Dianne Pajo
You cannot promote safety on a work site if you’re using damaged rigging equipment. But how do you dispose of your rigging gear when you notice damage? Follow along in this article to learn the best practices for recycling and discarding your equipment to ensure you’re not using gear that compromises the safety of your workers.
Why Should You Dispose or Recycle Damaged Gear
When you’re using rigging equipment, all your gear must be in the proper condition for lifting heavy items and objects to ensure the safety of every worker on the job site. We recycle metallic materials because they can be reused and repaired through a recycling facility.
Disposing of Synthetic Slings
Synthetic slings are usually made from nylon or polyester, which can be easily damaged due to snags, tears, melting, and burning. To ensure you’re throwing out unusable gear, inspect your rigging equipment for severe defects and wear and tear. You only want to throw away ruined gear. When you need to discard a synthetic sling, cut through the eyes to destroy the sling further; this way, no other workers can accidentally use it. Cut the sling into shorter lengths and dispose of it as you would general trash.
Disposing of Wire Rope & Slings
Wire ropes are susceptible to corrosion, stress, and bending. If you notice abrasions or damage to the material, it’s time to throw it out and start with a new rope. To make metal recycling easier, use personal protective gear to safely dismantle the wire and cut it into smaller pieces that you can toss into the metal recycling bin. Always ensure the equipment can no longer be used before throwing it out. Otherwise, a worker might use it, which could become a dangerous hazard.
Disposing of Alloy Chain
Alloy chain is one of the most versatile pieces of rigging equipment you can find on a work site, but it can still be damaged or ruined. Environmental factors damage this material by rusting, corroding, and causing heat damage that deforms the chain links. When you notice a chain that is not suitable for rigging, dismantle the links, remove all sling hooks, and place the chain in your company’s metal recycling bin.
Disposing of your damaged rigging gear is an essential practice at your company to prohibit employees from using inappropriate equipment to lift or hoist a load. Train all your employees on how to inspect this gear for damage and how to properly discard and recycle it to ensure nobody else can use it and potentially injure themselves.
