Which marking is required by the manufacturer on new links, rings, and swivels?

• A. Size or rated load
• B. Serial number
• C. Color code
• D. Date of manufacture

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that rigging hardware must clearly show how much load it can safely carry. The most important marking on new links, rings, and swivels is the size or rated load. This information tells you the actual capacity of the piece and helps you choose hardware that matches the load and works with the other components in the rigging set.

Knowing the size helps confirm the hardware fits with slings, chains, or other connectors, while the rated load communicates the safe working limit for that piece. Other markings, like a serial number, date of manufacture, or color code, can be useful for traceability or quick identification, but they don’t define the safe capacity the way the rated load does.