The Do’s and Don’ts of Rope Grabs

Rope grabs are a crucial part of any tower climber’s arsenal of tools. From keeping them secured to their lifeline as they climb to properly stopping them if they should fall, these systems work with the climber to keep them safe. However, you need to use a rope grab, like any other fall protection tool, correctly for it to have the best effect when you need it most. As such, it’s crucial that every tower climber not just know what a rope grab is, but the do’s and don’ts of rope grab use as well.

What Rope Grabs Do

Before we can delve into the do’s and don’ts of rope grab operation, it’s important that we first take a moment to familiarize ourselves with their overall function. In summary, rope grabs are a clamp-like device that allows a worker full range of motion along a vertical lifeline while ensuring they have support if they should fall. When an individual does experience a slip, the locking mechanism in their rope grab will tighten down on the rope and the worker will only fall the length of their fall protection lanyard.

These devices also come in two different models to better accommodate different types of jobs and job sites: manual and automatic. Both offer different ways to climb, one more hands-off than the other, making it easier to adjust a worker’s climb with the work they’ll be doing. Just be sure to purchase the right rope grab for the particular job for optimal safety.

The Do’s of Rope Grab Use

When it comes to operating a rope grab, the process seems simple on paper. However, there are a variety of things that could go wrong on the tower. As such, it’s essential that you know what steps are right when beginning your ascent. These are some of the things you should be sure to do when using your rope grab.

Familiarize Yourself with Your Rope Grab

Like when using the buddy system, your rope grab, or your friend, is there to help keep you safe in an emergency. So, you need to be able to know and trust it when your life is literally on the line. The key to this is spending some time getting to know it before you begin the climb. By taking a few minutes to read over its instruction manual, you’ll learn more about how to use that specific product and what makes it different from other models.

Follow Manufacturer Inspection Regulations

While you’re reading up on the rope grab you plan to use, make sure you’re also inspecting it to ensure that it’s safe to use on the job. It’s a standard safety procedure to inspect every piece of equipment before use and, as such, the rope grab’s instruction manual is the perfect tool to achieve this. This manual will tell you what potential damage to look for, where to look for signs of decay, and when you should discontinue it.

Use Compatible Equipment with the Rope Grab

For your rope grab to work properly, you need to use it in tandem with compatible materials. For instance, if your grab can only handle a specific rope thickness, you’ll want to only use a rope of that designated dimension. The same goes for the lanyards you intend to use during your climb. Using the wrong type of lanyard may prevent the rope grab from absorbing the shock from a fall and, as a result, will fail to catch you. It’s for this crucial reason that you should also familiarize yourself with the proper equipment combinations to ensure your grab is working correctly.

Keep the Rope Grab Positioned High While Climbing

When your rope grab sits lower on the rope, it isn’t in the position to absorb enough shock to cushion your fall. This puts you at risk for developing an injury as well as increases the chance of your lanyard malfunctioning. By keeping your grab high as you climb, there will be less distance for you to fall and it will be easier for the grab and lanyard to respond if you do.

Attach an Accessory Chord to Protect from Dropping

Many rope grabs come equipped with an area for attaching helpful accessories. One of these recommended attachments is a chord to protect you from dropping it. Since dropping your rope grab in the middle of a climb would be catastrophic to a job, be sure to take this precaution by tying the chord from the grab to the rope.

The Don’ts of Rope Grab Use

Just like you need to know what to do when using a rope grab, you also need to be aware of things you should never do. Unfortunately, even a small mistake could cost you your life when you’re hundreds of feet above the ground. So, make sure you’re aware of these rope grab don’ts to keep yourself safe.

Don’t Directly Handle the Rope Grab when Moving

Though moving the rope grab with your hand might feel like the more natural option, it can lead to trouble if you fall and rip it off the rope. Fortunately, you can easily maneuver rope grabs by lifting your fall protection lanyard and unlatching the clamp from the rope. This is the preferred way to use the rope grab as it doesn’t risk you dislodging the grab in the panic of a fall.

Don’t Attach the Rope Grab the Wrong Way

Attaching the rope grab upside down can prevent it from locking to the rope the way it should. As such, you’re at an increased risk for it malfunctioning when you need it to catch you. It’s for this reason that rope grab products typically have an arrow to indicate which direction it should face when hooked up.

Don’t Keep the Rope Grab Accessible for Use if it has Malfunctioned

Make sure as well that you don’t continue to use a product involved in a past fall. Even if the grab functioned properly before, make sure that it passes all inspections and becomes recertified before you use it on another project. This will best ensure that it’s up to the task of protecting another worker.

At Midwest Unlimited, we strive to help you succeed at your tower climbing job and keeping you safe as you do so. That’s why we want to not only supply you with the proper tower climbing equipment, but the knowledge to use each piece in an effective way. We hope that with our resources at your disposal, you’ll be able to keep yourself protected on the job and continue growing in your career.

