If you remember one thing: B30.9 requires three inspection levels — initial on receipt, frequent every day or shift the sling is used (no record needed), and periodic inspections with written records at yearly, monthly-to-quarterly, or qualified-person-set intervals depending on service. Most compliance gaps come from treating the daily check as the whole program and skipping the recorded periodic inspection.
OSHA is the law; B30.9 is the playbook
Two OSHA regulations govern slings: 29 CFR 1910.184 in general industry and 29 CFR 1926.251 in construction. Both say the same core thing: the sling and all fastenings and attachments must be inspected for damage or defects each day before being used, with additional inspections during use where service conditions warrant, and damaged or defective slings immediately removed from service.
ASME B30.9 is the voluntary consensus standard that fills in everything OSHA's 1970s-era text leaves open — inspection levels, per-sling-type removal criteria, record expectations. The current edition is B30.9-2021. OSHA regulations are enforceable law; B30.9 is how the industry (and, in practice, OSHA inspectors) judge whether your sling program is adequate. If you run an inspection business, B30.9 is the standard your reports should reference.
The three inspection levels
| Level | When | By whom | Written record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | On receipt, before first use | Designated person | No |
| Frequent | Each day or shift the sling is used | The person handling the sling | No |
| Periodic | Yearly (normal service); monthly to quarterly (severe); as recommended by a qualified person (special) | Designated person | Yes |
Initial inspection confirms the sling you received is the sling you ordered — correct type, capacity, legible identification tag — and is free of damage before it enters service.
Frequent inspection is a visual check of the sling, fastenings, and attachments each day or shift the sling is used, done by the person handling the sling. No record is required. This is also what satisfies OSHA's "each day before being used" rule.
Periodic inspection is the complete, documented examination. Frequency follows service classification — yearly for normal service, monthly to quarterly for severe service, and as recommended by a qualified person for special service — and written records of the most recent periodic inspection must be maintained. OSHA backs this up for chain: 1910.184(e)(3) caps the periodic interval for alloy steel chain slings at 12 months and requires a record of the most recent month each sling was inspected.
Removal-from-service criteria by sling type
A missing or illegible identification tag removes any sling type from service, as does any condition that causes doubt about continued safe use. The headline per-type criteria:
Alloy steel chain. Cracked or broken links; excessive wear, nicks, or gouges beyond the manufacturer's allowable limits; stretch or elongation; bent or twisted links; cracked or deformed master links, coupling links, or fittings; evidence of heat damage or weld splatter. Hooks follow ASME B30.10 criteria — OSHA flags throat opening increased more than 15% or twist more than 10° from the plane of the unbent hook.
Wire rope. For strand-laid and single-part slings: 10 randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay, or 5 broken wires in one strand in one rope lay. Also: wear of one-third the original diameter of outside individual wires; kinking, crushing, birdcaging, or other structural distortion; corrosion; evidence of heat damage; cracked, deformed, or excessively worn end attachments.
Synthetic web. Acid or caustic burns; melting or charring of any part; holes, tears, cuts, or snags; broken or worn stitching in load-bearing splices; excessive abrasion; knots in any part of the sling; discoloration or brittle, stiff areas indicating chemical or UV damage; pitted, corroded, cracked, bent, or broken fittings.
Synthetic roundsling. Cuts, holes, tears, or snags in the cover; exposed core yarns; knots (other than core yarns knotted inside the cover by the manufacturer); melting, charring, or chemical damage; discoloration or brittle, stiff areas; damaged fittings.
When in doubt, the sling comes out — B30.9's catch-all criterion exists precisely so handlers don't have to argue marginal calls at the hook.
What your records need to show
The recorded layer is where programs get audited. At minimum: each sling identified (serial or asset number from the tag), the service classification driving its periodic interval, the date and result of the most recent periodic inspection, who performed it, and disposition — returned to service, repaired, or destroyed. Our free B30.9 inspection log is structured around exactly this split: a frequent-inspection sheet crews can use as a habit-builder, and a periodic sheet that produces the written record the standard requires.
Where Core fits
If you inspect rigging for customers, B30.9's structure becomes a scheduling and documentation problem at scale: thousands of slings across client sites, mixed yearly and quarterly cadences by service class, and proof a designated person did each periodic inspection. Core tracks due dates per asset, enforces inspector competency at scheduling, batch-inspects entire sling racks in one visit, and gives every client a portal with their own sling register and inspection history. See it on your own workflow.
Sources
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.184 — Slings (general industry)
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251 — Rigging equipment for material handling (construction)
- ASME B30.9 — Slings (standard page)
- Mazzella — ASME B30.9-2021 updates and revisions
- Mazzella — How to inspect synthetic web slings to ASME B30.9
- Mazzella — How to inspect wire rope slings to ASME B30.9
- Mazzella — How to inspect a synthetic roundsling to ASME B30.9
Frequently asked questions
How often does OSHA require slings to be inspected?
Each day before use. OSHA 1910.184(d) (general industry) and 1926.251(a)(6) (construction) both require the sling and all fastenings and attachments to be inspected for damage or defects each day before being used, with additional inspections during use where service conditions warrant. For alloy steel chain slings, OSHA also requires a thorough periodic inspection at least every 12 months.
Do daily sling inspections need to be documented?
No. ASME B30.9 requires no written record for frequent (each day or shift) inspections — they are a visual check by the person handling the sling. Written records are required for periodic inspections. Under OSHA 1910.184(e)(3)(ii), employers must keep a record showing the most recent month each alloy chain sling was thoroughly inspected.
Who can perform a periodic sling inspection?
ASME B30.9 assigns periodic inspections to a designated person — someone the employer selects as competent to perform that duty. OSHA uses similar language: inspections by a competent person designated by the employer. Many companies use third-party rigging inspection services for periodic inspections, particularly for the written records and condition coding.
What counts as normal, severe, and special service?
Normal service is use at or below rated load under routine conditions. Severe service is normal service plus abnormal operating conditions — chemical exposure, elevated temperatures, abrasive environments. Special service covers anything outside those two, with conditions set by a qualified person. The classification drives periodic inspection frequency: yearly for normal, monthly to quarterly for severe, as recommended by a qualified person for special.
Is ASME B30.9 legally binding?
Not directly — it is a voluntary consensus standard. OSHA 1910.184 and 1926.251 are the law. But OSHA's sling rules are decades old and far less detailed than B30.9, so following the current edition (B30.9-2021) is how most employers and inspection providers operationalize compliance, and it is the benchmark OSHA and industry expect in practice.