Examination And Maintenance - Pfeifer HIT GK 8 Traduction De La Notice D'utilisation Originale

13. Examination and Maintenance

During use, chain slings are exposed to conditions
which can influence their safety. Therefore, their safe
condition of use must be ensured by maintenance,
inspection and repair.
Maintenance: Chain slings should always be cleaned,
dried and protected from corrosion, e. g. lightly oiled.
Particularly accessories with moving parts, bolts or
bearings should be oiled to protect them from
corrosion, increased wear and tear and seizing.
Examine prior to first use: Prior to first use of the chain
sling, make sure that:
• the chain sling corresponds precisely to the order
• the identification and working load limit data on the
chain sling matches the information on the exami-
nation certificate or the certificate of conformity.
• if necessary, all details about the chain sling must be
transferred to a chain file.
• the mandatory identification, for example a WLL
identification tag, is present.
• these instructions for the correct use of chain slings
are available and have been read and understood by
the user.
Examination before every use
The user should examine the safe state of use of the
chain sling prior to each use. Look for obvious damage
or signs of wear and tear. In all cases of doubt or in the
case of one or more discard criteria, the chain sling
must be decommissioned and inspected by a qualified
person.
General examination
The chain sling must be examined when clean – it
must be free from oil, dirt and rust. Methods that cause
material embrittlement, overheating, material abrasion,
etc. are excluded from the cleaning. During cleaning,
no cracks or other defects may be covered up. Ensure
appropriate lighting when examining. Examine the chain
sling over its entire length. In case of doubt, send it to
the manufacturer for inspection.
Examinations after exceptional events
Exceptional events – e. g. accidents, impact load,
overheating, overloading, collision, exposure to acids
and chemicals – impair the operational safety of the
chain sling. After such cases, the chain sling has to
be decommissioned immediately and be examined by
a qualified person.
Examination by a qualified person
At regular intervals, a qualified person has to perform
an examination in compliance with national legal regula-
tions. Unless otherwise specified, examination must
take place at intervals no longer than 12 months. With
frequent use near the maximum working load limit,
under conditions with limits of use, with increased wear
and tear or corrosion, this period must be shortened so
that the suitability for operation is ensured. Examination
includes a visual inspection and functional check.
Examination must be documented and stored by the
operating company. After long storage, when the regular
term has been exceeded or when the chain was not
properly stored, the chain sling should be checked by
a qualified person before the first commissioning.
Load test
At least every three years, the chain sling must be
subjected to a crack test by a qualified person – such
as a magnetic crack test or dye penetration test (in
Austria this test must be performed after two years!).
After this test, there must be a visual and functional
check. In case of frequent use with maximum working
load limit or under conditions with the limits of use
reached, this period must be shortened so that the
operational safety is ensured.
Discarding criteria
In case of the following defects, the attachment device
must be immediately decommissioned for repair:
• Marking regarding working load limit or proof of
identity of the attachment device are illegible or
missing
• Deformations on suspension, chain or other
attachment elements (Fig. 13.1)
• Impermissible wear and tear or elongation on a chain
link e. g. when the rated dimension of the inner length
is exceeded by 5 %. This corresponds to an outer
elongation of 3 % (Fig. 13.2)
• Average thickness loss of the chain link anywhere
in the device by >10 % (Fig. 13.3)
• Obvious length differences in the leg length for
multi-leg chain slings
• Evidence of an expansion of the hook, such as
noticeable enlargement of the jaw size. The enlarge-
ment of the jaw size should not exceed 10 % of the
nominal value (catalogue dimension "m" Fig. 13.4)
or be such that the hook safety latch does not trip
(Fig. 13.5)
• Wear and tear (thickness decrease) in the hook base
≥ 5 % (catalogue dimension "h" Fig. 13.4)
Chain slings 12/2021 / Subject to change!
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