Everything you need to know about webbing slings

Everything you need to know about webbing slings

Lightweight and easy to use, webbing slings have become the tool of choice for those looking to lift heavy objects safely and securely, and for good reason. With several advantages over the more traditionally used chain and wire slings, webbing slings are often the more reliable choice compared to their counterparts.

If you’ve not used webbing slings before and are still uncertain about whether they might be a right fit for your next job, here’s a handy rundown of what you need to know when it comes to webbing slings.

What is a webbing sling used for?

Like most slings, webbing slings are designed to be used to help aid in the lifting of heavy objects that cannot be lifted with just your hands. Woven and made from polyester, webbing slings are far lighter and easier to use than their chain and wire counterparts, making attaching and removing them to the object at hand far easier, which is particularly helpful if the object is an odd shape or is particularly wide.

Their versatility also means webbing slings are useful for towing, meaning they can come in very handy should your vehicle breakdown. They’re also useful should your vehicle become stuck in either mud or snow, as webbing slings are great for towing vehicles that have become stuck.

Elsewhere, you’ll likely find webbing slings used by those who enjoy mountain climbing, as they make a great piece of climbing protection during tricky climbs to help climbers secure themselves onto rocks or trees.

What is the safety factor of a webbing sling?

Due to their versatility, webbing slings are designed to be used with slightly lighter loads than a chain or wire sling. To understand what is the maximum load size a webbing sling can handle, it’s helpful to refer to the webbing’s safety factor.

A webbing sling’s safety factor is expressed in the form of a ratio. For example, if a webbing sling has a ratio of 4:1, this means the sling can handle a load of up to 4 times its safe workload.

To help with this, all our webbing adheres to the universal colour coding for slings, making it easy and simple to know which sling is best suited for the role. Webbing slings comes in 8 different colours, which are:

• Purple - for up 1 tonne
• Green- for up to 2 tonnes
• Yellow - for up to 3 tonnes
• Grey - for up to 4 tonnes
• Red - for up to 5 tonnes
• Brown - for up to 6 tonnes
• Blue - for up to 8 tonnes
• Orange - for up to 10 tonnes

How do you use a webbing sling?

Once you know which colour webbing sling will be best suited for the job at hand, you’ll want to ensure you’re using it effectively to get the most out of it and also reduce the risk of injury when in use.

When attaching your webbing sling, you’ll want to ensure the weight of the load is spread across the sling as much as possible. If using multiple webbing slings, then you should also ensure the weight is distributed evenly between them to ensure it is stable and to reduce the risk of tilting or falling once it begins lifting.

There are also several things to be aware of to ensure you don’t accidentally damage your sling when in use. You should avoid dragging the sling across the ground or other surfaces, as well as avoiding pulling on the sling when it is attached underneath a load.

You should also avoid using the sling for extended periods in extreme conditions, such as on very hot days, as doing so can wear away some of the polyester webbing.

Webbing slings for all jobs

Need a webbing sling for your next job? For all your webbing needs, visit our webbing slings area, or contact us today.