--- title: Identify & Fix Damage to Lifting Slings description: Learn how to identify and fix common damage to lifting slings, plus a checklist for sling inspection, retirement guidelines, and corrective measures for synthetic ropes. --- [blog ](https://www.zips.com/blog) # [Identify & Fix Damage to Lifting Slings](https://www.zips.com/blog/identify-fix-damage-to-lifting-slings) Written by [Zip's](https://www.zips.com/blog/author/zips) | Apr 14, 2023 1:00:00 PM ## **Sling Inspection and Retirement Checklist** Any synthetic rope that has been in use any period of time will show normal wear and tear. Some characteristics of a used rope will not reduce strength while others will. Below, we have identified conditions of damaged slings that should be inspected on a regular basis of its service life. **If upon a periodic inspection you find any of these conditions, you must consider the following before deciding to repair or retire it:** - The length of the rope - The length of time it has been in service - The type of work it does - Where the damage is - The extent of the damage **In general, it is recommended to:** - Repair the rope if the observed damage is in localized areas and the application permits - The rope should be removed from service if the damage is over extended areas Regular Wear Track Progression What to look for: - Slight fuzzy look - Slight color fading - Other characteristics appear normal - Brittle or stiff areas Causes: - Initial Use - Abrasion Compression Correctable What to look for: - Visible sheen - Stiffer than rest of rope but loses stiffness with repeated bending Causes: - Setting of fiber around object (hooks, etc.) Corrective measures: - Bend rope back and forth to remove compression Pulled Strand Correctable What to look for: - Pulled strand protruding from the rest of the rope - No damage present Causes: - Snagging on vehicle or equipment Corrective measures: - Work back into rope by "milking" back and forth - Ensure strand is back in place before attempting to use Chemical Degradation Retire Sling What to look for: - Fused/bonded fibers - Discoloration - Brittle fibers Causes: - Chemical contamination Heat Degradation Retire Sling What to look for: - Fused/melted fibers - Very stiff - Can’t be brought back by bending like compressed fibers Causes: - Exposure to high heat Inconsistent Diameter Retire Sling What to look for: - Tight flat areas - Looks as if strand or strands have been pulled tight - Bumps or dips Causes: - Broken or pulled internal strand(s) - Shock loading Volume Reduction Retire Sling What to look for: - Reduction in size of strands/rope diameter Causes: - Abrasion - Sharp objects - Cyclic tension wear (fatigue) [Need to retire or replace your slings? Browse our selection of Synthetic Rope Slings to find a suitable replacement.](https://zips.com/products?strap-sling-type=synthetic-rope-slings) [View full post](https://www.zips.com/blog/identify-fix-damage-to-lifting-slings) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Zip's" }, "dateModified" : "2026-04-13T14:15:00.568Z", "datePublished" : "2023-04-14T13:00:00Z", "headline" : "Identify & Fix Damage to Lifting Slings", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 150, "url" : "https://48463649.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/48463649/Blog/regular-wear-400x150.png", "width" : 400 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.zips.com/blog/identify-fix-damage-to-lifting-slings", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60, "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png", "width" : 60 }, "name" : "blog" } } ```