Pre-Use Inspection for Lifting Points: What to Check

Pre-use inspection means you check your lifting points before every lift. Simple as that. That means looking for cracks, rust, bent metal, or anything that seems off before you start hauling loads.

The engineers at RUD Australia recommend a quick visual check every single time. We’re talking about two minutes that could save someone’s life. You check the lifting point itself, verify it can handle your load, and make sure all the connections are solid.

This article shows you exactly what to look for and when a lifting point needs replacing. If you skip these checks, you’re gambling with safety. And when something goes wrong, your insurance company will ask for inspection records you don’t have. 

Let’s start with why lifting point failures happen in the first place.

What Happens When Lifting Points Fail

Lifting point failures cause workplace accidents, damaged equipment, and project delays when operators skip pre-use inspection steps.

Let’s be honest here. Most lifting operations go fine until they don’t. A small crack you didn’t notice turns into a complete failure mid-lift. The load drops, someone gets hurt, and suddenly you’re dealing with authority investigations and equipment repairs that cost more than your monthly budget.

Everyone points fingers, trying to figure out who missed the inspection (and yes, we’ve all seen that blame game afterward). The real kicker comes when your insurance company reviews your records. No documented inspections means they can walk away from the claim. You’re left covering medical costs, equipment replacement, and potential fines from safety regulators.

Through our practical work with mining operations, we’ve seen how one failed lifting point can shut down an entire site for days. The financial hit goes beyond just fixing what broke.

Check the Lifting Point Before You Lift

The best part about visual inspections is that they take under two minutes but catch most problems before they become dangerous.

You might be wondering how long this actually takes. Honestly, a proper visual check fits into the time you’re already spending setting up. Our tests at RUD Australia’s Brisbane facility revealed that most operators spot defects in the first thirty seconds once they know what to look for.

Here’s what you need to inspect every single time:

• Lifting point body: Look for cracks in the metal, bent or twisted sections, rust that’s eaten through the surface, and threads that look stripped or damaged. Run your hand along the surface if you can reach it safely. Sometimes you’ll feel damage before you see it.
• Mounting area: Check where the lifting point attaches to the structure. Look for cracks spreading out from the connection point, welds that show gaps or corrosion, and any movement when you apply light pressure. If the whole thing shifts even slightly, that’s your red flag right there.
• Identification markings: Every lifting point should have capacity ratings stamped or etched into the metal. If you can’t read these numbers anymore, you can’t verify the load limits. No markings means no lift.

Visual checks catch the obvious stuff. But you also need to verify the lifting point can actually handle your specific load. That’s where capacity calculations come in.

Load Testing Phase: Rating and Capacity Verification

Did you know that 60% of lifting failures happen because operators miscalculate load angles and actual working capacity?

And that’s where things get interesting. Through our practical work with mining operations, we’ve seen experienced riggers make the same mistake. The riggers know the weight of the load and the lifting point’s rating. But the angle factor gets forgotten, and that’s when problems start.

Let’s break down the three main checks:

Match Load Weight to Rated Capacity

Start with the basics. Your load needs to stay well below the working load limit stamped on the lifting point. Australian Standards require a safety factor built into these ratings, but pushing right up to the limit is asking for trouble. Add 20% to your calculated load weight to account for rigging hardware, slings, and unexpected shifts during the lift.

Account for Angle Effects

Vertical lifts are simple. Angled lifts get complicated fast. When you pull at an angle instead of straight up, the actual force on each lifting point increases. A 60-degree angle nearly doubles the load on the equipment compared to a vertical lift. Most lifting point failures we’ve investigated at RUD Australia involved angle miscalculations that seemed minor on paper.

Consider Dynamic Loading

Static weight sitting on the ground is one thing. Moving that weight creates forces you need to factor in. Sudden starts, stops, swinging, or vibration during transport all add stress to the lifting point. Moving loads across uneven ground or dealing with wind means those dynamic forces can exceed your static calculations by 50% or more.

The stamped capacity rating gives you a starting point. But angles, movement, and real-world conditions during the lift determine whether that lifting point actually holds or fails under pressure.

Overlooked Building Inspection Stage: Connection Points and Hardware Assessment

Checking connections first saves you from mid-lift failures that damage loads and put workers at risk.

But wait, there’s more to check beyond the lifting point itself. The threads, pins, and locking mechanisms connecting your rigging gear to the lifting point matter just as much as the anchor points. A perfect lifting point does nothing if your shackle threads are stripped or your pin won’t lock properly.

The threads are where most connection problems start. You’re looking for cross-threading that creates gaps, dirt packed into the grooves, and any stripping that stops threads from engaging fully. 

The tricky part is that cross-threaded connections often look secure until you put weight on them. The threads aren’t actually holding, so clean everything before the lift so you can see what’s really happening in there.

Locking mechanisms need attention, too. Your pins should slide smoothly but lock down tight without any wobble. Those spring-loaded locks need to snap completely into place, not sit halfway engaged. Vibration from previous lifts loosens these connections over time, even when you torqued them properly the first time around.

