#cmctechtip

This Tuesday Tech Tip was inspired by a question from a Facebook friend!

Video Quick Tip - Attaching Your Prusik to a Gear Loop for Easy Access

This video demonstrates a quick tip for carrying your prusik cords on the gear loop of your harness.

TIP:  When using a girth hitch to attach your prusik to a gear loop, make sure the bridge is on top of the knot for easy access.

How To:  Bring it through the gear loop and girth hitch it onto the gear loop.

All rope rescue equipment should be kept clean and free of dirt and grit to prevent wear that will reduce the strength, effectiveness and lifespan of the equipment. After the equipment has been cleaned, remember to mark it again if necessary and log that it has been cleaned.

ROPE AND WEBBING

The CMC Rescue School uses the following procedure to wash ropes. Rinse off any excess dirt with a hose. Then soak the rope for about 30 minutes in a plastic tub of water with LifeLine Cleaner added. Rinse the rope by pulling it through a rope washer twice. Then hang the rope in a cool, shady place to dry.

Rope that has come into contact with blood or other body fluids can be cleaned using chlorine bleach per your department’s protocols for decontaminating equipment. Our tests indicated that a 10-minute soak in a 10:1 water-bleach solution resulted in a 2% loss of strength in the rope. While this has minimal effect on the rope, the cumulative strength loss from repeated decontamination of a rope is not known. At some point, it is best to replace the rope.

SEWN GEAR

The D-rings and buckles on these tend to damage washing machines. Use LifeLine Cleaner and soak them in a tub. Light scrubbing with a brush should remove heavy dirt deposits. Rinse and air-dry the same as rope and webbing.

HARDWARE

A non-destructive test that tells how much strength your rope has left does not exist at this time. The decision to retire a rope or to keep it in service relies on good judgment that comes only from experience in working with rope. Inspecting a life safety rope involves visually looking for damage, feeling for damage and checking the rope’s history in the rope log.

  Check your rope carefully after each use to make sure there are no cuts, chafed areas, broken fibers, soft or hard spots, glazed surfaces, discolorations, variations in diameter or any other visible damage. If any of the above are noted, the rope should be retired from service.

  Inspect a new rope before it is put into service and then after each use. The inspection should be done by an experienced person deemed qualified by the agency/organization. A complete inspection includes both a visual and a tactile inspection.

  Visually inspect the sheath to identify chafed areas, glazed surfaces, discoloration or variations in diameter. These areas should receive additional scrutiny during the tactile inspection. Look for areas of abrasion or cuts in the sheath where the core is exposed or enough of the sheath is worn that its ability to protect the core is compromised. The tactile inspection should be done with tension on the rope. Feel for variations in size and soft or hard spots that could indicate damage to the core or rope that has been overstressed. If any of the above are noted, the rope should be retired from service. If the rope has been subjected to shock loads, fall loads or abuse other than normal rappel or rescue training, the rope should be retired from service. 

  Each rope should be inspected before being used, even if the rope has never been placed in service. Keep ropes away from acids, alkalis, exhaust emissions, rust or other strong chemicals. Do not allow rope to be shock loaded or used over sharp bends.

  It is impossible to state when to retire a rope because of the many variations with each rope. If you have any doubts about the integrity of a rope, retire it from service!