2012, October

Many web sling manufacturers have referred to Red Core Yarns as Red Core “WARNING” yarns. The red core “WARNING” yarns should simply be referred to as Red Core Yarns. “Warning” should be omitted as there is a false sense of security and an unreasonable emphasis placed on the red core yarns by uneducated sling users and inspectors. Red Core Yarns are not a viable inspection device. By the time the red core yarns become visible; the sling should be rejected and removed from service. Lift-It Manufacturing utilizes webbing with red core yarns to fabricate our web slings. Some manufacturers do not use sling webbing with red core yarns and use commercial equivalents of “Mil-Spec” or tie down webbing that does not employ red core yarns.

In the 1990’s an article was published stating that synthetic slings lose strength, strictly as a function of time. The article relayed the results of destruction testing performed on USED slings taken from power plants, line trucks, paper mills and other locations. A majority of the slings broke below the necessary value to justify a 5/1 design factor. The less than scientific conclusion of the testing was that synthetic slings lose strength as a function of time and I was mentioned, possibly to add credence to the incorrect conclusion by making the point that if shelf life were not valid, “Gelskey would not put the date of manufacture on all slings made by his company”.