Sling load nets

[yoobeedo]

Do external sling load nets require casa engineering approvals, or is the manufacturers data plate ok?

[Stochastic]

There's no Australian standard for cargo nets. There's a UK one which some places use and that requires knots rather than splices.
Some places will re-certify them according to manufacturers standards instead of the UK standards allowing your spliced nets to be used.
Current certificate or Manuf data plate should do. (I am happy to stand corrected if anyone knows otherwise)

http://www.haverford.com.au/netsbooklet.pdf Lots of lovely information about construction of nets.

[ozloadie]

The issue with regulating nets and similar external load equipment is often a grey area due to many reasons: the main one being there are not many professionals who have the specific kmowledge. One of the operators who have that specific knowledge are aircrew loadmasters.

All external lifting and load equipment is classified as Aerial Delivery Equipment; that title has existed for a long time, it is not new.

Nets are generally custom made to suit a purpose, so there are many variations. Compliance is relied from with the operator on a safety foundation.

The aviation regulator simply imposes a requirement that anything attached to an aircraft must have a recognized standard (in this case one that is published by the manufacturer) and a maintenance schedule of a similar standard to aviation (in this case time, cycles and condition).
The organization employing the nets would be expected to include a section in the Operations Exposition on the inspection, use, storage and quarantine to enable compliance to be achieved.

For all aviation external loads, the nets should be square in shape to wholly contain the load.
Internal nets can be cut to conform to the aircraft interior.

The appropriate material for a net is subject to what materials are being carried and their compatibility to substance reaction, wear and tolerance.

The materials can consist solely or a combination of natural rope fibre, synthetic lines (nylon, Kevlar) or material (nylon, polyester, plastic) and metals/chains /wire rope.

The application, inspection and maintenance of all of the ADE items relies on standard industrial rigging standards relevant to each type of item, and these requirements may be elevated to an aviation standard due to operating in a more stressed environment and compliance with an aircraft.

The manufacturers recommended compliance standards, use and service information is the basis of he operator's awareness.. The operator can impose a higher or more restricted standard.

If the net comprises a combination of materials as discussed previously, each specific manufactures information is required to be observed and recorded for the complete net to comply as a whole.

NB:YOU MAY ALREADY BE AWARE OF THIS, BUT MANY ARE NOT:
If you permanently wire or attach metal ADE hardware and/or a lifting strop to the net for a complete assembly convenience, these attachments also form part of your net compliance.

Lifting rings must conform to the size limitations for the size and brand of the external load hook, there is a min and max size. (avail from the manufacturer ie Breeze)
The best ADE rig hooks are ball race swivel hooks.
The ADE hook must have a spring loaded gate.
"D"shackles are forbidden - the correct ADE item is a clevis or bell shackle.(The securing bolt must thread all of the way and be flush with the eye on tensioning. No protrusion or side movement.)

If you have ratchet straps with tension machines, and any securing straps attached to the net package they also must conform.

I hope this assists. There is a lot of bandit and eye popping stuff being used in the industry and mainly it's because no one teaches it formally.

Any one with any q/s can pm with inquiries if you need to.
Maybe we could run an informal course, if anyone is interested.
I'm in Cairns so I can run an eye over your gear if that might assist.

[Skywork]

There is no standard for testing or certifying synthetic/nylon slings,lines,nets, longlines, but the AS/NZ standard requires the sling/lines/nets be inspected every 3 months.
It would be wise to have a record of inspection, and a maintenance schedule so if something happens you have your butt covered

[bladepitch]

Couple Years ago I had to do this type of stuff and a few Little tips about insurance and the like.
Each sling comes with a proof test certificate when purchased from supplier.
For insurance reasons if you put together your own rig, say 2 ton hook, line, load ring etc. and it all says 2 ton or greater on the gear, as a complete rig, it is not "technically" certified for 2 ton unless it has a proof test cert. individually each item is certified as long as it is printed on item or test cert is on hand. that's not to say you can use it everyday. By all means but insurance companies would red flag it if anything ever happens.
The cert can be achieved by giving the gear (as you have put it together ) to a rig company who have a rig test bench and they test it as one complete rig. They will then issue a cert for it.

Most specialised sling companies have rig test benches.

Or you can simply order a complete rig through them to begin with and it comes with all the certificates ready to go.

It's splitting hairs a bit but it's all knowledge..

[flyboy111111]

It's simple, it's lifting gear... Dosnt matter if it's under a helicopter, a crane or a hoist in the workshop. I needs certifying by a testing agency. If you think it dosnt, drop something, kill or injury somebody then ask the investigators if you net needs certifying.

