections carrying the same load. Follow the load path from the crane or hoist down to the load, and back through every point of contact.
Wire-rope and synthetic web slings
On a wire-rope sling, look for broken or protruding wires, kinks, crushing, bird-caging, severe abrasion, corrosion, heat damage, and damaged eyes or end fittings. On a synthetic web sling, check for cuts, snags, punctures, broken stitching, chemical or heat damage and distorted fittings. The manufacturer's criteria and the applicable standard make the final accept or reject decision. [4]
Shackles and hooks
For shackles, check the body and pin for deformation, cracks, severe wear, corrosion, damaged threads and mismatched parts. For hooks, look for bending, twisting, cracks, excessive wear and a latch that fails to close where one is fitted. Keep the load seated in the bowl of the hook, because loading the tip can bend it. [5]
Inspect safely
Use good light and a safe method. Wire-rope strands can leave sharp ends, so never run bare hands along the rope. When a closer examination or a measurement is needed, bring in a person with the right competence and equipment. [4]
Lifting gear walk-around checklist
| Component | What to notice |
|---|---|
| Sling | Tag and capacity; cuts, broken wires, distortion, heat or chemical damage; end fittings. |
| Shackle | Body and pin match; readable rating; deformation, cracks, wear and damaged threads. |
| Hook | Throat and bowl condition; twist or opening; latch action where fitted. |
| Crane or hoist | Visible damage or leakage; rope or chain condition; hook block, controls, limit devices and current records, as the equipment procedure requires. |
5. Account for the conditions the gear works in
The same sling ages very differently in a clean workshop and in a wet, abrasive, corrosive or hot environment. How often the gear is used, what it is exposed to and the kinds of lifts it handles all belong in the inspection plan.
Look back through recent service history for shock loading, snagging, contact with sharp edges, chemical exposure, heat, corrosion, overload events, repairs or a change in use. A new operating condition or an unusual event is a reason to stop and have the equipment assessed before it goes back to work. [1, 4]
Storage counts too. Protect accessories from mechanical damage, moisture, corrosion and kinking, and keep gear awaiting examination or repair apart from gear that is ready to use. A clearly marked quarantine area stops a rejected sling from quietly finding its way back onto the rack. [4]
6. Keep records that still help after the inspector leaves
A good examination report helps a facility decide three things: what can return to service, what needs action and when the next examination is due.
Under Regulation 12, the Approved Person must tell the employer or occupier immediately about any defect that may compromise integrity or safety. They must also mark the equipment with a prohibition sign, issue a signed certificate of test and examination that states the safe working load, and report the result in the prescribed form. That report is to be filed with the Director of Factories within 28 days. [1]
If a defect is notified, the employer or occupier must make sure the equipment is not put back into use until the defect is rectified. In practice, keep each item's identifier, the finding, the risk decision, the repair or replacement evidence, the close-out date and the person who authorised release together with the certificate and the register. [1]
7. Connect the inspection to the lift plan
A clean inspection result is only one part of a safe lift. The planned load, centre of gravity, sling arrangement, connection points, crane configuration, ground or supporting structure, weather and travel path all still have to make sense together.
Before the lift, confirm that the gear's rated capacity covers the load and configuration. Protect slings from sharp edges, make sure components fit and seat properly, and keep people clear of the suspended load and the line of tension. Stop if the load shifts, snags or behaves differently from the plan. [4, 5]
For tandem lifts, unusual geometry, non-symmetrical loads, or any lift where the weight or centre of gravity is unclear, have a competent person plan it using the site's approved procedure. An inspection certificate does not calculate load share or approve a lift arrangement. [1]
PRE-LIFT CHECKLIST
Right asset, matched to the equipment register
Statutory examination current
Rating legible and sufficient for the load and configuration
Components sound, with no defects found at the daily check
Arrangement compatible with the load and the lift plan
Lift path controlled, and people clear of the danger area
Make the call before the hook rises
The best inspection programme makes the status of every item easy to see and gives workers a clear response when something looks wrong. Bring the register, statutory examinations, competent pre-start checks and defect close-out into one working process.
When a component is doubtful, hold it out of service and ask the right person to assess it before the lift goes ahead.
Lifting equipment inspection in Nigeria: common questions
How often must lifting equipment be inspected in Nigeria?
Under Regulation 11 of the 2018 Regulations, lifting accessories, hoists, lifts and work platforms need a thorough examination by an Approved Person at least every six months. Other lifting equipment needs one at least every 12 months. A competent person also examines lifting equipment daily before work starts. [1]
Does a valid certificate mean a sling is safe to use today?
No. A certificate records an examination at a particular time. You still need to check the condition of the sling, its identification and capacity, and how it suits the load, before every lift. [1, 4]
What should you do with a sling that has no readable tag?
Hold it out of use until its identity and rating can be established through the proper process. A colour code alone is not a substitute for a readable identification record. [4]
Who carries out the examinations?
The Regulations give periodic thorough examination to an Approved Person and the daily pre-start examination to a competent person. The Occupational Safety and Health Department of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is responsible for certifying competent persons for third-party lifting-equipment inspections. [1, 2]
Discuss your inspection scope →
Skydew Energy Services Limited provides lifting equipment inspection and certification support for equipment and accessories, with the scope set by equipment type, applicable requirements and intended use. To start an enquiry, send your equipment register, identification numbers, capacity and manufacturer details, previous certificates, site location and the inspection requirement that applies. [3]
Visit skydewenergy.com or call +234 816 598 5596.Need lifting equipment inspection and certification?
Sources and further reading
The Nigerian regulation is the legal reference. The foreign safety guidance is included only as an extra source of practical inspection cues and is not Nigerian law.
[1]Federal Republic of Nigeria, Lifting and Allied Work Equipment (Safety) Regulations, 2018, S.I. No. 3 of 2019, especially Regulations 11, 12 and 14. [2]Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Occupational Safety and Health Department: mandate and functions, including certification of competent persons for third-party lifting-equipment inspections. [3]Skydew Energy Services Limited, Lifting Equipment Inspection & Certification service page. [4]U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Safe Sling Use: Wire Rope Slings. Advisory reference for practical inspection cues; U.S. requirements are not Nigerian law. [5]OSHA, Shipyard Employment eTool: Shackles and Hooks. Advisory reference for practical inspection and loading cues; scope is U.S. shipyard employment.Photo credit: Skydew Energy Services Limited, field-operation photographs from the company website.