Published 20 July 2026 · Updated 7 September 2026 · Toco Lifting (Pty) Ltd, LME 008
A rope-laid endless wire rope sling, or grommet, outperforms a standard eye-and-eye wire rope sling because its continuous loop has no end terminations. The ferrules and splices that form the eyes on a conventional sling are its weakest points and reduce rope efficiency. Removing them gives the grommet a higher strength-to-diameter ratio, a much shorter minimum length for low headroom, wear points that can be rotated through 360° before each lift, and a completely smooth body that will not snag under a choke hitch. In South Africa a cable-laid grommet carries a factor of safety of 8:1 under DMR 18 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Reviewed by Anton van Staden, ECSA-registered Lifting Machinery Inspector (Reg. 201112078), Technical Manager, Toco Lifting (Pty) Ltd.
A rope-laid endless wire rope sling, commonly called a wire rope grommet, is superior to a standard eye-and-eye wire rope sling because its continuous-loop design eliminates the weakest points of a traditional sling: the end terminations and sleeves. Removing them lets the grommet deliver higher lifting capacity, greater flexibility and better clearance in tight spaces.
This guide sets out the five reasons that difference matters on site, and the South African factor of safety that applies.
The five reasons a grommet outperforms an eye-and-eye sling
1. Higher lifting capacity
The grommet is a single continuous steel rope wrapped around itself multiple times, typically six or more layers, always with a steel core when complete. With no swaged ferrules or mechanical splices to reduce rope efficiency, it achieves a higher strength-to-diameter ratio than an eye-and-eye sling of the same rope size.
2. No bulky sleeves
Eye-and-eye slings use metal ferrules to lock the eyes. Endless grommets have no sleeves and no protruding parts, so they will not snag or jam under a load during a choke hitch.
3. Better in tight spaces
With no long rigid eyes at each end, a grommet can be made much shorter than an eye-and-eye sling. That makes it the practical answer for low headroom and narrow clearances, where the length of the eyes alone would rule out a conventional sling.
4. Rotatable wear points
On an eye-and-eye sling the hook always sits in the same eye and wears it out. An endless loop can be rotated through 360° before each lift, spreading hook and load wear evenly around the body and greatly extending service life.
5. Superior flexibility
The continuous strand-laid construction lets the loop conform smoothly to irregular or heavy loads without distorting.
Grommet versus eye-and-eye sling, side by side
| Feature | Rope-laid endless sling (grommet) | Eye-and-eye wire rope sling |
|---|---|---|
| Weak points | None (no end fittings) | Sleeves and splices (reduced efficiency) |
| Minimum length | Extremely short, good for tight headroom | Limited by the physical length of the eyes |
| Wear extension | Excellent, wear points rotate through 360° | Poor, the hook always sits in the same eyes |
| Snag risk | Zero, completely smooth body | High, sleeves can catch under loads |
The factor of safety for a cable-laid grommet: 8:1 under DMR 18
This is where South African practice separates from the international norm, and it is the point most often got wrong.
Cable-laid grommets are worked to a factor of safety of 8:1 under Driven Machinery Regulation 18 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993. The 5:1 figure that appears in SANS and EN specifications is the international standard norm. Where a national standard and statutory law differ, statutory law governs, so 8:1 is the figure that applies to an endless splice in South Africa.
For comparison, a conventional steel wire rope sling is worked to 6:1 as the norm Toco applies under DMR 18, and 5:1 where a sling is specified for international export.
How Toco builds a cable-laid grommet
A Toco cable-laid grommet is one complete cut-to-length steel wire rope, not a strand of rope, laid around itself with one full-circumference tuck. The rope used for the splice is tucked into the centre of the coils to form the core. It is an endless round sling and it has no legs.
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Construction | 6×36 IWRC, hand-tucked Hawser splice, cable-laid from one continuous length |
| Rope grade | 1960 MPa |
| Working load limit | 1 tonne to 340 tonnes, vertical hitch |
| Body diameter | Sized to the required WLL, custom per project |
| Factor of safety, cable-laid grommet | 8:1 per DMR 18 (a plain steel wire rope sling is 6:1 in RSA, 5:1 on export) |
| Certificate | Conformance Inspection Certificate |
Grommets are custom-made per project. The body diameter is sized to the required working load limit rather than selected from a fixed range, so specify the load, the hitch and the headroom when requesting a quote.
Testing and certification
Toco Lifting is an approved Lifting Machinery Entity, LME No. 008, under Driven Machinery Regulation 18(5) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993. Steel wire slings, the category that carries cable-laid grommets, are within that approved scope, so Toco examines and performance tests grommets under its own registration, with inspections carried out by an ECSA-registered Lifting Machinery Inspector.
