Sling Inspection
A specific procedure for sling inspection is the best safeguard against injury, death and property damage. It is important that you employ a three stage, level of inspection to ensure that slings are inspected with the appropriate frequency. It is also important that all inspections must be done by trained and qualified personnel.
To detect possible damage, you should perform a visual inspection of the entire sling and also feel along its entire length, as some damage may be felt more than seen. You should look and feel for any of the types of conditions listed in the Removal from Service Criteria, see "Removal from Service". "Warning Info" depicts examples of some of the types of damage, but note that they are relatively extreme examples provided for illustration purposes only.
If you identify ANY of these types of damage in a sling, remove it from service immediately, even if the damage you see or feel is not as extensive as shown under "Warning Info". Slings that are removed from service must be destroyed and rendered completely unusable unless they can be repaired and proof tested by the manufacturer. Never ignore sling damage or attempt to perform temporary field repairs of damaged slings, (i.e., tie knots in the sling, etc.). It is very important that slings are regularly and properly inspected.