What the slinger is responsible for

The operator can only lift what is hanging on the hook. Whether it hangs
correctly was decided before he touched a lever.

What the slinger actually decides

• Whether the gear suits the load, the attachment points and the geometry
• Whether the load hangs in balance, or will rotate as it lifts
• Whether anything can slide, tip, snag or fall off on the way
• Whether the edges will destroy the sling — or the sling the load
• Whether the lift should happen at all in the way it is planned

Marking is not a formality

§ 18-2 requires lifting equipment to be marked. Without legible marking you do
not know what the gear will take, so it does not get used — however familiar it
looks. See the lifting gear reference
for the marking on each type.

§ 10-6 says equipment is to be used for the operations and under the conditions
it is suitable for. A sling that is correctly marked but wrong for this load is
still wrong.

Competence

Slinging is a task that assumes training — see § 10-3 under
regulations, and links
for training providers. If you are given a task you have not been trained for,
you say so before the lift.

The right to stop

The slinger stands closest to the load and sees what nobody else sees. § 2-3
requires every worker to break off work he believes cannot continue without
danger. That applies while the crane is already standing waiting.

See roles and responsibility in the
lifting plan section.