l Wear or scraping on one third of the original diameter  of  outside  individual  wires .  Kinking,  crushing,  bird  caging,  or  any  other damage resulting in distortion of the wire rope structure Evidence of heat damage End attachments that arc cracked, deformed, or worn Hooks  that  have  an  obviously  abnormal  (usually 15  percent  from  the  original  specification)  throat opening, measured at the narrowest point or twisted more than 10 degrees from the plane of the unbent hook . Corrosion of the wire rope sling or end attach- ments To avoid confusion and to eliminate doubt, you must not downgrade slings to a lower rated capcity. A sling must be removed from service if it cannot safely lift the load capacity for which it is rated. Slings and hooks removed from service must be destroyed by cutting before disposal. This ensures inadvertent use by another unit. When a leg on a multiple-leg bridle sling is unsafe, you only have to destroy the damaged or unsafe leg(s). Units that have the capability may fabricate replacement legs in the field, provided the wire rope replacement is in  compliance  with  specifications.  The  NCF  has  a hydraulic swaging and splicing kit in the battalion Table of Allowance (TOA). The kit, 80092, contains the tools and  equipment  necessary  to  fabricate  3/8-  through 5/8-inch  sizes  of  wire  rope  slings.  Before  use,  all fabricated slings must be proof-tested as outlined in the COMSECOND/COMTHIRDNCBINST 11200.11. Spreader bars, shackles, hooks, and so forth, must also  be  visually  inspected  before  each  usc  for  obvious damage  or  deformation. Check fiber line slings for signs of deterioration, caused by exposure to the weather. See whether any of the  fibers  have  been  broken  or  cut  by  sharp-edged objects. Proof  Testing  Slings All  field  fabricated  slings  terminated  by  mechan- ical  splices,  sockets,  and  pressed  and  swaged  terminals must be proof-loaded before placing the sling in initial service. The    COMSECOND/COMTHIRDNCBINST 11200.11  has  rated  capacity  charts  enclosed  for numerous  wire  rope  classifications.  You  must  know  the diameter, rope construction, type core, grade, and splice on the wire rope sling before referring to the charts. The charts will give you the vertical-rated capacity for the sling. The test weight for single-leg bridle slings and endless  slings  is  the  vertical-rated  capacity  (V.  R.  C.) multiplied by two (V.R.C. x 2 = sling test weight). The test load for multiple-leg bridle slings must be applied to the individual legs and must be two times the vertical-rated capacity of a single-leg sling of the same size, grade, and wire rope construction. When slings and rigging are broken out of the TOA for field use, they must be proof-tested and tagged before being returned to CTR for storage. Records A card file system, containing a record of each sling in the unit’s inventory, is established and maintained by the  crane  crew  supervisor.  Proof  Test/Inspection  Sheets (fig. 13-41) are used to document tests made on all items of weight-lifting slings, spreader bars, hooks, shackles, and so forth. These records are permanent and contain the following entries at a minimum: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Sling  identification  number  (unit  location  and two-digit number with Alfa designation for each wire  rope  component) Sling  length Cable  body  diameter  (inches)  and  specifications Type of splice Rated  capacity Proof  test  weight Date  of  proof  test Signature  of  proof  test  director All the slings must have a permanently affixed, near the sling eye, durable identification tag containing the following  information: 1. Rated capacity (in tons) (vert. SWL) 2.  Rated  capacity  (in  tons)  (45-degree  SWL) 3.  Identification  number Spreader bars, shackles, and hooks must have the rated capacities and SWL permanent]y stenciled or stamped on them. OSHA identification tugs can be acquired  at  no  cost  from  COMTHIRDNCB  DET,  Port Hueneme,  California,  or  COMSECONDNCB  DET, GulfPort,  Mississippi.  Metal  dog  tags  are  authorized providing  the  required  information  is  stamped  onto  the tags. 13-22