Webbing Slings: Specifications and Capacity, Kenya
Which webbing sling do I need?
Belay Rigging supplies polyester flat webbing slings, also called lifting belts, across Kenya in 2, 4, 5 and 6 tonne capacities and 2, 3 and 6 metre lengths, quoted against EN 1492-1 with the specification confirmed in writing before you pay. Slings are colour-coded by capacity, and the capacity is also printed on the label. Order on WhatsApp and we deliver in Nairobi or send upcountry.
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Choose a capacity
Under EN 1492-1, the colour shows the capacity. Each card opens WhatsApp with the size already filled in.
Sizes and colours
| Sling | Colour code | Webbing width | Straight lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 t × 2 m | Green | 60 mm | 2,000 kg |
| 4 t × 6 m | Grey | 120 mm | 4,000 kg |
| 5 t × 2 m | Red | 150 mm | 5,000 kg |
| 5 t × 3 m | Red | 150 mm | 5,000 kg |
| 6 t × 6 m | Brown | 180 mm | 6,000 kg |
Reading the table
The capacity in the table is the working load limit in a straight lift.
Is a lifting belt the same as a webbing sling?
Yes. A lifting belt and a flat webbing sling are the same thing. Same standard, same colour code, same label.
Does the width of a webbing sling tell you what it lifts?
No. The widths in the table are duplex widths. A simplex sling of the same capacity is twice as wide, so a width alone does not tell you what a sling lifts. Check the label.
Colour code
What do webbing sling colours mean?
The colour swatch follows EN 1492-1, and the capacity is printed next to it. Green is 2 tonne, grey 4 tonne, red 5 tonne and brown 6 tonne. Other capacities follow the same code: violet 1 tonne, yellow 3 tonne, blue 8 tonne and orange 10 tonne. Do not rely on colour alone. A European sling has a 7:1 safety factor and a US ASME sling has 5:1, so the same colour does not mean the same breaking strength. Check which standard the sling is made to, and read the label.
Full specification, by size
A sling carries a different load choked or in a basket, and those figures are below. They come from the mode factors in EN 1492-1, and they apply to any sling made to that standard.
How much does a choke hitch reduce a webbing sling's capacity?
In a choke hitch, the sling carries 0.8 of its straight rating, but only when the choke angle is 120° or wider. If the angle is tighter, use the lower figures from the maker.
What is the working load limit of a 2 tonne webbing sling in a basket hitch?
In a basket hitch, the sling carries twice its straight rating, but only when both legs hang straight down. If the legs lean in, use the inclined basket figure instead. For a 2 tonne sling, that is 4,000 kg with the legs straight down and 2,800 kg with the legs leaning in. The figures for every size are in the list below.
2 tonne × 2 m polyester webbing sling
- Working load limit, straight
- 2,000 kg
- Working load limit, choked (× 0.8)
- 1,600 kg
- Working load limit, basket, legs vertical (× 2)
- 4,000 kg
- Working load limit, basket, legs inclined (× 1.4)
- 2,800 kg
- Ply
- Duplex
- Safety factor
- 7:1
- Figures from
- EN 1492-1
4 tonne × 6 m polyester webbing sling
- Working load limit, straight
- 4,000 kg
- Working load limit, choked (× 0.8)
- 3,200 kg
- Working load limit, basket, legs vertical (× 2)
- 8,000 kg
- Working load limit, basket, legs inclined (× 1.4)
- 5,600 kg
- Ply
- Duplex
- Safety factor
- 7:1
- Figures from
- EN 1492-1
5 tonne × 2 m polyester webbing sling
- Working load limit, straight
- 5,000 kg
- Working load limit, choked (× 0.8)
- 4,000 kg
- Working load limit, basket, legs vertical (× 2)
- 10,000 kg
- Working load limit, basket, legs inclined (× 1.4)
- 7,000 kg
- Ply
- Duplex
- Safety factor
- 7:1
- Figures from
- EN 1492-1
5 tonne × 3 m polyester webbing sling
- Working load limit, straight
- 5,000 kg
- Working load limit, choked (× 0.8)
- 4,000 kg
- Working load limit, basket, legs vertical (× 2)
- 10,000 kg
- Working load limit, basket, legs inclined (× 1.4)
- 7,000 kg
- Ply
- Duplex
- Safety factor
- 7:1
- Figures from
- EN 1492-1
6 tonne × 6 m polyester webbing sling
- Working load limit, straight
- 6,000 kg
- Working load limit, choked (× 0.8)
- 4,800 kg
- Working load limit, basket, legs vertical (× 2)
- 12,000 kg
- Working load limit, basket, legs inclined (× 1.4)
- 8,400 kg
- Ply
- Duplex
- Safety factor
- 7:1
- Figures from
- EN 1492-1
Who buys which size
The 2 tonne × 2 m is the size commonly used on Kenya Power line work, where poles are lifted off a lorry and stood up by a small team without a crane. Kenya Power does not endorse this sling, and we do not claim that it does.
