Chapter 6 — Slings and Sling Hitches 83
shifting of a load can create an unsafe situation, unless a corrective force can be applied to keep the load level. For safety, control of the load must be established at the beginning of a lift and maintained throughout the lift. Therefore, a single vertical hitch configuration should only be used under a limited set of circumstances. For example, if the load will be hoisted not more than a few feet above the ground, a worker can usually provide the needed corrections to keep the load level. Otherwise, a tag line should be used.
Vertical Hitches
Basket Hitches A basket hitch is formed by passing a sling underneath a load and then connecting both ends of the sling to a hook (or two hooks). Basket hitches can be used to cradle a load for lifting. See Figure 6-9. An advantage of a basket hitch is that it does not rely on lift point hardware on a load, such as eyebolts or lifting eyes. However, it does require space under a load both before and after a lift so the sling can be passed under the load.
Basket Hitches
Lift-All Company, Inc.
Figure 6-8. Vertical hitches connect a single lift point on a load directly to a lifting hook. Rigging assemblies may include multiple vertical hitches.
Figure 6-9. A basket hitch requires one end of a sling to be passed under a load and back up to a lifting hook.
A sling’s rated load in a vertical hitch is typically the reference value that is derated when the sling is used at angles and in other arrangements. Identification tags cannot practically include rated load information for every possible hitch and angle, but will always include the vertical hitch rated load. With this information, rated loads for other hitches can be determined.
Another advantage of a basket hitch is that it effectively doubles the rated load of the sling as long as the legs of the sling remain within 5° of vertical. This is because the load weight is divided between the two halves of the sling. However, if the ends of the sling are not vertical, a reduction of the rated load must be made based on the angle of the legs of the sling.