I recently received a letter from a genteleman regarding nylon web slings and spray painting on the nylon web sling for marking purposes. My answer to the question is posted in my reply letter back to him. You can read my response below:
The issue of spray painting nylon web slings is different than the issue of marking nylon lifting slings or polyester roundslings with felt marker pens.
We have inspected lifting slings that were used to handle freshly painted, microwave tower sections that were literally stiff as boards after the paint had hardened and dried. While this is an extreme case, the solution was an easy one. During my sling safety presentation to the National Association of Tower Erectors, I suggested the use of fire hose to prevent the absorption of the paint by the nylon lifting slings.
Sling inspection can be easily identified by either a sling inspection tag which is attached directly to the web sling, round sling or tie down assembly. Sling inspection tags contain monthly, quarterly or annual information that the inspector either marks on the sling tag or punches out to indicate that the sling is in an acceptable condition.
Another solution to visually indicate sling safety inspections is the use of a Lift-It Inspection Loop. A small piece of webbing is folded in half and inserted under the edge of the sling tag as the tag is attached to the lifting sling. The Inspection Loop provides an attachment point for colorized zip ties which indicate the month, quarter or year of the inspection. The above mentioned solutions can be found on our web site or by viewing page 54 of our Rigging Resource Guide and are far superior to painting, stenciling or using electrical tape of different colors. Electrical tape when removed can damage the outer fibers of polyester lifting slings and nylon web slings.
The use of metal tags on synthetic rigging slings can be dangerous as the tag could become hung up, resulting in sling damage as the aircraft cable used to attach the metal tag to the lifting sling cuts or abrades the nylon web or polyester sling fibers. Damage to the synthetic lifting sling can also occur when aircraft cable is attached snuggly to the sling eye or the sling body.
We hope that you find this information useful in protecting the lives of those that use industrial lifting slings for any application. Please consider attending the sling safety training we offer at the Lift-It Learning Center in Pomona, CA. We present rigger training, sling inspection training and also provide sling classes for NCCCO preparatory training.
All the best, Mike View my Google+ Profile Here