The 4 and 6 tonne slings, both 6 m long, are used for lifting mabati and roofing. The load is long, so the sling needs to reach around it. The 5 tonne slings, 2 m and 3 m long, are general sizes for workshops and quarries.
If you are not sure which size the job needs, tell us the load and how it will be lifted, and we will tell you what the maker's table says. We do not calculate working load limits and we do not recommend a capacity for a load we cannot inspect. That decision belongs to the person in charge of the lift.
What you will also need
A sling needs other parts to connect it to the hook and the load. These are easy to forget:
- Bow or dee shackles. To connect the eye to the hook or the load. Sized to the sling, screw pin or safety bolt
- Sling protection sleeves. 50, 75 and 100 mm. A polyester sling can be cut through on a sharp edge with no warning. A sleeve protects it
- Corner protectors. For square steel, crated goods and mabati bundles
- Sling tags and marking discs. For keeping a register of what is in service and what has been withdrawn
Add them to the same WhatsApp message and they come on the same delivery. See rigging hardware for the full list.
What a webbing sling is not
Is a ratchet lashing the same as a lifting sling?
A lashing is not a sling. A ratchet lashing, also called a ratchet strap, has a lashing capacity, which describes how hard it can pull cargo down onto a truck bed. A sling has a working load limit, which describes what it can carry in the air. The two numbers measure different things. Never use a lashing to lift.
If you need to secure a load on a vehicle rather than lift it, that is cargo lashing and recovery. If you need to lift something with steel rather than webbing, that is Grade 80 chain or wire rope.
Delivery
Nairobi goes by rider for small loads and van for heavy or long ones. We do not show stock levels on the site, because a wrong stock claim would cost you more than a true lead time. You get the delivery date with the price, in one message.
Anywhere else in Kenya goes by courier or bus parcel to the town you name. Uganda and Tanzania are quoted per consignment with transit confirmed before you pay anything. We do not publish cross-border delivery times, because we cannot promise them.
Full detail on delivery, and the payment steps on how we work.
Price and lead time on WhatsApp. A quote holds for seven days.
Can't see what you need?
The five above are the sizes we quote as standard. These are sourced to order:
- Round slings. Endless polyester, coded by capacity the same way
- Endless flat slings. No eyes, so the wear point moves every time it is rigged
- Simplex slings. Single ply, for loads that need a wider contact area
- Protection sleeves. 50, 75 and 100 mm, and corner protectors
- Other capacities and lengths. 1, 3, 8 and 10 tonne, or a length not listed. Tell us what you need
We also source lifting equipment that is not on this site at all. Send the item, the size, the quantity and the town. We reply with a price and a date, or tell you if we cannot get it.
Ask for something not listedOrder a webbing sling
Send the capacity, the length and the quantity on WhatsApp. We confirm the price and the date. The quote holds for seven days, and we dispatch once payment clears.
Closed. Send an enquiry and we pick it up when we open.