Textile slings
Round slings, webbing slings and other serialised textile lifting accessories
Lifting and rigging sector guide
Digital Product Passport for Lifting Equipment and Rigging
Connect every serialised sling, assembly or lifting product to its approved identity, evidence and lifecycle history through durable QR and NFC access.
Serialised identityQR and NFCControlled evidenceInspection-ready history
Why lifting products fit the model
Long-life, safety-relevant assets need persistent product identity
Lifting accessories and equipment move between manufacturers, distributors, asset owners, worksites, inspectors and service providers. Paper certificates, separate databases and damaged labels can make it difficult to connect the physical product to the correct approved record.
A DPP architecture gives the product one durable digital identity and connects permitted users to controlled technical information, evidence and lifecycle events. It complements—not replaces—the legal, engineering and inspection processes behind those records.
Product coverage
One configurable architecture across diverse lifting products
Chain assemblies
Chain slings, components and configured assemblies with item-specific records
Wire-rope products
Wire-rope slings and assemblies requiring durable identity and supporting evidence
Below-the-hook accessories
Shackles, hooks, beams, clamps and related accessories where product-level traceability adds value
Powered equipment
Hoists and other lifting equipment with service, maintenance and component histories
Custom engineered assemblies
One-off or configured products where drawings, calculations and approved evidence must remain connected
Illustrative passport data
Connect product facts to accountable evidence
The binding dataset depends on applicable law and product standards. A readiness model for lifting equipment can prepare the following governed information categories without assuming every field must be public.
Product identity
Manufacturer, product code, type, model, serial or batch identifier and responsible economic operator
Rated characteristics
Working load limit, dimensions, configuration, material and other approved technical values
Manufacture and release
Manufacture date, facility, release status and accountable approval information
Compliance evidence
Applicable declarations, certificates, technical references and approved document versions
Instructions and limitations
Use, care, storage, inspection, warnings and product-specific limitations
Lifecycle history
Inspection, repair, status, transfer, withdrawal, retirement and superseding corrections
Lifecycle traceability
Preserve the complete asset story without rewriting history
Each event should retain its date, actor, status, evidence, permitted audience and relationship to any correction. The current condition can change while the historical record remains accountable.
Manufactured
The unique product identity is created and linked to approved master data.
Released
Required checks and evidence are approved before the asset becomes available.
Assigned or transferred
Custody or operational location changes without changing the product identity.
Examined or inspected
An authorised record is linked to the correct asset and supporting evidence.
Repaired or modified
The intervention and resulting product status are recorded without erasing history.
Quarantined or withdrawn
The current status becomes visible to permitted users while the reason remains traceable.
Retired
The identity and history remain available even though the product is no longer in service.
Physical access
Treat the tag and attachment as part of the product workflow
The carrier must survive the intended environment, remain readable and avoid compromising the product. Tag selection and attachment require manufacturer approval and testing on the actual sling, assembly or equipment.
Read the QR and NFC guide- Use one persistent resolver identity across QR and NFC where both are provided
- Select a tag and attachment suitable for the expected environment and service life
- Place the carrier where it can be accessed without entering a hazardous lifting operation
- Use a non-load-bearing attachment that does not impair product integrity or required markings
- Keep a human-readable identifier available for fallback and reconciliation
- Test scanning, abrasion, contamination, impact and replacement procedures on the real product
Evidence boundary
The DPP provides access; the underlying process creates validity
Declarations, examination reports and technical records remain governed evidence. Publishing or linking them does not certify the product, create a competent-person decision or prove that an inspection occurred correctly.
Use immutable document versions, accountable approvals and restricted access where records contain sensitive information.
UK operating context
Keep LOLER records connected—but legally distinct
HSE guidance states that thorough examinations require a competent person and written reports, and that examination, inspection and declaration records must be retained and protected from unauthorised alteration.
A DPP can improve retrieval and asset matching while leaving those statutory duties and decisions intact.
Operator workflow
Seven steps from product setup to physical scan
Configure the product family
Define lifting-product type, approved fields, evidence rules and passport layout.
Create the product master
Load controlled model data, technical characteristics and source ownership.
Create the serialised asset
Record the individual identity and asset-specific manufacture or release values.
Issue the resolver
Create one secure product link and encode it into the approved QR and/or NFC carrier.
Attach and verify
Apply the tag through the approved non-load-bearing method, then scan the physical product.
Publish the passport
Validate fields, evidence, access classes and the mobile public view before release.
Record lifecycle activity
Append inspection, repair, status and retirement events without rewriting history.
Pilot evidence
Validated on a genuine serialised lifting product
UniQorn Trace has connected a real serialised synthetic lifting assembly to a persistent resolver, NFC and QR access, controlled evidence, lifecycle-ready records and a mobile public passport.
The anonymised pilot proves the technical workflow. It is not a conformity assessment, safety approval or claim of a current product-specific ESPR mandate.
Start with one representative product
Use real product data and evidence, attach the physical carrier, publish the controlled view and exercise one lifecycle event.
Follow the pilot guide Read the pilot case studyDiscuss a lifting-product pilotCommon questions
Lifting equipment Digital Product Passport FAQ
Do all lifting products already require an ESPR Digital Product Passport?
No. ESPR creates the DPP framework, but product-specific delegated acts determine which product groups are covered, the required dataset and the application date. Manufacturers should treat current work as readiness unless an applicable measure creates a binding duty.
Can a DPP replace a declaration of conformity or lifting-equipment certificate?
No. A DPP can provide controlled access to approved evidence, but it does not create conformity, replace the underlying document or transfer the manufacturer’s and other dutyholders’ legal responsibilities.
Can a DPP replace a LOLER thorough examination?
No. In Great Britain, LOLER examinations require a competent person and a written report. A DPP can connect the product identity to authorised reports and status, but it does not perform or validate the examination.
Should a lifting sling have an item-level passport?
The applicable product rule determines the required DPP level. Operationally, serialised item identity is valuable for products whose inspections, repairs, custody and retirement occur individually.
Can the same lifting product use both QR and NFC?
Yes. Both carriers can encode the same resolver URL and lead to one governed product identity. This avoids duplicate or conflicting passport records.
Where should an NFC or QR tag be attached?
The manufacturer should approve the tag and attachment for the specific product. It should be non-load-bearing, durable, accessible and must not weaken the product, obscure mandatory markings or create a new hazard.
Primary sources
See Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 for the ESPR DPP framework; Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery; and UK HSE guidance on thorough examinations and lifting-equipment records. Confirm the current rules, standards and guidance applicable to each product and market.
Editorial note: This sector guide provides general traceability information, not legal, conformity-assessment, inspection or safety advice.