_normally_ chains DON"T damage the cylinder.
If you are having a situation where the operators are "over-lowering" and allowing slack in the chains as they deposit (or retrieve) a pallet in the racks, then that situation needs to be fixed. One way is to get all the drivers to see how easy it is to score the chrome on a wasted cylinder rod. I would also want to warn the operators of the possible oil bath/shower/soaking they may get from a broken hose when the slack in the chain is suddenly "taken up", particularly in trucks with side-shift or auxiliary function attachments.I have seen far more cylinders damaged by the wrapping of a chain around the cylinder while trying to drag something out of a trailer of other confined space.
In either case, it is something that should (in my not all that humble opinion) be blamed on the operator training program, and best addressed by a competent operator trainer/training program and management being made aware of the expense involved in the repairs.