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S Hooks for holding parts and OSHA requirements

I can find all kinds of detailed specs and requirements by OSHA for life line safety regarding "hook" specs, and for crane lifting of heavy parts, but I can find no de minimus limits or exemptions for small S hooks used on a conveyor paint line to suspend and paint small parts. There must be a limit on the weight and use of small S hooks, that exempts small S hooks from having a weight rated stamp on them, for those that are commonly used and often hand made in house, that are not stamped and load rated. Same questions goes for small light weight plating racks. Surely OSHA has some sort of reg somewhere that says suspension S hooks over X capacity must me load rated, meaning anything under that load weight does not need to be labeled or certified?

Do you know where I can find references on this, an exemption for this application?

Thanks.

Mike McGinness
consultant - Houston, Texas
August 11, 2010

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August 12, 2010

Let common sense rule rather than more federal "help". Most S hooks that I have bought have a rating on the package or in the literature. To be safe, use a 200% of your desired load for the hook. Realize that any hook rating is for when it is brand new. As it gets dings and corrosion, it has been weakened, and sometimes seriously. Look very carefully at hooks that go thru multiple oven cycles as it normally will make them more prone to bending under a load (and less likely to fracture).

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida

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I still need an answer to my original question here. Many companies make their own small parts hooks, for conveyorized paint lines. Has anyone ever found a deminimis part weight for which hooks are not required to be certified to a weight capacity and stamped with a weight limit by the hook manufacturer for OSHA compliance?

Thanks

Mike McGinness
- Houston, Texas, USA
November 8, 2011