Thorough Examination and Proof Testing of Lifting Gear and Accessories

Lifting accessories fail without warning and rarely give a second chance. A sling dragged over a sharp edge, a shackle with a replaced pin of unknown grade or a wire rope with corrosion inside the core is not obvious to the person about to use it. itmad provides third-party thorough examination of slings, shackles, wire rope, eyebolts and lifting accessories onshore and offshore, with proof load testing and certification. itmad operates across the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Last reviewed: October 2026.

Equipment inspected

Chain slings and components, webbing and round slings, wire rope slings and grommets, wedge sockets and rope terminations, shackles of all types, eyebolts and lifting points, pad eyes and welded lugs, plate and steel clamps, turnbuckles and rigging screws, sheave and snatch blocks, lifting beams, spreaders and frames, and pallet stackers and drum handlers.

What the examination covers

The inspector first verifies identification marking, safe working load and traceability back to the original certificate, and reviews the item's history and earlier examination records. Chain slings are examined for stretch, wear at the bearing points, nicks, gouges, bent or twisted links and heat damage, and webbing for cuts, abrasion, chemical attack, UV degradation, heat damage and broken stitching. Wire rope is assessed against the discard criteria of ISO 4309: broken wires, corrosion, deformation, diameter reduction and core condition.

Shackles are checked for pin condition, a correct matched pin, distortion, wear at the crown and thread damage, while eyebolts and pad eyes are examined for thread condition, seating, distortion and cracking. Clamps are checked for jaw and cam wear, spring function and pivot condition, and sheave and snatch blocks for sheave wear, bearing condition and side plate distortion. Non-destructive testing is applied to load-bearing components where their condition or the standard requires it.

Proof load testing

Proof load testing is carried out on new gear, after repair or modification, after replacement of a load-bearing component, and at the intervals that the client's specification requires. The load is applied at the multiple of safe working load that the applicable standard states and held for the specified period, and the item is then examined for permanent deformation or cracking. Testing uses calibrated equipment and recorded values. Textile slings are generally examined and not proof loaded, since the test itself can damage the webbing, and where load testing would harm an item or the standard does not call for it, itmad says so.

Standards applied

Examination follows ASME B30.9 for slings and B30.26 for rigging hardware, ISO 4309 for wire rope discard criteria, EN 13414 and EN 1492 for wire rope and textile slings, and LEEA codes of practice for lifting accessories. Where a client works to LOLER, the examination is planned to meet its thorough examination requirements, and manufacturer instructions are applied alongside the standard for item-specific criteria and service life limits.

Examination intervals

Lifting accessories need pre-use inspection by the user and periodic thorough examination by a competent person. The governing authority and the conditions of use set the intervals: six months is common for accessories, and shorter where equipment lifts persons, works offshore or is in corrosive or high-duty-cycle service. Examination is also needed after any overload event, after repair, and where the history of an item is unknown.

Colour coding and register control

Gear that passes is colour-coded on site to the current period, so that anyone picking it up can see at a glance whether it is in date. Failed gear is tagged for immediate withdrawal and reported for physical removal, since defective accessories left in a store find their way back onto a job. Where itmad holds the client's lifting equipment register, it tracks due dates and gives notice before certificates lapse in the middle of a project.

Onshore and offshore

Examination takes place at the client's site, yard, warehouse or offshore facility. Offshore lifting gear deteriorates faster because of salt exposure and is normally examined more often, with particular attention to corrosion at terminations and inside wire rope cores. Examination can be scheduled alongside crane, hoist and fall protection inspection in a single attendance.

What the client receives

An inspection certificate for the gear examined, and a report that lists each item by identification number with its individual result. Every item has a clear pass, quarantine or withdraw status with the reason recorded, and proof load test results are included where load testing was carried out. The report carries photographic evidence of defects, gear is tagged on site with colour coding, and the lifting equipment register is updated where itmad holds it.

Frequently asked questions

What is lifting gear and equipment inspection?

The periodic thorough examination of lifting accessories, such as slings, shackles, eyebolts, clamps, wire rope, pad eyes and rigging hardware, by a competent person to verify that they are safe for continued use. It checks identification, traceability of safe working load, physical condition against discard criteria and compliance with the standard.

How often must lifting gear be examined?

Accessories need pre-use inspection by the user before every lift and periodic thorough examination by a competent person. Six months is common, shorter for equipment used to lift persons, offshore, or in corrosive or high-duty-cycle service, and examination is also needed after an overload or repair.

Which standards apply?

ASME B30.9 for slings and B30.26 for rigging hardware, ISO 4309 for wire rope, EN 13414 and EN 1492 for wire rope and textile slings, and LEEA codes of practice. Where clients work to LOLER, the examination meets its thorough examination requirements.

When is proof load testing required?

On new gear, after repair or modification, after replacement of a load-bearing component, and at the intervals that the specification requires. The load is applied at the standard's multiple of safe working load, held for the specified period, and the item is then examined for permanent deformation or cracking.

Are textile slings proof loaded?

Generally not, because the test itself can damage the webbing, so they are examined instead. Where load testing would harm an item or the standard does not call for it, itmad says so.

What happens to gear that fails?

It is tagged for immediate withdrawal and reported for physical removal, because defective accessories left in a store tend to find their way back onto a job. Every item in the report has a pass, quarantine or withdraw status with the reason recorded.