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5. Inspection and Re-Testing

Once a sling has been manufactured according to the aforementioned requirements and put into service, its longevity is determined by a large number of factors. Some of these include type of service, material of manufacture, exposure to materials and the elements, etc. Application of the provisions of this standard should be guided by the history of the slings in operational use with recognition of the factors involved.

5.0 Inspection of Slings Before Re-Use ^

This concerns the large scale use of slings in cargo operations.

Types of Slings:

1. Disposable one way slings
2. Light slings (single ply webbing)
3. standard slings (multiple ply webbing)

Types of Inspection: This may consist of a working check a dock check or a depot check as outlined in the interpretation. Where during the normal course of such checks a sufficient number of slings in a group being inspected is found to warrant a more enhanced type check this should be carried out, for the whole group being inspected, as follows:

Degree of Inspection Required on Re-Use

During the course of such checks or inspections, all slings found not to meet the requirements of the Wear Standards shall be culled.

5.1 Re-Testing ^

1. Used slings are to be retested to destruction every four years to confirm their residual strength is within the Wear Standard limits and a certificate shall be issued accordingly, clearly identifying the slings tested and indicating that this is a re-test certificate. All other relevant information is to be indicated as per section 2, and 4.10 as applicable.
   
   
2. The number of slings re-tested to destruction shall be governed by the actual existing Safety Factor (S.F.) as follows:-

3. (c) Used slings to be re-tested shall be the worst of the representative slings.

5.2

1. When the safety factor of slings has fallen to the allowed safety for last voyage use, they are to be sprayed with a contrasting colour to the sling background colour to clearly identify the "last voyage" status.

2. A Certificate shall be issued indicating the following:

   1. Title of certificate: "culling certificate".
   2. Name of the Company culling, address, phone & fax number.
   3. Name of the owner.
   4. Number of slings culled.
   5. Identifying marks of the sling culled.
   6. Statement that the slings have been effectively culled.
   7. Spray "colour" that indicates last voyage status
   8. The date that the slings are to be removed from service at the end of voyage, depending on voyage length. [See Section 5.2(b)].
   9. The date the slings are delivered to the vessel.
   10. Any other relevant information.
       
       
2. The maximum time these slings can remain in service from the date of culling to the end of voyage shall not exceed 90 days.

5.3 When slings are tested and found to have reached the lower acceptable safety factor as contained in the Wear Standard, the whole batch of these slings is to be removed from service. If during testing, the breaking of an individual sling indicates the lower acceptable safety factor has been reached, three representative slings from the batch shall be taken and tested to destruction one after the other. The value of the lowest break is taken as the representative breaking strength for all the slings of that batch.

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