Rigging a load with old wire rope almost killed my career

Used to think any cable that looked okay was fine until a 3/4 inch sling snapped on me lifting a 2-ton beam in Detroit and now I check every tag and recertification date twice before I hook anything up, anyone else had a close call with worn out rigging gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia57313d ago

That 3/4 inch sling snapping had to be terrifying, man. I had a 1 inch nylon strap let go on me lifting a concrete panel back in 2019 and it still makes me check everything twice even if it looks brand new. Glad you walked away from that one to tell the story.

butler.shane12d ago

You ever have that gut feeling where you just know something bad is about to happen but you keep going anyway? That sling snapping taught me something I wish I learned sooner. Even a brand new 3/4 inch sling can fail if the load shifts even a little wrong or there's a hidden cut from a sharp edge. I started using load binders and checking the angle of the lift way more careful after that. That 2019 close call you had sounds like it would mess with your head too once the adrenaline wears off. It's the stuff we don't see coming that gets us every time.