[trgbox]

If you don't have a rigger on your lifting crew I would strongly suggest that you include one...........The rigger on your crew can check that the lifting gear is correct, serviceable and applicable for the task.

Each part that makes up the sling needs to have been certified by the manufacturer (usually paper work stating so) and also a minimum of a SWL (safe working Load) or WLL (working load limit) stamped on it or attached appropriately with a tag with the limits by the manufacturer clearly marked. (usually a metal tag on the net, and a stamp on a hook or hammer lock etc.)

Serviceability, maintenance and annual checks can be done internally by a responsible person and signed off as such on your Coy paperwork and a new tag attached to each piece of equipment.
The responsible person needs to be a minimum of a certified rigger who is trained to identify wear limits and unserviceability's.

(I have witnessed a loop hole used by an Insurance coy during a claim.......the person maintaining the equipment didn't have any formal qualifications, therefore it is that reason why the equipment failed and why the fault wasn't detected and deemed U/S and therefore why the claim is being rejected) basically the stitching in a flat web net was rotten and let go enabling a piece of survey equipment to fall through and be destroyed.....value $11500USD) ouch!

Some tips from experience and some things I have noticed from the inexperienced are -

1/ That a swivel latch-lock hook is not classed as a load bearing swivel (stops the chain or rope from unravelling or twisting) it is only designed to swivel for ease of orientating the hook for attachment, a separate load bearing swivel needs to be incorporated. Not needed if a synthetic strop is used but yes if a cavlar line is used.

2/ For those that utilise a Drag plate, it doesn't need to be certified with a SWL as it is not a load bearing device for the purpose of load lifting, it is only an aerofoil to create drag on the Empty line and keep the line taught and so stops it from flicking up into either of the rotor/s or airframe while dead legging for the pick up point. (it does have to be attached to line appropriately and well designed by qualified person...structural engineer and or boiler maker.

3/ One more hurdle that I came across from the insurance fun police was that they noticed in the ops manual that parachutes could be utilised for load stabilisation and so the rigger needed to be a certified parachute rigger........fixed that by using only wind socks, as no specialised rigging needed to be preformed other than the connecting of it to the load.

4/ Hang up wet strops, nets and slings to be aired out and dried ASAP after use. (don't forget to wash first in fresh water if muddy of salt environment!)

5/ Slinging DG gear......wrap in plastic (usually delivered in), then in tarp/s and then place on a pallet and into a net.

I have 30 years in the Crane industry and 27 years as a pilot with substantial long-line experience. There are many ways to skin a cat......just my 2 cents worth!

Safe and happy slinging to all.

[trgbox]

There is no standard for testing or certifying synthetic/nylon slings,lines,nets, longlines, but the AS/NZ standard requires the sling/lines/nets be inspected every 3 months.
It would be wise to have a record of inspection, and a maintenance schedule so if something happens you have your butt covered

Have a look at a Riggers/Dogman's handbook and or a Crane operators handbook. It is all there except netting as the lifting industry doesn't use them much anymore, but from the handbooks you can work out the safe working load, for example Synthetic or Sisal/Manilla rope = Diameter of the rope in mm squared = SWL in Kg.

Wire rope is... Diameter of the rope squared in mm x 8 = SWL in Kg.

Chain used on cranes = (Grade 80 Alloy T) Dia squared x 32 = SWL in Kg

or Grade 30 or 40 chain =
0.3 diameter squared in mm x grade = SWL in Kg.

Slings require the manufacturers to have a tag with SWL and taking into account the max angles and types of bites used secure the load. No tag No lift. Most are also colour coded for SWL weight ranges for ease of picking the right one.

and so on and so forth...............

[trgbox]

Couple Years ago I had to do this type of stuff and a few Little tips about insurance and the like.
Each sling comes with a proof test certificate when purchased from supplier.
For insurance reasons if you put together your own rig, say 2 ton hook, line, load ring etc. and it all says 2 ton or greater on the gear, as a complete rig, it is not "technically" certified for 2 ton unless it has a proof test cert. individually each item is certified as long as it is printed on item or test cert is on hand. that's not to say you can use it everyday. By all means but insurance companies would red flag it if anything ever happens.
The cert can be achieved by giving the gear (as you have put it together ) to a rig company who have a rig test bench and they test it as one complete rig. They will then issue a cert for it.

Most specialised sling companies have rig test benches.

Or you can simply order a complete rig through them to begin with and it comes with all the certificates ready to go.

It's splitting hairs a bit but it's all knowledge..

Get a rigger on your books and he/she can put all the bits together and because they are trained and there for a responsible person they can certify that the gear will and can do the job. (obviously utilising certified bits!)