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Safety Focus of the Week: Shackles for Rigging
We use shackles every day for rigging on a variety of lifts (crane picks, trench boxes, pipes, steel plates, etc.).
Shackles are covered under the Rigging Hardware Standard – ASME 30.26.
Columbus-McKinnon Rigging Hardware Flyer
The basics to understand include:
- Selecting the proper type and size of shackle.
- Understanding how to properly load the shackle and when to de-rate the shackle for alternate loading configurations.
- Inspecting the Shackle for wear, defects, and proper shackle and pin markings.
It is also important to know that the screw-pin shackle should be hand-tightened until the shoulder is properly seated. The pin can then be tightened up to 1/8 turn more. If the shackle is left in position for an extended use, then the pin should be tied back to the shackle to prevent un-screwing (called a mouse-tail). The pin should never be backed off from the hand tight position which was a common practice in the old days.
