Updated July 24, 2026 · By Drillstrings Technical Team
Rig-floor handling tools are the equipment used to grip, lift, suspend and connect tubulars as they are run into and pulled out of the well. Elevators, slips, tongs and their supporting clamps work as a coordinated system: each one takes control of the string at the right moment so that pipe is never uncontrolled and connections are made up to the correct torque. Because these operations happen fast, repeatedly, and around suspended loads, handling tools are also central to rig-floor safety.
The handling cycle: how the tools work together
Running or pulling a stand of pipe is a handoff between three tools:
- Elevators grip the tubular and, hanging from the bails and traveling block, lift it into or out of the hole.
- Slips are set in the rotary table to suspend the string by wedging against the pipe body once the elevators are lowered and released.
- Tongs grip the pipe to make up (tighten) or break out (loosen) the threaded connection to the correct torque.
The string is always under positive control — either held by the elevators, seated in the slips, or gripped by the tongs. Losing that control is how dropped-object and dropped-string incidents happen, which is why sequence discipline matters.
Elevators
Elevators clamp around the tubular and transfer its weight to the traveling block via the links (bails). Two main types:
- Shoulder-type (square-shoulder) elevators bear on the upset or tool-joint shoulder — used for drill pipe and heavy weight drill pipe that have a shoulder to lift against.
- Slip-type elevators grip the pipe body with internal slips — used for plain-end tubulars such as casing and workstring / tubing.
Elevators must be rated for the load and correctly sized to the tubular OD and connection. A mis-sized or worn elevator is a serious dropped-load hazard.
Slips
Slips suspend the entire hanging weight of the string in the rotary table between elevator lifts. Wedge-shaped slip segments carry hardened dies that grip the pipe, converting the downward load into an inward gripping force against the master bushing.
- Rotary slips are the standard manual slips set and pulled by the crew.
- Power slips / spiders mechanize the set-and-release, keeping hands out of the danger zone.
Correct slip dies, proper size and even setting are essential — improperly set slips can crush or mark the pipe body (slip damage), creating stress raisers and future failures.
Tongs and makeup torque
Tongs make and break threaded connections. The critical output is makeup torque — the rotational preload applied to the connection:
- Too little torque and the connection can wash out, back off, or fatigue.
- Too much torque can damage threads, gall the sealing surfaces or overstress the tool joint.
Correct torque comes from the connection manufacturer’s datasheet for that size, grade and thread. Modern tongs use calibrated torque gauges and increasingly iron roughnecks to apply repeatable torque and remove crew from the spinning tongs. Tong dies must be sharp and correctly seated to grip without slipping or scarring the pipe.
Supporting tools
- Safety clamps are placed on the pipe below the elevators or slips as a backup to prevent the string dropping through the rotary — essential on smooth or tapered items.
- Lift subs, lift nubbins and bail-mounted subs provide a shoulder for the elevators to grip on drill collars and other items without a suitable upset.
- Mud buckets contain fluid when breaking connections.
Our handling tools fleet covers elevators, slips, safety clamps and lift subs for drill pipe, collars, casing and tubing across common sizes and connections.
Inspection and fitness for service
Handling tools carry the full weight of the string, so their condition is safety-critical. Best practice includes:
- Regular inspection to API and manufacturer criteria — checking for cracks, wear, hinge-pin integrity and die condition.
- Load-rating verification — confirming each tool is rated for the actual hook loads.
- Correct die selection and replacement before dies wear out and slip.
- Certification and records kept current, in line with our quality program.
Worn hinge pins, cracked bodies and glazed dies are the failures that precede dropped loads — they are caught by inspection, not by luck.
Red-zone safety
The red zone — the area around well center, the rotary and the moving tongs — is where most serious rig-floor injuries occur: struck-by, caught-between and dropped-object events. Managing it is the heart of modern handling safety:
- Eliminate or minimize personnel in the red zone during handling operations.
- Mechanize with power slips, iron roughnecks and remote-operated tools where possible.
- Enforce sequence discipline so control of the string is never ambiguous.
- Maintain clear communication between driller, floor crew and derrickman.
Whether operations support drilling, casing running or workover, the same principle applies: the string is always under control, and people are clear of the load.
Handling tools on rental
Because handling-tool requirements change with tubular size, grade and connection from well to well, renting lets you always run correctly sized, freshly inspected, load-rated elevators, slips and tongs for the specific string in the hole — without maintaining and re-certifying a full owned set.
If you are planning a running operation, our team can match elevators, slips, safety clamps and lift subs to your tubular and connection. Contact us with your sizes and connections, and we will supply certified, correctly rated handling tools.