LEEA 093: Consultation Survey

  • Consultation for LEEA 093:

    Guidance on the manufacture of Soft Steel Slings

    LEEA is developing LEEA 093 – Guidance on the manufacture of soft steel slings, to address a recognised gap in industry guidance, noting that there is currently no established product standard governing their design, manufacture, or verification.

    This document is intended to provide practical guidance for manufacturers and suppliers, covering key areas such as material selection, construction methods, working load limit (WLL), marking, and supporting documentation.

    This consultation represents Stage 1 of the development process. At this stage, we are seeking member feedback on:

    • The purpose and scope of the guidance
    • Its technical direction, including materials, rope construction, WLL, and termination methods
    • The clarity and practicality of manufacturing requirements (e.g. protective covers, inspection windows, tolerances)
    • Marking, documentation, and information exchange between manufacturer and user
    • Areas of risk, ambiguity, or potential inconsistency in manufacturing approaches

    This is not a clause-by-clause technical review and does not constitute regulatory interpretation. The aim is to confirm whether the current direction is appropriate before any further drafting or refinement is undertaken.

    Your responses will be reviewed by LEEA’s technical team and used to inform the next phase of development. All feedback is valuable, whether you are a manufacturer, supplier, distributor, or involved in the specification or procurement of soft steel slings.

    Thank you for contributing to the development of industry-led guidance.

  • Are you a LEEA Member*

  • Purpose and Continued Relevance

  • What This Section Covers

    Soft steel slings are widely used across the entertainment industry - the same endless loop form, the same woven cover, the same general appearance on a rigging plot. But unlike other lifting accessories, there is no established product standard governing how they should be manufactured.

    They are built as a hybrid construction: a wire rope core wound into a continuous loop, enclosed in a woven protective cover. This combination is intended to provide the flexibility of round slings with the strength and heat resistance of steel wire rope.

    The problem is that, from a manufacturing perspective, there is no single standard that defines how this product should be constructed. Critical elements such as rope selection, number of turns, termination methods, protective covers, inspection windows, and marking are derived from multiple sources rather than one consistent framework.

    This creates the risk that similar-looking products may be manufactured differently - with variation in working load limit (WLL), construction methods, marking, and supporting documentation. Without clear guidance, consistency, traceability, and confidence in the product can be compromised.

    LEEA 093 addresses this gap directly. It brings together relevant standards, industry practice, and technical expectations into a single guidance document covering materials, manufacture, marking, and documentation - specific to soft steel slings.

  • Does LEEA 093 address a genuine gap in guidance regarding the manufacture of soft steel slings (noting the absence of an established product standard)?*
  • Is the purpose of the document - providing foundational manufacturing guidance covering materials, marking, and documentation - clearly communicated?*

  • Scope and Audience

  • Who This Guidance Is For

    This guidance is primarily for manufacturers and suppliers of soft steel slings; procurement personnel specifying or sourcing this equipment; designers and engineers involved in sling configuration; and duty holders responsible for ensuring equipment supplied into the entertainment sector is fit for purpose.

    What’s In Scope:

    • Soft steel slings - endless wire rope core slings enclosed in a woven protective cover - manufactured for lifting and suspension applications in the entertainment industry
    • Materials, rope selection and construction, working load limit (WLL), termination methods, protective covers, inspection windows, and marking
    • Documentation, certification, and information exchange between the manufacturer, supplier, and user

    What’s Out of Scope:

    • Safe use, configuration, and operational practices - covered by LEEA 091 (Guidance on the Use of Soft Steel Slings)
    • Inspection, maintenance, and thorough examination - covered by LEEA 092 (Guidance on the Inspection of Soft Steel Slings)
    • Detailed design verification or approval of individual products - this remains the responsibility of the manufacturer and, where applicable, independent conformity assessment bodies

    An important boundary: LEEA 093 supplements, it does not replace, applicable standards, legislation, or the manufacturer’s own design responsibilities and technical file. Where formal standards or regulatory requirements apply, these take precedence.

  • Is the scope (manufacture and supply of soft steel slings, primarily within the entertainment industry) appropriate?*
  • Is it clear that LEEA 093 is intended to complement, rather than replace, manufacturer instructions and existing standards?*

  • Technical Direction

  • Our Proposed Technical Approach

    The technical content of LEEA 093 covers four areas: materials and rope construction, working load limit (WLL), sling construction and termination, and marking and documentation — and then sets out the information required to support safe specification and supply.

    Materials and rope construction:

    A soft steel sling is manufactured from a wire rope core (typically small-diameter rope, wound multiple times into a continuous loop), enclosed within a woven protective cover, with an inspection window incorporated to allow visual inspection of the inner core, and a marking label permanently fixed to the cover. The rope construction, grade, and lubrication are specified to align with recognised EN standards, ensuring consistency in strength and performance.

