Zk2 user manual

[kevin bingham]

https://www.treestuff.com/store/images/pdf/ZK2Instructions.pdf

[WorcsWuss]

Thanks Kevin. Is that different from the instructions which were packed with the RW when shipped?

 

It is required that a stiffened tether be used in conjunction with the Rope Wrench. Stiffened tethers designed specifically for use with the Rope Wrench are commercially available from Sterling Rope Co., Inc and ABR, Inc. Do not use "home-made" stiffened tethers, or tethers made of a brittle material such as acrylic or wood

 

Did the legal beagles at ISC come up with that or is it something from local safety law...?

Just as we were all starting to get the hang of making them aswell!!

 

Anyway, wasn't the original wrench made from wood itself...?!

[kevin bingham]

Yes this a new manual. Hasn't made it to the printers quite yet so there is room to modify. This was done by a professional manual writing agency. There is some things in there are written from a liability point of view. Homemade is opposed to professional. If you are a professional it doesn't apply to you. . I still do climb on my wooden wrench from time to time. The ISC is better though

[WorcsWuss]

I do love my ISC wrench, completely different from the wooden one I imagine!

 

Ref homemade & professional, depends what you deem as professional [i''m not in any way a professional tether maker!] and also how much 'making' goes into it.

All mine is is a 30cm nylon sling with 2 layers of heat shrink round it. Technically, although wrapped in shrink, it's as tested & rated....

The murky world of liability discharge.

 

For everyone's 'benefit' it would be nice if that could be removed from the manual, throw the tether out of the equation completely and just say something like

'A tether [not included] is required to allow the RW function. Tether length & construction are the reponsibility of the user. Commercially available tethers can be purchased from Sterling or ABR in certain markets'.

 

Because that guideline you've got in there at the moment means that every tether that isn't Sterling or ABR would fail LOLER in this country.

[kevin bingham]

Good point

[kevin bingham]

I will get that changed immediately. This is a draft and not finished. consider this a brief comment period. Thanks.

[Dan Curtis]

Because that guideline you've got in there at the moment means that every tether that isn't Sterling or ABR would fail LOLER in this country.

 

Not to throw a spanner (or wrench) in the works, as a rw is not for life support, merely a friction aid, it could be argued it is unnessecary to have it inspected. Therefore LOLER'ing the tether is pointless. Any thoughts?

 

Also, whilst on the same point, has anyone had their wrench LOLER'd and had any grief?

[WorcsWuss]

I will get that changed immediately. This is a draft and not finished. consider this a brief comment period. Thanks.

 

Nice one Kevin

 

Not to throw a spanner (or wrench) in the works, as a rw is not for life support, merely a friction aid, it could be argued it is unnessecary to have it inspected. Therefore LOLER'ing the tether is pointless. Any thoughts?

 

Also, whilst on the same point, has anyone had their wrench LOLER'd and had any grief?

 

A good point, but perhaps semantics

If a tether or wrench were to fail / fall apart on a fast descent SRT, then theoretically could this contribute to a potential free fall...? (With additional contributing factors)

Although not 'primary' life support, I do see my wrench as an intrinsic part of my life support system so inspect it just as carefully as i do my hc pulley. Don't see any serious reason why both wrench and tether shouldn't be included on the loler sheet?

Speaking as someone who doesn't have to have his kit LOLER'd.....

[WorcsWuss]

In fact, LOLER aside, let's say someone falls out of a tree, for whatever tenuously linked reason, while coincidentally using a home made tether which doesn't need to be LOLER'd.

HSE read the manual, 'was that a sterling or abr tether? No? See you in court'

[Dan Curtis]

Aha! It could be viewed as a climbing aid, along the lines of spikes/pantin, which, I believe do not need to be LOLER'd either. This is a whole can of worms!

 

I know where you're coming from and of course it should be checked by the user, but it's not life support, therefore has no CE mark and is irrelevant to LOLER imo.