The way your shackles, hooks, and lifting devices sit in the lifting point matters more than most people realise. Hardware needs to settle properly in the saddle without binding or forcing weird angles. Worn shackle bows that don’t match the lifting point geometry end up putting all the load on tiny contact areas instead of spreading force across the full surface. That’s how you get stress concentrations that lead to sudden failures nobody saw coming.

Simple Documentation That Protects Your Team

Once you’ve completed your physical inspection, the next step is recording what you found.

Believe it or not, this simple step has saved operators from liability more times than we can count. The inspection itself keeps your team safe, but the documentation protects everyone when questions come up later. (because nobody wants to explain missing paperwork during an audit)

Your inspection records don’t need to be complicated. Three pieces of information cover the basics:

Write down anything that looks off, even minor wear that doesn’t need immediate action. That scratch you noted last month tells you if deterioration is speeding up or staying stable.

Tracking the same lifting points over time reveals patterns you’d otherwise miss. Those patterns warn you before small issues turn into big problems that shut down operations.

The records need to live somewhere your crew can actually reach them. A logbook locked in the site office doesn’t help anyone doing pre-start checks at 6 am. Digital systems work well if your team carries tablets or phones on site.

Paper checklists do the job too. Just keep them protected from the weather and stored where people will use them instead of skipping the paperwork.

Compliance requirements make documentation even more important. ISO 9001 quality systems require documented inspection processes. Most Australian states mandate keeping these records for years after the equipment leaves service.

Auditors and insurance investigators ask for inspection records first. Usually, right after something goes wrong and they’re looking for who’s responsible.

Your inspection notes should connect directly to your maintenance schedule. When you write that a lifting point needs attention, someone follows up and documents the repair or replacement. That closed loop between inspection and maintenance proves you’re managing risk properly instead of just filling out forms.

Red Flags That Mean Immediate Replacement

How do you know when a lifting point has crossed from “needs monitoring” to “remove from service immediately”?

Drawing from our experience with industrial clients, we’ve learned that most operators struggle with this exact question. Some damage you can monitor and plan for. Other defects mean you stop work right now and swap out the equipment before the next lift.

Three conditions require immediate action:

• Visible cracks anywhere: Cracks in the lifting point body, threads, or welds mean the metal is failing. The crack might look small, but it’s spreading under load. Metal doesn’t heal itself, so even hairline cracks disqualify the equipment from service. Pull it immediately and tag it so nobody uses it by mistake.
• Deformation beyond tolerances: Bent lifting points that don’t match their original shape have been overloaded or stressed beyond their design limits. The metal structure has changed permanently, which means the strength ratings no longer apply. Manufacturer specifications list acceptable tolerances, usually less than a few degrees of bend. Anything beyond that gets replaced, not straightened.
• Missing or illegible markings: The capacity rating, serial number, and certification marks stamped into lifting points aren’t decorative. You need those numbers to verify safe working loads and trace equipment history. Worn markings from corrosion or grinding mean you can’t confirm what load the equipment can safely handle. No readable markings equals no way to verify capacity, which means it comes out of service.

These aren’t judgment calls where you weigh costs against convenience. Each condition represents mechanical damage or structural failure that makes the lifting point unreliable for its rated capacity.

Common Questions About Lifting Point Inspections

Operators ask us these questions more than any others:

How often should lifting points be inspected?

Pre-use inspection happens before every lift. Regular testing by a competent person should occur annually or more frequently, depending on usage intensity and operating conditions.

What does proof loaded mean for lifting equipment?

Proof loading tests a lifting point at 1.25 to 2 times its working load limit to verify structural integrity. This confirms the equipment can handle the rated capacity safely during normal operations.

Who can perform lifting point inspections?

Daily pre-use checks can be done by trained operators. Detailed inspections and certification require a competent person with proper training, experience, and knowledge of lifting equipment standards and safety regulations.

Start Your Next Lift With Confidence

Pre-use inspection for lifting points takes two minutes. Those two minutes prevent the accidents and equipment failures that shut down operations for days. Quick visual checks catch most problems before you even hook up the load. 

Beyond the visual check, your capacity calculations need to account for angles and dynamic forces that pile stress on top of the static weight you’re moving. The connection points deserve just as much attention as the lifting point body itself.

What you’ve learned from this article:

• Visual inspection catches cracks, deformation, corrosion, and illegible markings
• Load capacity changes with angles and movement during lifting operations
• Documentation protects your team legally and tracks equipment condition over time
• Three red flags require immediate replacement, not just monitoring

Your inspection process works better when you’re using quality lifting equipment from the start. RUD Australia manufactures Grade 120 ICE chains and lifting solutions built for Australian mining and industrial sites. 

We’ve been making chains for 140 years, so we know what holds up under real working conditions. Our engineers can help your team set up inspection procedures that actually prevent accidents instead of just checking boxes on a form.

Don’t wait for a failure to force changes to your lifting operations. Talk to RUD Australia about lifting point selection, operator training, and equipment designed for the loads you’re moving every day.