Lifting & Rigging Gear Mistakes That Cause Dropped Loads
Slings, chains, hooks and lifting points fail from neglect, not bad luck. The lifting equipment inspection mistakes professionals are trained to catch.
Overview
Every dropped load traces back to something that could have been caught: a stretched chain, a cracked hook, a corroded lifting lug, a sling used past its discard criteria.
These are the lifting and rigging inspection mistakes we see on Australian sites — and why periodic professional inspection is a small price for loads that stay in the air.
The Most Common Mistakes
- No periodic inspection regime — gear used until it visibly fails
- Ignoring discard criteria — wear, stretch, nicks and corrosion have hard limits
- Never testing lifting points and lugs — cracked padeyes are invisible under paint and rust
- Homemade lifting attachments with no engineering certification
- Using damaged gear 'just for this lift'
- No register of lifting equipment — no history, no traceability, no defence
What These Mistakes Cost
A dropped load is a potential fatality and an automatic incident investigation. The paperwork question comes first: when was this gear last inspected by a competent person, and where is the record?
Regular professional inspection of lifting gear and NDT of lifting points costs a fraction of a single incident.
Why Use a Certified Professional
- MPI and dye penetrant crack detection on hooks, lugs and lifting points
- Inspection against manufacturer and Australian Standard discard criteria
- Engineering certification for fabricated lifting attachments
- Tagged, documented, traceable inspection records
- Site-wide lifting gear surveys with clear pass/repair/discard outcomes
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Services
NDT Australia provides these services nationwide with certified, mobile inspectors and clear, compliant reporting.