Toco operates a 200 tonne proof bench at the Germiston branch, with load cells SANAS calibrated to 100 tonnes.
Which should you specify?
Choose a grommet where you need maximum capacity for a given rope diameter, a short sling for restricted headroom, a smooth body that will not snag in a choke hitch, or long service life on a high-cycle lift.
Choose an eye-and-eye sling where the rigging needs a defined eye to suit a specific shackle or hook geometry, or where the sling must be built to a fixed length with terminations that match gear already in service.
Toco supplies both and builds both in house. Tell us the lift and we will specify the sling.
Related:
Cable-Laid Grommet ·
Steel Wire Rope Slings ·
Wire Rope Sling Pressing & Swaging ·
DMR 18 Explained ·
Testing & Certification
Frequently asked questions
Is a wire rope grommet stronger than an eye-and-eye sling?
For the same rope diameter, yes. An eye-and-eye sling loses efficiency at its terminations, because the swaged ferrules and mechanical splices that form the eyes are the weakest points in the assembly. An endless grommet has no terminations at all, so it achieves a higher strength-to-diameter ratio. In South Africa the grommet is also worked to a factor of safety of 8:1 under DMR 18 of the OHS Act, which is more conservative than the 5:1 international standard figure often quoted.
What factor of safety applies to a cable-laid grommet in South Africa?
Eight to one. DMR 18 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 indicates an 8:1 factor of safety for endless splices, and statutory law overrides a national standard where the two differ. The 5:1 figure that appears in SANS and EN specifications is the international standard norm, not the South African statutory figure. Toco Lifting works cable-laid grommets to 8:1.
Why can a grommet be made shorter than an eye-and-eye sling?
Because it has no eyes. The minimum length of an eye-and-eye sling is set by the physical length of the two eyes at its ends, which cannot be shortened below the size the rope diameter allows. A grommet is a continuous loop with no rigid end fittings, so it can be made much shorter. That makes it the practical choice for low headroom and narrow clearances.
Does a grommet last longer than an eye-and-eye sling?
It can. On an eye-and-eye sling the hook always sits in the same eye, so wear concentrates in one place and the sling is retired when that point is worn. An endless loop can be rotated through 360° before each lift, spreading hook and load wear evenly around the body and greatly extending service life.
What is a cable-laid grommet actually made from?
One complete cut-to-length steel wire rope, not a strand of rope, laid around itself with one full-circumference tuck. The rope used for the splice is tucked into the centre of the coils to form the core. It is an endless round sling and has no legs. Toco builds grommets in 6×36 IWRC construction at 1960 MPa.
Where does a grommet still lose to an eye-and-eye sling?
An eye-and-eye sling is the right choice where the rigging needs a defined eye to take a specific fitting, shackle or hook geometry, or where the sling has to be built to a fixed length with terminations to match existing gear. Grommets are custom-made per project and are sized to the required working load limit, so the decision is made per lift. Speak to Toco about the application rather than the part.
Who reviewed this guide?
The technical explanation in this guide is the work of Anton van Staden, Toco Lifting's Technical Manager and a Registered Lifting Machinery Inspector under the Engineering Council of South Africa, registration number 201112078. Speak to the Toco Lifting team about a cable-laid grommet for your lift. Call 011 345 8800 or email [email protected].
Related equipment
Cable Laid Grommet
Cable-laid grommets from Toco Lifting, endless wire-rope slings formed from one complete length of 6×36 IWRC 1960 MPa steel wire rope, joined by a Hawser splice. Body diameters 33 to 100 mm, Working Load Limits to 119 t (vertical hitch). Supplied with a Conformance Inspection Certificate. Safety factor 8:1 per DMR 18. Full specifications and WLL table below.
Steel Wire Rope Slings
Steel Wire Rope Sling Components: Ferrules; Thimbles & Spelter Sockets Ferrules Ferrules secure the loop to form the eye of a steel wire rope sling. Thimbles Thimbles are used in wire rope assemblies to form an eye of the loop, and offer added protection from wear and tear of direct contact and deformation of the eye, extending the service life of the Wire Rope or Wire Rope Sling. Spelter Sockets Used as sling terminations, especially on permanent fixtures such as power line towers, cell phone towers and in the mining industry.
Steel Wire Rope
Steel wire rope from Toco Lifting in diameters from 1 mm to 56 mm, cut to length and supplied with a certificate. Standard stocked construction 6x36 fibre core, ungalvanised, 1960 MPa grade; other constructions, cores and finishes on enquiry.