Test themes
Slinging: choosing, checking and using lifting accessories
The quiz draws on the slinging theme of R490, the loader crane recommendation. The same rules apply to any hook lift, including with construction machinery.
Independent site, not linked to the French Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie), the INRS, testing bodies or training centres.
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Questions written by Radif Partners from the French Health Insurance recommendations. This is not the official test, which is sat at a certified testing body and is in French. Your answers stay in this browser.
Slinging (élingage) connects the load to the hook of the lifting appliance, using chain, wire rope or textile slings, shackles, a spreader beam or pallet forks. In the R490 theory test it is a theme of its own worth 10 points out of 100, with a minimum of 5: 5 points on slinging rules and choosing accessories, 5 on their defects and wear. Three ideas dominate. First, a sling’s working load limit (WLL, CMU in French) depends on how it is used: straight, choked or in a basket hitch, and on the angle between the legs. Second, an accessory with unreadable marking or visible damage is taken out of service, no argument. Third, the mass of the accessories is added to the load when reading the crane’s chart. R482 also asks about the slinger’s role and lifting loads with construction machinery. In the French test, élingue means sling and manille means shackle.
Can the crane lift this load at this outreach?
Lift
Allowed
| Maximum load read | 1,600 kg |
| Reading | outreach equal or above |
Fictitious chart for the exercise; lifting accessories count in the load.
Questions, explanations and calculations by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Accessories and their use
| Accessory | Typical use | Watch point |
|---|---|---|
| Chain sling | Heavy loads, sharp edges, heat | Check links and hooks one by one |
| Wire rope sling | Heavy, regular loads | Broken wires, kinks, crushing |
| Textile sling (flat, round) | Fragile or painted loads | Protect from edges, heat and chemicals |
| Shackle | Linking sling and lifting point | Original pin, fully screwed, load in line |
| Spreader beam | Long or flexible loads | Add the beam’s mass to the load |
| Pallet forks | Pallets and packages | Load secured against falling |
Every accessory carries a marking: manufacturer, WLL and, for multi-leg slings, the WLL by angle. A textile sling can also be recognised by its colour, which refers to a standard capacity code; the sewn label nevertheless remains the only reference. The user, whether crane operator or slinger, inspects the accessories visually before every lift.
Three hitches, three capacities
- Straight lift: one vertical leg between hook and load. This is the sling’s reference capacity.
- Choke hitch: the sling tightens around the load, useful for tubes or sections. Capacity drops compared with a straight lift.
- Basket hitch: the sling passes under the load and both ends go up to the hook. Capacity then depends on the angle between the two legs.
The R490 slinging theme
| Syllabus point | Points |
|---|---|
| Slinging rules and choice of accessories | 5 |
| Defects and wear of lifting accessories | 5 |
Reading the crane chart
| Outreach | Maximum load |
|---|---|
| 3.0 m | 4,000 kg |
| 5.0 m | 2,400 kg |
| 7.5 m | 1,600 kg |
| 10.0 m | 1,150 kg |
| 12.0 m | 900 kg |
Example: a 1,400 kg load lifted with 150 kg of slings and spreader beam, to be placed at 8 m. Read the equal or next greater outreach, here 10 m: 1,150 kg. The total mass, 1,550 kg, is too much: move the carrier closer to work at 7.5 m, where the chart allows 1,600 kg. The mini tool repeats this calculation; the same reading logic applies to a forklift plate, explained on the load chart page.
During the lift
Lift a few centimetres first to check the load’s balance and the slinging, then carry on. Nobody walks under a suspended load; control swing with gradual movements, using a tag line held at a distance if needed. Hand signals follow a French standard shared by cranes, aerial lifts and construction machinery, and the R490 recommendation requires operators to understand them. R482 gives 2 points to lifting loads with construction machinery. Defects of the crane itself, hoses and structure, are covered on the checks and end of shift page.