ES 
EN 
FR 
PT 
IT 
DE 
NL 
PL 
RO 
EL 
SV UNE-EN 13889
Take it out of service if…
-
The marking —WLL, manufacturer, traceability— can't be read.[1][2]
-
The body and the pin are not the same brand, type and size.[1][2]
-
It's worn more than it should be. The European manufacturers consulted give no figure; Crosby, which follows the US standard ASME B30.26, retires it with more than 10 % material loss. If yours is another brand, check its instructions.[3]
-
The pin or body thread is damaged, or the pin doesn't go all the way in.[1][2]
-
There are signs of heat or welding, or it has been machined, welded or straightened.[1][2]
-
The bolt-type shackle with nut is missing its cotter pin.[1][2]
Before each use
-
Legible marking and sufficient WLL.
-
Original pin, screwed in by hand until it seats, and tightened.
-
Don't side-load it or let the load rotate the pin.
Who inspects it and how often
UNE-EN 13889 is the manufacturing standard. The inspection interval is set by RD 1215/1997 —checks by competent personnel, documented— and by the manufacturer: Green Pin and Jaguar require an inspection at least every 6 months, and more often if the work is heavy. With heat, Green Pin reduces the WLL: to 90 % between 300 and 400 °C and to 75 % above 400 °C.[5][4][1][2]
Field tip
Pins get lost and replaced with any bolt that fits. A pin that isn't the original voids the marked load: if the shackle doesn't have its own, retire the whole thing.[2]
Because there are many identical shackles, it's easy to lose track of them. With your own code and each inspection in its record, you know which passed and which didn't.
Sources
- [1] Van Beest, Green Pin Shackles User Manual (2024)
- [2] Industrias Jaguar, manual de grilletes GAR UNE-EN 13889
- [3] KitoCrosby, guía de grilletes
- [4] UNE-EN 13889:2004+A1:2009
- [5] RD 1215/1997 (BOE)
Guidance written by TTM inspectors. Your equipment manufacturer's instructions and the standard that applies to it take precedence. Sources reviewed in October 2026.