Prusik help for Rope Access technician

[Jamie]

Bjørgvin, If it's a shallow roof i'd be tempted to drop two lines down and run with an ASAP on one line and a Shunt on a cowstail / Grillion on the other. You can push the shunt up to use it as an ascender.

 

If the roof was steeper i'd want to use a Rig over an ID. much better, more fluid without that annoying anti panic feature.

 

Jamie

[Jiggs]

Use the button on the end of the handle, that's what it's for.

 

Worked in rope access for 3 years

[Bjørgvin]

The button works ok when decending without much weight on the rope. Its tending slack when moving around thats bothers me. The ropes gets real dirty and becomes a bit stiffer.

 

Jamie. That shunt idea could be worth a try. Have both shunts and grillions lying around.

[Jamie]

I like to try and use the easiest, least gear intensive set up I can. Keeping it simple.

 

I personally haven't used ID's much, the company I worked with for 4 years used Rigs but phased them out due to the rope wearing out the braking section of the faceplate prematurely. The company i'm now working for uses ID's and I can't stand them.

[Bjørgvin]

Little update:

 

Just a friction hitch on a single line was ok as long as the roof is not steep. But not sold on it as steep roofs is part of the job aswell.

I then rigged a rads type 3:1 system without a rig/grigri/id as they produce alot of friction. Used a twin pulley connected to a grillon lanyard on my harness, and then put the friction hitch on the third leg of rope. As a result the hitch only holds a third of my weight and worked perfect!

As the grillon is adsjustable I can move the system away from me when ascending, getting a good pull on the third leg. Almost a frictionless 3:1.

When decending I leave my hand ascender on the roof ridge.

 

This system has to be rigged when I have reached the roof ridge, because you can not move the hand ascender up when the hitch is holding my weight on the third leg. But thats ok. Takes 3 minutes to gain 7 hours of more effective work. Really impressive how easy you can lift you body 3:1 without friction.

 

I will try to switch the twin pulley with a Petzl pro traxion. This has a cam on the pulley that you can lock off. Meaning that it ascends like a croll with a pulley. Capturing your progress. This allows me to ascend with the system as rads. When I am at the ridge i connect my hitch on the third leg and flip open the cam on the traction, and it works as a normal pulley. But then there is tending the hitch.. Will play around with that.