4 common mistakes to avoid when using shock cords

Shock cords are a mainstay in commercial, industrial and logistics settings, offering fast, adaptable tensioning solutions across a wide spectrum of applications. We have a particularly long history with them here at Ibex Marina Ropes – with many years of experience, we know that their elasticity and compact strength make them ideal for bundling, securing tarpaulins, and absorbing movement in transit loads.

However, if you are newly integrating shock cords into your business, or in the process of training new staff, that can sometimes create conditions for misuse. As well as being inefficient, misapplication can result in serious injury, damaged assets, or regulatory issues. So in that spirit, we have rounded up four of the most frequent mistakes for your team to avoid.

Mistake #1 – Using for personal restraint, lifting or towing

Shock cords are engineered for controlled tensioning – not for dynamic load-bearing applications. Unfortunately, it is not unknown for them to be misused in restraint, lifting and towing scenarios. Using a shock cord as a makeshift tether or hoist introduces unacceptable risk: the elastic rebound under sudden load release can be violent, unpredictable and easily breach safe working distances.

This includes ill-advised attempts to secure personnel harnesses, lift kit, or drag loads with cords not designed for such force vectors. In short, the rubber core simply isn’t specified for applications involving those forces. If your team is engaging in lifting or towing, you will need to use certified slings, ratchets or webbing straps rated to the required working load limit (WLL), and matched to your load profile. Using anything less introduces serious safety concerns.

Another crucial element involves any failure to account for environmental factors – such as moisture, extreme temperatures or abrasive surfaces. Shock cords degrade faster when stressed in such conditions, and a sudden failure of a tensioned line could cause major injury. Even if it appears to perform under strain initially, there is no excuse for using them in these applications – so it is crucial to ensure that all team members understand this.

Mistake #2 – Failing to check the cord properly for damage

In fast-paced or high-throughput environments, cord inspection can sometimes get relegated to secondary status. Tension fatigue, UV degradation, and shearing from anchor points all build over time. Failure typically occurs where the stress concentration is greatest – and crucially, this is not always the most visible area.

To avoid this, cords need to be inspected proactively. A qualified team member needs to be checking for external sheath fraying, core protrusion, discolouration, and loss of elasticity. These need to be tactile inspections too; so they need to be feeling for soft spots or changes in diameter, especially near hooks or knots. A compromised cord might not snap outright – it may fail to hold under tension, which in some contexts is even more dangerous. If your organisation is operating under ISO 9001 or similar standards, it is a good idea to ensure that these checks have been fully integrated into your inspection routines.

It is also essential to record inspection intervals when your operation is subject to audit or liability exposure. Demonstrating due diligence in cord maintenance reduces both physical and legal risk, particularly in environments governed by LOLER or PUWER regulations.

Mistake #3 – Lack of personal protective gear

This is a particularly egregious breach, and thankfully increasingly rare – but still far more common than it should be. Personal Protective Equipment is vital for any hands-on industries, and particularly so in situations involving high-recoil potential. A recoiling bungee under tension can deliver enough force to rupture an eyeball or cut exposed skin severely. This means anyone who is fitting, tensioning or releasing shock cords should be wearing ANSI-rated eye protection at a minimum.

Cut-resistant gloves are also advisable where there is risk of friction burns or injury from stray filaments. Cord condition alone cannot be relied upon to prevent harm – PPE provides a final line of defence when procedural controls are insufficient. Any risk assessments need to define recoil zones and restrict load tensioning tasks to trained personnel.

In higher-risk environments – including marine work or elevated platforms – additional face protection such as visors may be required. When cords are tensioned in proximity to other people, shielding or exclusion zones should be in place. It is not always uncommon for staff members (even senior ones) to eschew PPE on the basis that they have performed a certain task without it hundreds of times before – but it only takes one incident to result in potentially life-changing consequences.

Mistake #4 – Using beyond 100% of original length

Every shock cord has a defined elongation rating – typically in the 75% to 100% range. This figure represents a technical specification rather than a target for daily use. Stretching a cord to its maximum capacity significantly increases the risk of failure and reduces its working life, especially if it happens on a semi-regular or regular basis. Developing a false sense of security because a cord has not yet failed can be just as dangerous.

Operational best practice dictates that team members need to ensure the cord stays well within the upper limits of its extension. Ideally, they should aim to use no more than 50% of the maximum rated elongation unless the product’s technical guidance clearly specifies otherwise. (You may wish to reference the manufacturer’s documentation for details such as elongation range, breaking strain, and resistance to environmental exposure.) Stretching a cord too far increases the risk of snapping – and it can also invalidate warranties and break compliance on restraint requirements in regulated transport settings.

Repeated exposure to over-extension stresses fibres, even when damage is not visible externally. A cord that has been pulled beyond its limits once may already be compromised – treating it as fit for further use after that is a critical misjudgement. Maintaining safety for equipment, load integrity, and staff depends on using cordage within controlled, clearly defined limits.

These are just some of our most safety-critical suggestions – you may well develop further in-house guidance of your own, proportionate to the specific risks present in your workplace. We will leave the details of those to you. As for us, we will continue focusing on manufacturing and supplying market-leading shock cords to a wide range of industries – so whatever application you need yours to perform, you can trust us to be able to advise.

If you need any specific advice about choosing shock cords for your own application, or any queries about their technical specifications, feel free to contact us here at Ibex Marina Ropes. You can give us a call on 01706 360 363. Our expert team is always happy to help!