Climbing Sling
Posted on Friday, November 12th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Why Do I Need a Round Sling or a Webbing Sling?
Why Do I Need a Round Sling or a Webbing Sling?
If you’re moving heavy objects, such as during a move from one residence to another or in an industrial setting, there are a number of different pieces of equipment that can help. Things such as forklifts (both manually operated and as vehicles), dollies or hand trucks, and other items can make the moving process much easier. Another such piece of equipment anyone moving should be aware of is round slings, also known as webbing slings or webbing straps. These can be used to help with heavy lifting with furniture that offers a lot of resistance.
What is Webbing?
Webbing, which is the material that webbing slings and round slings are made of, is a strip of very strong woven fabric made from natural or synthetic fibres. This is a material that is especially designed for use with heavy weight and can often withstand stresses of up to 4,500kg without breaking. Webbing can be made from synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester, Kevlar, and polypropylene, as well as from natural fibres such as cotton or flax. The synthetic webbing tends to be stronger, though natural fibre webbing is fine for applications involving less weight.
What is a Sling?
Slings are looped sections of webbing. Traditionally used in rock climbing, where they are often hooked to other mountaineering equipment, tied to a tensioned line of rope, or looped around some trees or rocks, slings are also well suited to other purposes. They work well with lifting applications involving heavy weight because they were designed to be very difficult to break. Round slings are, as the name implies, round in shape and are composed of webbing straps with the ends joined together.
Safe Lifting
The way round slings and webbing slings are used in moving can vary, but it usually involves the webbing straps composing the loop being placed underneath a heavy piece of furniture and then hooked over the shoulders of the lifters on either side. They can then support the furniture item effectively from both sides. This usually works well and is far easier than unassisted manual lifting. One of the advantages of this set up during a move is that it allows the weight to be borne by the legs and shoulders rather than the back while lifting is occurring. The webbing straps support the object from underneath, thus doing away with the need for lifters to have their hands underneath the object. This allows them to stand up in a much straighter manner.
Hazards of Poor Lifting
The hazards of poor and unassisted lifting practices with heavy objects are well known. The action of standing up straight from a bent position, which is often the order of events during an unassisted move, can place a large amount of stress on the back. This can lead to back injury. It can also result in dropping the object if someone is not strong or well trained enough to lift it effectively from the stooped bent over position.
Length and Thickness of the Sling
The question of how long and thick the sling needs to be depends on the weight of the object or objects being lifted. A term called break load is used to determine the length and thickness of the sling and factors in the weight of the object as well as the angle of lift. There are tables that can tell purchasers of webbing straps what length a thickness they need to be for a particular object given the break load.
If you are trying to determine the best way of moving some heavy objects, webbing slings are an important item to consider. They are simple pieces of equipment that can make the job of heavy lifting and moving much easier and safer. They can be purchased at a variety of retail locations and online.
About the Author
The Ratchet Shop offers quality round slings, webbing slings and webbing straps.
Rock Climbing Care and Safety : Slings : Tips on Caring for Rock & Mountain Climbing Gear
|
|
Imax / Kilimanjaro: To Roof of Africa [VHS] $14.99 … |
|
|
FallTech 7336 Pass-Thru Web Anchor Sling, 3-Foot $26.85 3ft. pass-thru anchor sling is constructed using heavy-duty 1 3/4in. polyester webbing sewn on to a 3in. wear pad. Uses on standard D-ring for connection to deceleration device and one large D-ring for pass-through/wrap around cinching. U.S.A. D-Rings Included (qty.): 2… |
|
|
Trango Shark Nut Tool $19.96 640726 Features: Locking blade can be opened and closed with one hand, but will not open accidentally when clipped to a carabiner Specifications: Weight: 29 ounces Blade: 15 inches Material: Stainless steel… |
|
|
Dbi-sala 1108652 Large Exofit Vest Style Harness with Belt and Seat Sling for Tower Climbing $339.85 Full Body Harness – Exofit Tower Climbing Harness – Large. ExoFit harness is the first of a new generation of harnesses designed from the ground up for maximum comfort and performance. Constructed from high performance materials from technology-intensive, safety minded industries including mountaineering, scuba diving, sky diving, shoe manufacturing and the military. Incorporates a breathable Dri-… |
|
|
Kavu Women’s Seattle Shoulder Sling An ergonomic design is usually something you hear about with wetsuits and road-bike shorts. Kavu, though, made the Seattle Sling Purse with an ergonomic, contoured design so your purse feels more like a comfy, pocketed extension than an unruly, awkward sack. A phone pocket on the strap makes it easy to answer calls and multiple pockets organize your small stuff.Product FeaturesMaterial: canvas, ny… |
|
|
Urban Sport Polyester Multiple Compartment Messenger Cross Body Outdoor Biking Backpack – 3 Color Options This sportive cross-body backpack is good for using outdoor, hiking, travel and cycling. Multiple compartments nicely organize your accessories. Padded back panel makes it comfortable to carry…. |
|
|
K-Cliffs Black Outdoor Backpack/ Biking Backpack/ Messenger Backpack/ Cross Shoulder Backpack $15.50 This stylish shoulder backpack is good for using outdoor, hiking, travel and cycling. Small accessoy pocket in the front to organize your small stuffs…. |
|
|
Lowepro Chest Harness For Topload Zoom $9.99 The best way to keep your camera safe and secure for active outdoor sports photography like biking, boarding, climbing or skiing. Stability for all Lowepro® Topload Zoom holster-style packs (except the Topload Zoom Mini). Adjust four ways for a perfect fit…. |
|
|
California Sun Sniper One-Padded Sniper Camera Strap (Black) $54.99 California Sunbounce Sun-Sniper, Black on Black Camera Strap: The SHOCK-ABSORBER and the even, diagonal weight distribution make the strap particularly comfortable to wear. You will appreciate this especially when hiking or in a stadium, when wearing the strap for hours at a time. The shoulder pad on the SUN-SNIPER-STRAP is made essentially of the best ballistic nylon, meaning that it is extremely… |
|
|
Black Diamond Nylon Sewn Runner $3.95 890004 Features: Specifications: Material: High-strength nylon… |