Thanks to their flexible, lightweight and compact design, webbing slings have many us
es and applications. Although we most often equate webbing slings with lifting and lowering activities, the following article illustrates just how flexible a piece of lifting equipment they are.
What Are Webbing Slings?
Before looking at the various uses and applications for webbing slings, it is essential to understand why they’re so adaptable.
Webbing slings are straps that are flat, they’re often woven from polyester, with two looped eye holes on either end.
Their polyester structure ensures that they are light and flexible, making it simple for them to wrap around items, objects or loads. While this means that they are lighter than other lifting equipment, such as wire rope, it provides a unique set of benefits for webbing slings and their users.
Universal colour coding chart
Webbing slings are safe to use with a wide variety of weights. The universal colour coding chart is shown below:
- 1-tonne load – purple
- 2 tonnes load – green
- 3 tonnes load – yellow
- 4 tonnes load – grey
- 5 tonnes load – red
- 6 tonnes load – brown
- 8 tonnes load – blue
- 10 tonnes load – orange
- 10+ tonnes – this sling is not part of the colour coding chart, but orange is used
Lifting & Lowering Tasks
Beginning with the most common application of webbing slings; they are extremely useful for raising and lowering tasks. While they do have a lower maximum lifting weight, they are especially useful in circumstances where the power of the lifting equipment is not such a priority.
For example, due to their lightweight design, webbing slings are perfect for wrapping around odd-shaped loads and loads with a large bearing surface.
Wire ropes, although stronger than webbing slings, are unable to provide this level of versatility. This gives the webbing slings a special place in the world of raising and lowering.
Towing & Pulling Tasks
Webbing slings are perfect for towing jobs, helping you save time and money. They have the advantage of being lightweight, compact and easy to store, ideal for towing and pulling tasks.
Applications For Webbing Slings
Mountain Climbing
Webbing slings are commonly used in mountain climbing and are endorsed by the British Mountaineering Council. Webbing slings secure the lead climber by positioning it around rocks or trees or through thread holes. Certain parts of climber rope safety are connected to the webbing slings. If a longer connexion is required, a longer webbing sling can be used.
Boats
Webbing slings are suitable for secure lifting of vessels, which is often a prerequisite when storing a boat or docking. Slings are available with additional eyes, sleeves & lead weights for additional safety and protection.
Vehicle Towing
Webbing slings are suitable for towing vehicles such as cars, lorries, diggers, buses, caravans, horseboxes and trailers. When used as vehicle recovery belts, they are ideal where de-bogging is required, i.e. vehicles stuck in mud, snow, ditches, sand, etc.
Fire Fighting
Webbing slings find a great use for firefighters in what’s known as a webbing sling drag. A webbing harness is wrapped around the injured person, allowing them to be safely taken out of danger without causing injury to the injured person or the firefighter.
Accessing A Tree
There are several reasons why you would want to tie a webbing sling around a tree, such as mountain climbing, as described above. Those who need to climb trees will also use webbing slings as their means of climbing the tree.
Creating A Slackline
If you need to make a slackline, which is a line running between two points, webbing slings are quite often the piece of equipment of your choice.
Pipe Laying
Webbing slings are frequently used for the laying of pipes. The webbing slings are simply placed around the tubing, which can then be raised or lowered into place.
Relaxing Hammock
Are you looking for a place to relax? You could tie a webbing sling around a tree or a post to make a calming hammock. Only don’t tell the workers that!
Be Safe When Using Webbing Slings.
As you can see, there is a very wide range of webbing sling uses and applications that can start with small items in your home right up to industrial lifting tasks. No matter how you use your webbing sling, it’s vital that you take the proper precautions to do it safely.
Our Duplex Webbing Slings
RHT Ltd supplies a number of duplex webbing slings that are available in different lengths and can lift up to varying tonnages. Click Here to purchase webbing slings online on our website.
