According to ASME B30.26, the horizontal angle of loading should not be less than 30 degrees unless approved by which person listed below?

• A. 10 degrees
• B. 20 degrees
• C. 30 degrees
• D. 45 degrees

Answer: (C)

Horizontal angle of loading affects how the load is shared among the sling legs. If the legs are closer together, the geometry concentrates more force into each leg, raising the tension on the sling and hardware and increasing the risk of failure. That’s why there’s a minimum angle—in this standard it’s 30 degrees—to keep the forces within safe limits and maintain control of the load.

If a lift would require a smaller angle, approval is needed from the person designated to authorize rigging configurations in your operation. In practice, this is typically a Qualified Person or engineer per site procedures. So the 30-degree minimum is the safe default, and any deviation requires specific approval.