Ropeworkz

Equipment

9 Steps to putting on a rope access harness correctly

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9 STEPS: TO PUTTING A HARNESS ON CORRECTLY

Putting a harness on is something every rope access technician learns on the first day of their level one training. And even though all technicians will put a harness on most of their working days, many of them do it incorrectly. Doing so can be uncomfortable, make it harder to work, and cause injury.

Let's look at how to put a harness on correctly:

  1. Do a visual inspection of the harness, check the stitching, look for cuts or any other damage. Make sure the harness is the right size for you.
  2. Ensure none of the straps are tangled, and they are loosed sufficiently. Not doing so from the beginning can cause issues later on. 
  3. With the harness laid out on the ground, step into it, between the shoulder straps (Some manufacturers suggest putting the shoulder straps to one side then later lifting them over your head, but this can be challenging for taller people.) *
  4. Pull the harness up above your waist and bend forward so that it rests on your lower back. Tighten the waist belt pulling each strap equally, making sure it sits just above your hip bones.
  5. Tighten the leg loops enough to just be able to slide four fingers between your leg and the strap. If your leg loop has a buckle, ensure it is not twisted. A twisted leg loop buckle can sit in a very uncomfortable position. There have been some horrible accidents, particularly for guys, caused by loose leg loop straps. 
  6. Ask someone to help you adjust the rear of the chest harness. Make sure you do this before adjusting the front. The rear D (Dorsal) ring should be between the shoulder blades, and not too high up the back. This is a very common mistake, even amongst experienced technicians.
  7. Tighten the front of the chest strap, and make sure the rear D ring is still in the correct position.
  8. Do not overtighten the rear leg risers. Doing so will prevent you from being able to move your leg loops to alleviate strap compression while hanging on the ropes.
  9. As soon as you are in the natural sitting position on the rope, tighten your chest strap some more. A slack chest ascender can make climbing very difficult. This is a very common mistake for new technicians to make.

* Always follow manufacturers’ instructions

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Equipment Review: Climbing Technology’s Quick Roll

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EQUIPMENT REVIEW: CLIMBING TECHNOLOGY’S QUICK ROLL

One of the manoeuvres you learn on your first day of rope access training at Ropeworkz is how to ascend on your descender. Not something you will need to do very often, but a helpful thing to know. There are a few ways to do this.

 

Firstly you can brute force it. This involves pulling the slack end of your rope through your descender and up as you ascend. Apart from being physically challenging, if not done correctly, you run the risk of your descender being shock loaded.

 

Alternatively, you can carry a pulley with you, attach it to your hand ascender and run the slack end of your rope through it. Pulling the rope down as you ascend requires less effort and will reduce the chance of shock loading your descender. However, this method means carrying extra equipment with you, is more time consuming, and runs the unnecessary risk of dropping gear.

 

Many of us were trained like this and still use one of these techniques. But then things started to change at Ropeworkz two years ago when we got our hands on Climbing Technology’s Quick Roll.

 

The Quick Roll is a hand ascender like most other hand ascenders, with an ergonomic grip, self-locking teethed cam and attachment holes. But with one significant difference, it has an integrated pulley designed specifically to make ascending with a descender easier.

 

With the Quick Roll, you can easily clip the slack end of your rope into the pulley built into the ascender’s handle with one hand. No extra equipment has to be attached, reducing the need to carry extra gear and the risk of dropping something.

 

We offer our technicians the opportunity to train with both a regular hand ascender and the Quick Roll, still teaching them the other ways to ascend on their descenders. But we have found when given the opportunity, the level 1’s often preferred using the Quick Roll. Our new full-time trainer, who has been an IRATA trainer for five years, gave his first course using the Quick Roll at Ropeworkz. He commented on how much easier it was to assist level 1’s in getting out of their mistakes, like recovering a loaded backup device, when using a Quick Roll.

 

But the Quickroll is not only for training venues and is an excellent piece of kit to have on any worksite. Window cleaners and painters who work so much with their descenders can quickly ascend to touch up a streak or smear. Offshore technicians who have to adjust their position regularly can do so with minimal effort.

 

The one thing that technicians need to be aware of is that the pulley is not suitable for hauling systems as it is only rated for 2kN, and it is only designed to make ascending easier.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Does the Quick Roll come in left and right hand?

Yes, the Quick Roll comes in left hand (grey) and right hand (orange).

 

Is the pulley on the Quick Roll rated?
The pulley on the Quick Roll is rated to 2kN and is NOT to be used for lifting people or equipment.

 

How much does the Quick Roll cost?
R1625

 

How much does the Quick Roll weigh?
The Quick Roll weighs 255g.

WHAT'S NEXT...

What is Train to Pass?

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A Meeting With: Taz

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OUR MEETING WITH: TAZ

Another highlight from APLUSA was meeting Pascal and Benedicte, from Taz, who have most recently brought us the Lov3. Many of you would have heard about it, but most would not have had a chance to test it out. The device was initially designed to be easily and safely installed and removed from a tensioned line but now seems to have infinite possibilities. Essentially, the Lov3 is certified as a fall arrest, descender, backup, rescues, and adjustable lanyard, an all in one device.

We were looking forward to meeting the team behind this device. Although the stand appeared humble, there was a buzz of interest that shadowed some of the fancier setups. People were clearly impressed by the demonstrations performed by the technicians and waiting for an opportunity to talk to Pascal, the creator of the Lov. Fortunately, Pascal and Benedicte had agreed to set aside time for us beforehand.

It was fascinating to hear what drove Pascal to design the original Lov and the long journey he has been on to get it to where it is today with the Lov3. His passion for the community and desire to keep things simple is undeniable.

We are very excited and honoured that they have given us the privilege to be the distributor for Taz in South Africa. Many of you have not had the opportunity to try out the Lov3, so feel free to pop in and give it a go, or book your next rope access course with us and give it a try then. Alternatively, contact us for prices.

Taz rope access equipment
WHAT'S NEXT...

A new year, a new team member.

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