The first step to lifting sling safety is choosing the right sling material. But the biggest impact on safety and performance comes down to how you use—or abuse—your sling. Here are a few dos and don'ts to keep in mind when using your lifting sling.

Lifting slings are an essential tool for hoisting, rigging and materials handling. Properly used, slings enable safe lifting and moving of heavy loads ranging from pipe sections to loaded boxcars.

Did you know that falls are the third-highest cause of unintentional deaths in the U.S.? (The first two are motor vehicle crashes and poisoning). More than 33,000 people die in unintentional falls each year, and another 8 million people end up in the E.R. for injuries caused by slips, trips and falls.

June is National Safety Month—which makes it the perfect time to take another look at how you are keeping your people safe at work.