LOLER advice

[English-arb]

Hi,

 

Just a quick couple of questions regarding the lolering of some equipment and wondered if anyone on here who is perhaps an inspector could answer.

 

if a spiderjack slipping on the rope as a result of wear on the cam or any other ART device that uses a "cam" would that likely be an item that a loler inspector would fail or is minor creeping acceptable?

 

If my rope has no information on whatsoever and no paperwork to go with it will he/she be likely to loler it?

 

would appreciate some feed back

 

cheers guys.

[TIMON]

If I inspected a SJ with a worn cam I would fail it but ask for it to be re-submitted with a new cam. I wouldn't put my name to a device that was slipping.

 

PPE rope (or most textiles) generally has a working life of five years from date of first use. If there is no traceability it would be difficult for an examiner to pass it fit for use.

 

Hope this helps.

[treequip]

With LOLER its either fit for use or not.

 

If it doesn't work properly its a fail.

[Peter]

Although it can be difficult to test out of context, whether it passes or not depends on the person doing the examination really.

[brisbane trees]

...

PPE rope (or most textiles) generally has a working life of five years from date of first use. If there is no traceability it would be difficult for an examiner to pass it fit for use. ...

 

Five years? I can't see anyone using a climbing rope for five years, nevermind not nicking it with a chainsaw in that time. By then it would be frayed, shaggy and filthy. Maybe some tree climbers keep their ropes better than I do?

 

That's besides me wanting a later model rope, and they have been getting better over the years.

 

Personally, I don't think I'd ever use a rope for more than two years without demoting it.

[TIMON]

Five years? I can't see anyone using a climbing rope for five years, nevermind not nicking it with a chainsaw in that time. By then it would be frayed, shaggy and filthy. Maybe some tree climbers keep their ropes better than I do?

 

 

 

That's besides me wanting a later model rope, and they have been getting better over the years.

 

 

 

Personally, I don't think I'd ever use a rope for more than two years without demoting it.

 

 

G'day,

 

An occasional user (albeit a careful one) could make a climbing line last for 5years but LOLER (regs) say he would have to retire it then.

[treequip]

Five years? I can't see anyone using a climbing rope for five years, nevermind not nicking it with a chainsaw in that time. By then it would be frayed, shaggy and filthy. Maybe some tree climbers keep their ropes better than I do?

 

That's besides me wanting a later model rope, and they have been getting better over the years.

 

Personally, I don't think I'd ever use a rope for more than two years without demoting it.

 

It has to be borne an mind that LOLER is a pretty blunt instrument that relies a variety on ACOPS for industry specific refinement.

 

In the EU, the LOLER regs are (should be) applied across all industries and apply equally to a huge assortment of kit and users not just the kit we use in tree work.

 

The regs provide for a maximum inspection interval but when you retire a rope is up to the user, and dependant on its continued suitability for use. I do an inspection for one outfit with multiple kits where one climbing kit doesn't see the light of day from one weeks end to the next. That rope will last a lot longer than most.

 

Having said all that, there is no reason a damaged rope cant still be used provided the damaged portion is removed, and modification restores the safe compliant usability. Any modifications should be recorded.

[Peter]

Also, 5 years for textiles is a guideline for when no other information is available, not a rule.

[TIMON]

Also, 5 years for textiles is a guideline for when no other information is available, not a rule.

 

 

If you sat your LOLER examiners assessment and declared an item of textile fit for use after it's 5 year date was up. you would fail the exam on the basis of having made a safety critical error.

Likewise in a real life scenario if you did the same thing and the item failed in any way you would be at fault.

Not a risk I would want to take, wether I was climbing with the rope myself or examining it for someone else.

[Craig Johnson]

NO fiver years is the default if there is no other information from the Manufacture, who decides how long its serviceable life is, not the LOLER inspector