Loads rotate more often than people plan for. Long items, asymmetric loads, single-leg lifts and anything caught by wind will all twist as they leave the ground, and a sling that cannot release that twist winds up, shortens and loads unevenly. A ball bearing swivel turns under load, which is the distinction that matters: a plain swivel locks solid the moment weight comes on it and stores every degree of twist. This hook is explicitly rated for rotation under load, with a safety catch fitted as standard.
Key Features
- Rotates under load: Stated explicitly by the manufacturer as suitable for rotation under load, which a plain swivel is not. That is the whole reason to specify it.
- Ball bearing swivel: Low friction rotation that keeps working with the load applied.
- Safety catch fitted: Prevents the load coming off the hook when the sling goes slack.
- Seven sizes: Chain 6 mm to 22 mm.
- Grade 8 alloy steel to BS EN 1677-2: The standard for sling hooks.
- Full traceability marking: Material grade, manufacturer's identification, size, product ID mark and traceability code.
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
Chain Dia (mm) |
| CG8SSH6 |
6 |
| CG8SSH8 |
8 |
| CG8SSH10 |
10 |
| CG8SSH13 |
13 |
| CG8SSH16 |
16 |
| CG8SSH20 |
20 |
| CG8SSH22 |
22 |
Full dimensional data, Working Load Limits, proof force and breaking force by chain size are given on the user information sheet.
BS EN 1677-2 | Grade 8 | Rotation Under Load | LOLER Ready
Grade 8 alloy steel conforming to BS EN 1677-2. Ball bearing swivel suitable for rotation under load. Rated -20 °C to +200 °C. Each hook is marked with material grade, manufacturer's identification, size, product ID mark and traceability code, and supplied with a certificate. Under LOLER 1998, lifting accessories require thorough examination by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Suitable Applications
Specify a bearing swivel wherever rotation is likely: long or asymmetric loads, single leg lifts where nothing restrains rotation, outdoor lifting where wind catches the load, and slings used repeatedly that accumulate twist. It is also worth having where a load must be allowed to find its own orientation as it lifts, rather than fighting the sling. Where the load hangs dead still, a plain sling hook does the same job for considerably less.
More About This Product
Shackles are the most-handled component in any lifting operation, and that is precisely why they wear out first. A sling gets rigged and derigged; a shackle gets rigged, derigged, dropped, driven over, thrown into a box and picked up by whoever needs one. Most lifting gear fails from a single overload; shackles fail from accumulated inattention.
The grade markings matter more than most people realise. A Grade 6 high tensile shackle to BS EN 13889 and a Grade 8 alloy shackle look similar and share the same body shape, but the alloy version carries considerably more at the same size. Once a shackle is in a box with fifty others, the only way to tell them apart is the marking — which is why an unmarked shackle has to be scrapped no matter how good it looks.
Understanding the Load Path
A shackle has two distinct load-bearing elements and they do different jobs. The bow takes the sling; the pin takes the load. Reverse that — put the sling on the pin and the load on the bow — and two things happen. The sling bears on a smaller radius than it was designed for, and any movement in the sling starts to rotate the pin.
On a screw collar pin that rotation is the failure mechanism. A sling shifting under a settling load, or vibration transmitted from plant nearby, will slowly unscrew the pin over minutes or hours. It rarely happens quickly enough for anyone to see it happening.
The second consideration is angle. A shackle loaded in line with the pin carries its full rating. Loaded at an angle across the bow it carries substantially less, and published derating tables cover a limited range of angles — beyond that range no figure is published because none applies. On a multi-leg sling every leg is at an angle by definition, which is why the bow shackle exists and why putting a multi-leg sling into a dee shackle is a genuine mistake rather than a preference.
How to Use the Swivel Sling Hook
- Match to the chain size: Connect through a coupling link or component connector sized to the chain.
- Check the swivel turns freely: It should rotate smoothly by hand. Roughness or notchiness means the bearing needs attention.
- Check the safety catch: Must spring fully closed against the hook nose.
- Seat the load in the throat: Load bears in the throat, never on the tip.
- Let the swivel do its job: It is there to release twist, not as a means of deliberately rotating a suspended load.
- Do not modify: Never weld, heat, machine, drill or repaint.
Warning: Never tip load a sling hook. Never use one with a missing or damaged safety catch. The swivel is for relieving twist, not for deliberately turning a suspended load. Never exceed the Working Load Limit for the chain size.
Safety Information
- Use only with Grade 8 chain and components of the matching size.
- The load must bear in the throat of the hook, never on the tip.
- Confirm the swivel rotates freely and the safety catch closes fully before every lift.
- The safety catch retains the load, it does not carry it.
- Withdraw any hook showing throat opening, distortion, cracks, wear beyond the manufacturer’s stated limit or a seized swivel.
- Never weld, heat treat, machine or repaint.
- Operating range -20 °C to +200 °C.
- Thorough examination by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months under LOLER 1998.
Inspection and Maintenance
The swivel bearing is the part that distinguishes this hook and the part that fails. Check it rotates smoothly under hand pressure with no notchiness, grinding or axial play, since a bearing that has begun to fail will seize under load, which defeats the purpose entirely. Keep it clean and lubricated as the manual specifies. Beyond the bearing, inspect as any sling hook: measure throat opening against the original dimension, check the tip and throat for gouging, confirm the safety catch springs closed and sits against the nose, and check the marking is legible.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does "rotation under load" actually mean?
That the swivel keeps turning with weight on it. A plain swivel turns freely when slack but locks solid once loaded, so any twist that develops during the lift stays in the sling. A bearing swivel keeps turning and lets it out. Only the bearing type may be described as suitable for rotation under load.
Q: Can I use it to spin a load into position?
No. It relieves accumulated twist; it is not a positioning device. Deliberately rotating a suspended load introduces dynamic forces the sling is not rated for and puts the operator near a moving load.
Q: Swivel sling hook or swivel self locking hook?
Both swivel on bearings. The sling hook has a sprung safety catch that stops the load falling off when slack but can be pushed open. The self locking version locks positively under load and releases only deliberately with the load off. Choose self locking where the hook is out of sight or accidental release would be serious.
Q: Why is this rated -20 °C when other Cobra Grade 8 fittings are -40 °C?
The swivel bearing is likely the limiting component rather than the alloy steel. If you are working below -20 °C, check the marking on the individual component rather than assuming the range-wide figure applies.
