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SV UNE-EN 13414
Take it out of service if…
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The marking is missing or can't be read.[1]
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Scattered broken wires: 6 broken outer wires over a length of 6d (d is the rope diameter), or 14 over 30d.[1][4]
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Grouped broken wires: 3 adjacent broken outer wires in the same strand.[1]
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Wear: the diameter has dropped 10 % from nominal.[1]
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It has kinks, crushing, “birdcaging”, the core is showing or any deformation that pushes wires or strands out of place.[1][4]
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There is pitting corrosion, or the rope has lost flexibility through internal corrosion.[1][4]
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There is heat damage: discoloured wires, no lubricant or arc marks.[1][4]
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The ferrules are worn, deformed or cracked, or the eye splice is pulling out.[1][4]
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The terminations —hook, master link, thimble— are deformed, worn or cracked, or the safety catch is missing. An opened hook or a closed-up thimble are signs of overload.[1][4]
Before each use
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Legible marking and suitable WLL.
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Go over the whole rope by eye and with a glove, never bare-handed: broken wires, kinks, crushing.
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Check ferrules and eyes.
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Make sure the hooks have a safety catch.
Who inspects it and how often
According to NTP 866, the user checks it daily, and a thorough inspection is needed at least every 12 months, or sooner depending on service, with the result recorded. It's done by competent personnel and documented (RD 1215/1997, art. 4). NTP 221, from 1989 and earlier than 866, spoke of an inspection “at most every three months”.[1][3][2]
Field tip
Before examining it, clean it with a wire brush; never with acids or heat, which damage the steel. If you cut off protruding broken wires so you don't get hurt, write it down: the next inspector won't see them.[4]
If you keep a count of broken wires at each inspection in the sling's history, you'll see whether the damage is progressing.
Sources
- [1] INSST, NTP 866. Eslingas de cables de acero
- [2] INSST, NTP 221. Eslingas de cables de acero (1989)
- [3] RD 1215/1997 (BOE)
- [4] UNE-EN 13414-2, anexo A (paid standard)
Guidance written by TTM inspectors. Your equipment manufacturer's instructions and the standard that applies to it take precedence. Sources reviewed in October 2026.