Rigging screws - SWL marks

[Kendal Lad]

The items you have are straining screws NOT rigging screws and as such, should be replaced as they do not conform to current legislation nor best practice.

[TomHoward]

Would you describe a rigging screw as needing to be tubular? Or just the lack of manufacturer's mark / SWL marking etc as required?

[Kendal Lad]

Would you describe a rigging screw as needing to be tubular? Or just the lack of manufacturer's mark / SWL marking etc as required?

LOLER regs are quite clear:- visibly marked with any appropriate information to be taken into account for its safe use, eg safe working loads.

If I was undertaking a LOLER exam at your venue, you would be issued an advisory notice that the goods involved should be changed within 3 months. Clearly they were installed many years ago and there hasn't been an issue.....it really only becomes a problem when you have an accident or incident.....or someone with experience undertakes the annual LOLER exam.......it does also call into question the person or the company you have been using for yours thus far.

I speak with over 30 years experience in the professional industry, so I would like to think I have a modicum of knowledge.

Ultimately, changing them is cheaper than a court case!

 

 

[Jivemaster]

One of the major points in the LOLER is that equipment should be MARKED. No markings not compliant, not debatable, simple.

[Seano]

equipment should be MARKED

Though not necessarily individual components of an assembly that isn't intended to be dismantled between uses.

 

simple

ish

[TomHoward]

That's the problem, ours have been marked and rated as as assembly of motor, winch, lines and bars, so there's no SWL on the motors either and when we dug out paperwork they'd been described and tested as a complete assembly.

My main concern personally is the lack of anti vibration nyloc / lock nut or clevis pin on the jaws and the fact a couple of them were looser than you'd like.

 

For simplicity we're marking up the motors with SWL from the load test paperwork and replacing the unmarked turnbuckle with the Green Pin ones which I hope are marked up, but do at least have the clevis pin on the nut if they're not, so it shouldn't rely solely on routine checking or tightness.

 

Also interestingly we've had three different companies doing the testing up until now, the one who picked this up were the 4th to look at it, so it might be more interpretation than a clear cut oversight.

[TomHoward]

To conclude, we've replaced the part with the Green Pin variety, cost £6.50 a piece plus the VAT (though we did have 40 of them to be replaced)

 

When you see them side by side there's a lot more meat on the Green Pin variety than the current ones, although they're the same WLL.

 

[BarryH]

I'm glad that you managed to sort out an alternative Tom.

 

Further to our emails, I thought you'd like to know that here at Flints we've been working very hard behind the scenes to come up with solutions for the future.

To this end, we are in deep conversations with THE LEEA , Crosby and Green pin. to name but a few.

 

One of the small issues we have faced, during this process, is the change to fed spec itself, which has now been replaced by ASTM F1145 - 05(2017), formerly U.S. Fed. Spec. FF-T-791.

 

The important thing that everyone is unanimous on, is that the markings are clearly there for trace-ability and with a WLL stamped on them which is what your LOLER inspectors want to see.

 

Please check our online catalogue, often to keep up to date with our changes as and when they happen.