QUALITY INTL CERTIFICATIONSLifting Sling Colour Code Chart — WLL by Colour Explained
Per the EN 1492-1 convention used across the UAE, a webbing sling's body colour identifies its working load limit band: purple is 1 tonne, green 2 t, yellow 3 t, grey 4 t, red 5 t, brown 6 t, blue 8 t and orange 10 t and above. These are conventional bands — the sewn label remains the legal source.
What the body colour of a webbing sling says about its capacity.
The Colour Code WLL Chart and Where It Comes From
Polyester webbing slings are made to standards such as EN 1492-1 in Europe, with ASME B30.9 governing slings in US practice, and the colour banding below is the EN convention. It has spread through Gulf procurement because most webbing slings on UAE sites are manufactured to the EN system. The idea is simple: capacity should be visible at a glance in a sling bag or on a hook, so a rigger recognises the body colour instead of reading every label under time pressure.
Read the chart as a fast identification guide, not as a sling specification — two slings of the same colour can differ in length, construction and mode of use, and the label governs the WLL for each configuration.
| Body Colour | WLL Band (Conventional EN) | Where You Typically Meet It |
|---|---|---|
| Purple | 1 tonne | Workshop and maintenance lifting, light kit |
| Green | 2 tonnes | General rigging and site material handling |
| Yellow | 3 tonnes | Structural steel and precast elements |
| Grey | 4 tonnes | Heavier plant, steel sections and ductwork |
| Red | 5 tonnes | Formwork, skips and fabrications |
| Brown | 6 tonnes | Pipe spools, vessels and equipment moves |
| Blue | 8 tonnes | Heavy lifts in yards and plants |
| Orange | 10 tonnes and above | High-capacity engineered lifts |
Values are conventional EN bands presented per international practice. The actual working load limit for a given sling and configuration comes from its sewn label, which reflects the sling's rated mode of use. Confirm the label before every lift.
Why the Label, Not the Colour, Is the Legal Source
The colour coding is a convention. The label is the specification. A sewn label carries the WLL for the sling's stated configuration, the material, the manufacturing standard, and the maker's traceability. When a sling is examined after an incident or during a third-party inspection in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, the label is the document everyone reads. The quarterly tag rotation that sits on top of WLL bands is charted in our lifting colour code chart 2026 guide.
Colours help speed, not law. A red sling faded by UAE sunlight can be misread, dye batches vary between manufacturers, and non-EN products circulate in some markets. If the colour and the label disagree, the label wins; if the label is missing or illegible, the sling should be quarantined and treated under inspection discard criteria, whatever its colour looks like.
Sling Body Colour vs Quarterly Inspection Colour
This is the number one confusion on UAE sites. The quarterly colour code — the tag, band or paint dot applied during periodic inspection — records inspection status: this sling was examined in this quarter. It says nothing about capacity. The body colour of the webbing itself says nothing about inspection status.
A green-bodied 2 tonne sling may carry a blue quarterly tag this quarter and a different colour next quarter; its WLL band stays green-coded for its whole life. Teams that mix the two systems risk either trusting an un-inspected sling or misreading a good one. Keep the two charts separate, and train riggers to read both — the body colour for capacity, the tag for inspection currency.
Polyester Webbing vs Chain Slings
The colour convention described here belongs to polyester webbing slings made to EN 1492-1 practice. Chain slings are different: their working load limit comes from the chain grade and diameter, marked on the sling's label or tags, not from body colour. A coloured sleeve or band on a chain sling is usually protection or site identification, not a capacity code.
This matters when slings are ordered quickly for a UAE project. If a procurement specification says colour-coded slings, clarify whether it means webbing slings with EN colour bands, the site's quarterly inspection colours applied to all lifting gear, or both. Confirm with the inspection body which convention your project uses before the order is placed.
Dual Bands and Mismatched Colours
Two traps catch even experienced riggers. The first is dual-band markings: some slings carry two WLL figures for different configurations or usage modes, and occasionally two colour bands appear on one sling. Never guess which applies — read the label, match the configuration you are actually rigging, and confirm with the inspection body where a dual-band sling is unclear.
The second trap is mismatched hardware. A green 2 tonne sling paired with a shackle or fitting of a different capacity does not average out: the assembly is limited by its weakest item. Check the WLL of every component in the rigging — sling, shackle, master link — not just the sling body colour. That is basic rigging discipline on any Dubai or Abu Dhabi lift plan.
Using the Colour Code on Site
In practice the chart works as a fast check. Riggers eyeball the colour to confirm they have roughly the right sling, then read the label for the exact WLL in the planned configuration. Supervisors use colour to spot mix-ups in sling bags and containers before gear reaches the hook, which is where a wrong-capacity sling is cheapest to catch.
Where slings of many capacities share a store, arrange them by colour so the right band is grabbed at a glance and shortages are visible immediately. Faded or sun-bleached slings — common in UAE yards after a summer on the rack — go straight to inspection rather than being trusted by eye. QIC (Quality International Certifications), a UAE inspection company since 1998 that performs load testing and lifting equipment inspection, verifies sling identification and labelling during examinations.
Checklist
- Read the body colour for the WLL band, then the label for the exact WLL.
- Confirm the rigging configuration matches the label's stated mode of use.
- Check that shackle and fitting capacities meet or exceed the sling WLL.
- Treat dual-band slings as label-only decisions.
- Never confuse the body colour with the quarterly inspection tag colour.
- Quarantine slings with missing or illegible labels.
- Send sun-faded slings for inspection rather than guessing the colour.
- Store slings sorted by colour band for quick, visible issue.
- Verify chain slings by grade and label, not by body colour.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the colour of a lifting sling mean?
On webbing slings, the body colour identifies the working load limit band under the conventional EN 1492-1 colour code: purple for 1 tonne, green 2, yellow 3, grey 4, red 5, brown 6, blue 8 and orange 10 tonnes and above. The colour is a fast guide; the sewn label is the legal source of the WLL.
What colour sling lifts 2 tonnes?
Green. Under the conventional EN band used widely in the UAE and internationally, a green polyester webbing sling is identified with a 2 tonne working load limit. Always confirm the exact figure and configuration on the sewn label before lifting, since dye shades vary and the label governs.
Is the sling colour the same as the quarterly inspection colour?
No. The body colour of the sling identifies its WLL band and never changes. The quarterly colour tag records when the sling was last inspected and changes every quarter. The two systems are completely separate, and riggers should be trained to read both without mixing them.
Do chain slings follow the same colour code?
Generally no. Chain sling capacity comes from the chain grade and diameter, shown on the label or tags rather than body colour. Any colour on a chain sling is usually identification or sleeve protection. Confirm the working load limit of chain slings from the marked label or with the inspection body.
Where is the WLL on a sling if the colour fades?
The WLL is on the sewn label stitched into the sling, which carries the capacity, material and standard information. If the label is missing, illegible or torn away, the sling cannot be reliably rated and should be quarantined and discarded under inspection criteria, whatever the body colour looks like.