16.4 TYPES OF FLAT WOVEN WEBBING SLINGS

There are a wide range of flat woven webbing slings, which may be manufactured in (a) Polyamide (Nylon); (b) Polyester; (c) Polypropylene in a range of widths from 25mm to 450mm.

Webbing slings are available as single leg, endless or multiple leg slings with a choice of terminations. They may have soft eyes or be fitted with metal ‘D’ links/plates or similar fittings. These may allow for one end to be reeved through the other or require both to be placed on the hook of the lifting appliance or be coupled together with a coupling component such as a shackle.

In practice, single leg slings are the most popular. They are found to be the most versatile for general purposes as they may be used as a single leg sling or be coupled together to form multi-leg assemblies. Endless slings are uncommon nowadays, having been replaced by the more adaptable roundsling (see SECTION 17 - MAN-MADE FIBRE ROUNDSLINGS of this code) for everyday use. They are however still used to form the leg of multi-leg sling arrangements.

Whilst individual manufacturers and suppliers may keep a stock of popular lengths, slings can be made to any reasonable length to suit the particular application.

The capacity is related to the width and thickness of the webbing. In order to provide a fuller range of capacities or allow a narrower sling, duplex or multi-layer slings are available, although it must be realised that this results in some loss of flexibility.