17.5.3 Sling Formation

The selection of the sling formation, i.e. endless or multi-leg should be carefully considered.

  1. Single endless slings without integral fittings are by far the most common, as they allow for a wide range of applications. They may be used for straight line lifting, use in choke or basket hitch and they may be joined with suitable coupling devices to form temporary multi-leg sling arrangements.

  2. If a number of single endless slings are to be used in multi-leg formation, consideration must be given to the use of suitable coupling fittings such as shackles. The slings should be joined together by coupling fittings and not placed directly onto the hook of the lifting appliance. The seat of the fitting should be of adequate width to allow the slings to sit side by side without bunching or riding up on each other. This may require the use of multiple fittings for some arrangements.