Prevent Damage to the Sling AND the Load

Use proper corner protection. A sharp steel edge will cut through any wire rope sling; at least it will permanently damage the sling. Sliced steel pipes have proven to an effective corner protector. For square and round objects proper wooden padding will be sufficient. Before making the final lift do a trial lift and check if the padding is strong enough and does not crack under the load weight.

Do not Damage the Rope Sleeves

Do not place the splice sleeves, rope thimbles, or sling hooks around corners. A sleeve failure under these condition will result in the failure of the sling and you WILL drop the load. Check the sleeves regularly for nicks and cracks. Rope sleeves are NOT designed to be hooked under loads and be used as a swaged button; rope sleeves secure the rope ends and are not intended to lift the load.
DO NOT WELD ANYTHING ONTO THE ROPE SLEEVE OR TO ANY ROPE END ATTACHMENT.

Turning the Load

Turning the load with a double choker (that is a loop & loop sling used inverted) gives good load control. To rig place both sling eyes on top of the load, pointing in the OPPOSITE direction of the turn. The body of the sling is then passed under the load and through both eyes.