    Working load limit - a critical requirement:

    The guidance sets out how the working load limit (WLL) should be determined, including consideration of the number of turns within the sling assembly and appropriate safety factors. A minimum factor of 5:1 is specified for lifting and 8:1 for suspension, reflecting the different risk profiles of these applications.

    Construction and termination - key manufacturing controls:

    The guidance defines expectations for sling construction, including length tolerances, ferrule-secured terminations, and the positioning and spacing of ferrules. Protective covers and inspection windows must be manufactured from suitable woven materials, with defined performance characteristics, and constructed in a way that does not compromise the integrity of the wire rope core.

    Key manufacturing risks the guidance addresses:

    • Variation in rope selection and construction: inconsistent rope grades or constructions can lead to unpredictable performance and WLL determination

    • Incorrect termination practices: poor ferrule application, spacing, or positioning can introduce failure points within the sling assembly

    • Inadequate marking and traceability: missing or incomplete label information can prevent verification against certification and safe use

    • Insufficient documentation and information exchange: failure to define load, environment, or application requirements can result in a sling being manufactured that is not fit for purpose

  • Is the guidance on materials (rope construction, lubrication, rope grade) and alignment with EN/ISO standards sufficiently clear and appropriate?*
  • Is the guidance on working load limit (WLL), including safety factors for lifting and suspension, clear and proportionate for manufacturers?*

  • Practical Application

  • Making This Work in Practice

    The entertainment industry spans a wide range of suppliers: from established manufacturers with in-house engineering capability and formal quality systems, to smaller fabricators and specialist suppliers producing soft steel slings for specific venues or productions.

    LEEA 093 applies to all of them, and the guidance needs to be proportionate across that range.

    Key practical areas the guidance covers:

    • Material selection and construction: the guidance sets out expectations for rope selection, construction, grade, and lubrication — ensuring consistency in performance while allowing for recognised variations in rope type and manufacture

    • Working load limit (WLL): the guidance defines how WLL should be determined, including consideration of the number of turns in the sling assembly and appropriate safety factors for lifting and suspension applications

    • Manufacturing controls: the guidance establishes requirements for sling construction, including ferrule-secured terminations, length tolerances, protective covers, and inspection windows — recognising that these must be achievable in a production environment without compromising safety or consistency

    • Marking and traceability: the guidance sets out the minimum information required on the marking label, ensuring each sling can be clearly identified and cross-referenced to supporting documentation

    • Documentation and information exchange: the guidance defines the information that should be provided between the user and manufacturer or supplier when specifying a sling — including load characteristics, environmental conditions, and application constraints — to ensure the sling is manufactured fit for purpose

  • Is the guidance on sling construction (e.g. ferrule-secured terminations, sling length tolerances, protective covers, inspection windows) sufficiently detailed and practical for manufacturers?*
  • Is there a risk that variation in manufacturing methods (e.g. alternative rope constructions, joining methods, or materials) could lead to inconsistent interpretations of this guidance?*

  • Marking, Documentation and Information Exchange

  • Soft steel slings are often used in environments where multiple similar-looking products are in circulation - the same external appearance, the same woven cover, the same general configuration. Without clear marking and supporting documentation, it can be difficult to distinguish between slings, verify their capacity, or confirm their suitability for a specific application.

    They are manufactured as a complete assembly: a wire rope core, protective cover, inspection window, and termination -  all of which must be supported by accurate marking and documentation. This information is essential not only for traceability, but also for ensuring that the sling can be selected, used, and verified correctly throughout its lifecycle.

    The problem is that, in the absence of a product-specific standard, the extent and consistency of marking and documentation can vary. Missing or incomplete information - such as WLL, material grade, number of turns, or manufacturer identification - can prevent cross-referencing to certification and introduce uncertainty in use.

    This creates a risk that slings may be incorrectly specified, misidentified, or used outside their intended parameters - particularly where multiple suppliers or product types are present within the same environment.

    LEEA 093 addresses this gap directly. It defines the minimum marking requirements (including WLL, identification, manufacturer details, and construction information), the documentation to be provided (manufacturer’s certificate, declaration of conformity, and instructions for use), and the information that should be exchanged between the user and manufacturer to ensure the sling is fit for purpose.

  • Is the guidance on marking (label content, durability, traceability) and documentation (manufacturer’s certificate, Declaration of Conformity, information exchange with users) sufficiently clear and aligned with industry expectations?*

  • Overall Direction

  • Would you support LEEA continuing to develop LEEA 093 in its current direction as a manufacturing-focused guidance document?*

  • General comments

  • Please use this space to provide any additional comments, including:

    • Sections requiring clarification
    • Additional scenarios or diagrams
    • Termonology improvements

    Where possible, please reference specific sections.

  • Would you like to speak with the author of this guidance document?*
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