Which statement is true about sling safety?

• A. Slings can be used without labels if the load is light
• B. Slings with missing load rating labels must be discarded
• C. Web slings are never used for distribution work
• D. The smallest sling angle is 90 degrees

Answer: (B)

Knowing the load rating label on a sling is essential for safe lifting. That label tells you the sling’s capacity (working load limit), the type of sling, and any inspection or usage notes. If the label is missing, you can’t verify the sling’s safe capacity, which means you can’t ensure the load will be lifted without failing the sling or the load. Therefore, slings with missing load rating labels must be discarded from service to prevent unsafe lifts.

This rule keeps you from guessing a sling’s strength and helps ensure you’re following standard safety practices. Using unlabeled slings—even for light loads—ignores critical capacity information. Web slings are commonly used in many lifting tasks, not restricted from use in distribution work, so saying they’re never used is inaccurate. And regarding sling angles, the smallest angle is not 90 degrees—the capacity drops as the sling angle decreases below 90 degrees, so that statement is also incorrect.