What Are The Requirements Of a Patient Sling Inspection?

Hi, I’m Lee, your Servicing Co-ordinator here at Hcsuk and as always, both myself and our Field Service Engineer; Phil Cotton, are on hand to help answer any questions you might have in regard to the servicing and maintenance of your moving and handling care equipment.?

In this blog, I would like to talk about the requirements of a sling inspection.

Many people are aware that moving and handling equipment has to be serviced and maintained, and that any lifting equipment must adhere to LOLER regulations, ( Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) but what about accessories for lifting, such as slings?

LOLER is a set of regulations applying to all lifting equipment and lifting operations in the workplace – regardless if it is patient lifting equipment or not, and patient lifting slings must also adhere to these regulations, as they play an integral role in the patient lifting process.

There are two important definitions to consider when thinking about LOLER compliance, in accordance with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE):

• Lifting equipment – means work equipment for lifting and lowering loads.
• Accessory for lifting – means lifting equipment for attaching loads to machinery for lifting

You can download our latest free guide to Essential Best Practice and Industry Requirements for the servicing and maintenance of your care equipment here for more information on your responsibilities under LOLER regulations here.

So what are the general requirements and inspection criteria for patient lifting slings?

• All slings are used and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions
• All slings are compatible and appropriate for the patient
• All slings are visually inspected before each use
• Slings that are damaged and/or defective must not be used and ?should be removed from service.
• The fabric to be checked for any tears, rips or holes and make sure the stitching shows no sign of fraying. The sling loops should also be checked for any signs of damage.
• All slings are cleaned in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions
• Slings must be inspected by a competent person every six months as outlined in the LOLER regulations.

The HSE goes on to state that ‘Accessories for lifting must be thoroughly examined either at least every six months or in accordance with an examination scheme’, and that ‘you must ensure lifting equipment (including lifting accessories) exposed to conditions causing deterioration which could lead to dangerous situations undergoes regular thorough examination by a competent person.’

Our Field Service Engineer Phil regularly inspects patient lifting slings on a six-monthly basis and incorporates these inspections as he services & LOLER tests lifting equipment at your premises. Providing you with LOLER certification for your equipment and lifting slings simultaneously, you can rest assured we are keeping your family members safe and your care equipment legally compliant.

Phil thoroughly inspects each sling in accordance with the following criteria:

• Full legibility of manufacturers name, washing instructions, safe working load and serial number
• Stitching breakdown
• Tape fraying & wear
• Fabric thinning
• Fabric stress
• Fabric fading
• Soiling

Phil will then issue you with a full and detailed inspection report for your records, providing each sling has passed inspection.

There are common reasons why slings routinely fail their inspections, and Phil has written a helpful article below, with more detail and his tips on how to extend the life of your slings.

https://hcsuk.co.uk/news/why-has-my-hoist-sling-failed-its-inspection/

Also, we know that slings failing due to faded labelling can be a real frustration for care providers, if this has ever happened to you, you might also find the following blog helpful:

https://hcsuk.co.uk/news/if-you-have-ever-had-a-sling-condemned-due-to-faded-labelling-you-need-to-read-this/

If you have any questions regarding patient sling inspections, or would like us to inspect your slings for you, in addition to any patient lifting equipment you have, please call us today on 01773 713713 or email us at [email protected]

We’d love to hear from you.

For more information on how we could help you with a full servicing and maintenance package for your care home, you can download our free servicing guide: Creating Safer Environments in Care Homes here https://hcsuk.co.uk/safer-care-environments-guide

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