A flat webbing sling consists of a woven textile band — almost always high-tenacity polyester — with reinforced eyes at each end, produced as a single continuous unit rather than a loop. It is widely used for lighter and medium lifts, for loads with finished or delicate surfaces (machined components, painted panels, glass, composites), and wherever a flexible, low-weight accessory is preferred over chain or wire rope.
Every sling must carry a legible identification label, sewn or otherwise permanently fixed, stating at minimum: the Working Load Limit (WLL) for the relevant hitch types (straight, choke, basket), the manufacturer, a traceability/batch reference, and the standard it is manufactured to. The label is the governing document for that sling — if it cannot be read, the sling’s rated capacity cannot be confirmed and it must be taken out of service.
Before every use, inspect the full length of the webbing and both eyes for:
- Cuts, tears or holes in the webbing, even small ones, since woven fibres carry load across the full width
- Abrasion or fraying of the surface fibres, especially on the load-bearing edges
- Chemical or heat damage — discolouration, stiffness, glazing or melting of fibres
- Damage to stitching at the eyes, including pulled or broken stitches
- Damage to the protective sleeve at the eyes, if fitted, and to any load-bearing loop distortion
- UV degradation from long-term outdoor storage, which can weaken polyester without obvious visible signs
A sling with a missing or unreadable label, visible fibre damage, damaged stitching, or any doubt about its history should be withdrawn from service and not used until assessed by a competent person. As with all lifting accessories in Norway, webbing slings fall under Arbeidstilsynet’s requirements for periodic thorough examination by a competent body and for use only by trained, certified riggers and crane operators.
Standarder: EN 1492-1 (Textile slings — Flat woven webbing slings made of man-made fibres for general purpose use)