Rope grabs are a crucial part of any tower climber’s arsenal of tools. From keeping them secured to their lifeline as they climb to properly stopping them if they should fall, these systems work with the climber to keep them safe. However, you need to use a rope grab, like any other fall protection tool, correctly for it to have the best effect when you need it most. As such, it’s crucial that every tower climber not just know what a rope grab is, but the do’s and don’ts of rope grab use as well.

What Rope Grabs Do

Before we can delve into the do’s and don’ts of rope grab operation, it’s important that we first take a moment to familiarize ourselves with their overall function. In summary, rope grabs are a clamp-like device that allows a worker full range of motion along a vertical lifeline while ensuring they have support if they should fall. When an individual does experience a slip, the locking mechanism in their rope grab will tighten down on the rope and the worker will only fall the length of their fall protection lanyard.

These devices also come in two different models to better accommodate different types of jobs and job sites: manual and automatic. Both offer different ways to climb, one more hands-off than the other, making it easier to adjust a worker’s climb with the work they’ll be doing. Just be sure to purchase the right rope grab for the particular job for optimal safety.

The Do’s of Rope Grab Use

When it comes to operating a rope grab, the process seems simple on paper. However, there are a variety of things that could go wrong on the tower. As such, it’s essential that you know what steps are right when beginning your ascent. These are some of the things you should be sure to do when using your rope grab.

Familiarize Yourself with Your Rope Grab

Like when using the buddy system, your rope grab, or your friend, is there to help keep you safe in an emergency. So, you need to be able to know and trust it when your life is literally on the line. The key to this is spending some time getting to know it before you begin the climb. By taking a few minutes to read over its instruction manual, you’ll learn more about how to use that specific product and what makes it different from other models.

Follow Manufacturer Inspection Regulations

While you’re reading up on the rope grab you plan to use, make sure you’re also inspecting it to ensure that it’s safe to use on the job. It’s a standard safety procedure to inspect every piece of equipment before use and, as such, the rope grab’s instruction manual is the perfect tool to achieve this. This manual will tell you what potential damage to look for, where to look for signs of decay, and when you should discontinue it.

Use Compatible Equipment with the Rope Grab

For your rope grab to work properly, you need to use it in tandem with compatible materials. For instance, if your grab can only handle a specific rope thickness, you’ll want to only use a rope of that designated dimension. The same goes for the lanyards you intend to use during your climb. Using the wrong type of lanyard may prevent the rope grab from absorbing the shock from a fall and, as a result, will fail to catch you. It’s for this crucial reason that you should also familiarize yourself with the proper equipment combinations to ensure your grab is working correctly.

Keep the Rope Grab Positioned High While Climbing

When your rope grab sits lower on the rope, it isn’t in the position to absorb enough shock to cushion your fall. This puts you at risk for developing an injury as well as increases the chance of your lanyard malfunctioning. By keeping your grab high as you climb, there will be less distance for you to fall and it will be easier for the grab and lanyard to respond if you do.

Attach an Accessory Chord to Protect from Dropping

Many rope grabs come equipped with an area for attaching helpful accessories. One of these recommended attachments is a chord to protect you from dropping it. Since dropping your rope grab in the middle of a climb would be catastrophic to a job, be sure to take this precaution by tying the chord from the grab to the rope.

The Don’ts of Rope Grab Use

Just like you need to know what to do when using a rope grab, you also need to be aware of things you should never do. Unfortunately, even a small mistake could cost you your life when you’re hundreds of feet above the ground. So, make sure you’re aware of these rope grab don’ts to keep yourself safe.

Don’t Directly Handle the Rope Grab when Moving

Though moving the rope grab with your hand might feel like the more natural option, it can lead to trouble if you fall and rip it off the rope. Fortunately, you can easily maneuver rope grabs by lifting your fall protection lanyard and unlatching the clamp from the rope. This is the preferred way to use the rope grab as it doesn’t risk you dislodging the grab in the panic of a fall.

Don’t Attach the Rope Grab the Wrong Way

Attaching the rope grab upside down can prevent it from locking to the rope the way it should. As such, you’re at an increased risk for it malfunctioning when you need it to catch you. It’s for this reason that rope grab products typically have an arrow to indicate which direction it should face when hooked up.

Don’t Keep the Rope Grab Accessible for Use if it has Malfunctioned

Make sure as well that you don’t continue to use a product involved in a past fall. Even if the grab functioned properly before, make sure that it passes all inspections and becomes recertified before you use it on another project. This will best ensure that it’s up to the task of protecting another worker.

At Midwest Unlimited, we strive to help you succeed at your tower climbing job and keeping you safe as you do so. That’s why we want to not only supply you with the proper tower climbing equipment, but the knowledge to use each piece in an effective way. We hope that with our resources at your disposal, you’ll be able to keep yourself protected on the job and continue growing in your career.