A skip link is a long, narrow link designed to pass through a skip lifting lug and back on itself. The elongated shape gives the reach that a standard master link cannot, which is why skip and container lifting has its own fitting.
Grade 10 carries about 25% more than Grade 8 at the same size, so a lighter fitting does the same work. The trade-off is temperature: Grade 10 is rated to -20 °C where Grade 8 reaches -40 °C.
Key Features
- Grade 10 alloy steel: Conforming to BS EN 1677-1 +25% of loads.
- Blue painted finish: The colour identifies the grade on site, which is why fittings must never be repainted.
- Clevis connection: Pins directly to the chain end link, removing the coupling link a conventional eye fitting needs.
- -20 °C to +200 °C: Check against the chain, which may be the limiting component.
- 4:1 minimum breaking load with full traceability marking and certificate.
Technical Specifications
| Property |
Value |
| Material |
Grade 10 alloy steel |
| Standard |
BS EN 1677-1 +25% of loads |
| Temperature Range |
-20 °C to +200 °C |
| Finish |
Blue painted |
| Safety Factor |
MBL equals 4 x W.L.L. |
| Marking |
Material grade, manufacturer's ID, size, product ID mark, traceability code |
Working Load Limits and dimensions by chain size are in the user information sheet.
BS EN 1677-1 +25% of loads | Grade 10 | -20 °C to +200 °C | LOLER Ready
Grade 10 alloy steel conforming to BS EN 1677-1 +25% of loads, with a minimum breaking load of four times the Working Load Limit. Marked with material grade, manufacturer's identification, size, product ID mark and traceability code, and supplied with a certificate. Under LOLER 1998, thorough examination by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Suitable Applications
Skip, container and bin lifting, where the lifting lug needs more reach than a standard master link provides. Use fittings of the same grade throughout the assembly; mixing grades derates the whole sling to the lower.
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
- Match the chain size and grade: The clevis is sized for one chain diameter and the assembly must be one grade throughout.
- Check the pin is fully engaged and secured before every lift.
- Load in line: Avoid side or angular loading unless the fitting is rated for it.
- Check temperature against every component: The lowest rating in the assembly governs.
- Recertify made-up assemblies: Proof testing and certification by a competent person is required.
- Do not modify: Never weld, heat, machine, drill or repaint.
Warning: Never mix grades within an assembly without derating to the lower grade and recertifying. Never repaint — the finish identifies the grade and paint conceals the cracks and wear an inspection is looking for.
Safety Information
- Never exceed the marked Working Load Limit.
- Use components of the same grade throughout the assembly.
- Confirm the clevis pin is fully engaged and secured.
- Operating range -20 °C to +200 °C.
- Withdraw any fitting showing wear beyond the manufacturer’s stated limit, distortion, cracks or thread damage.
- Never weld, heat treat, machine or repaint.
- Assemblies built or altered require proof testing and recertification.
- Thorough examination by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months under LOLER 1998.
Inspection and Maintenance
Measure the bearing surfaces against original dimensions and withdraw at the manufacturer’s stated wear limit. Check the body for distortion, elongation and cracks, particularly at the point of maximum curvature where stress concentrates. Inspect the clevis pin for straightness, wear and full engagement, and the pin bores for elongation. Confirm the grade marking and traceability code remain legible, since an unidentifiable fitting must be withdrawn regardless of condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I mix this with Grade 8 components?
Physically yes, but the whole assembly must then be derated to the lower grade, marked accordingly and recertified. In practice it is simpler and safer to keep an assembly to one grade throughout.
Q: Why does the finish matter?
The colour identifies the grade on site — blue painted for Grade 10 here — and that is how a rigger tells fittings apart at a glance. It is also why chain and fittings must never be repainted: fresh paint hides cracks and destroys the identification.
Q: Clevis or eye connection?
A clevis pins directly to the chain end link, giving a shorter assembly with one fewer component to inspect. An eye connects via a coupling link, which makes replacement easier without disturbing the rest of the sling.
