Open/Loop Sling Danger

[bonner1040]

Hey everyone, not sure if this has been discussed before but I have seen similar setups a few times and saw something on the rolled carabiner thread that has been nagging me.

When using endless loop slings with a biner on them we shouldn't use rubber bands or breadties or anything not life support strength to form a captive eye for that carabiner. A girl died rock climbing at the NRG when the loop beneath the Petzl String was flipped into the biner and caused the entire system to be hanging on the rubber band.

It is hard to picture but watch this quick video and read the article linked below and it makes sense.

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/4138205?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/4138205">Safety Video - The Danger Of Open Slings</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/ukclimbing">UKClimbing.com TV</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

http://climbingnarc.com/2010/06/accident-at-new-river-gorge-offers-learning-experience/

This was a while ago so it may have been well covered already but just thought I would share. Basically the message is that anything that can make you think the rope/sling is holding when it isn't is a huge potential for danger.

This also makes me question products like this:
https://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=1250

Thoughts?

 

[MasterBlaster]

So don't use non-locking carabiners?

 

[NeTree]

With triple-locking biners, I fail too see the problem

For that matter, I've never seen anyone use an open sling like that for life support (in tree work); but if it were me, I'd be using a lark's head instead of a rubber band, anyways.

 

[emr]

I use slings like that for life support quite a bit. Most of the times they are used as redirects or friction savers but I will also use them as tethers on ascenders. I always use lockers and I almost always girth hitch the slings to the biners. I feel safe doing things that way.

 

[bonner1040]

The risk isn't with the biners. Is how they slings are stowed . The accident occurred because she had looped them up and the rubber deceptively held partially.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk

 

[NeTree]

So she didn't properly check her gear before using it?

 

[pete mctree]

Death by lack of attention to detail. sad

 

[bonner1040]

So she didn't properly check her gear before using it?

They were used as direct attachments. the one end was girthed to her harness and the other had a biner on it. The Petzl String held the biner captively at the end. she clipped the biner to a gear loop and then hooked a loop of the sling into that biner to keep it out of the way.

What got her was the inattention to detail and being unaware of the potential hazard. No one really knew that the Strings had that risk. It was because they seemed to hold that she didnt realize the error.

I was just pointing out the risk of using loop slings with biners in them and then trying to keep the end captive with a rubber band or something. What happens is it gets that loop or tangle in it and then when the weight hits it pulls out , because it isnt attached.

I guess its more frequent in rock climbing than tree work. Probly nothing to get worked up about but worth noting.

Here is a link to the Petzl safety notice
http://www.petzl.com/us/node/9886

 

[Reddog]

So she didn't properly check her gear before using it?

That's how I read it, operator error.

 

[pantheraba]

That is a very informative video...I have passed the info along to folks I know that climb. Thanks for this thread.