# Fall from 35ft!



## stevietrees

A friend took a fall from 35ft the other day as he clipped the tail of his Bowline and not the bight. Luckily he landed on soft grass flat on his back and after many xrays it just prooved to be bruising. Please treble check your lifeline as I hate to think what could have happened. 


Treestyle Arboriculture: Professional Tree Surgeons, Manchester


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## Loraxguy

*fall*



stevietrees said:


> A friend took a fall from 35ft the other day as he clipped the tail of his Bowline and not the bight. Luckily he landed on soft grass flat on his back and after many xrays it just prooved to be bruising. Please treble check your lifeline as I hate to think what could have happened.
> 
> 
> Treestyle Arboriculture: Professional Tree Surgeons, Manchester



He should spend some time in chruch this season--a very luky dude


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## imagineero

I had a near miss this week also. Was taking big lunges up my climb line, made a lunge, slid the prussik up and it popped right out of the karabiner. I was about 40' up. I'd slid the prussik too far up to be able to re-clip it and I couldnt let go of the rope... so grabbed a quick foot look and got up high enough to reclip.

The karabiner was a screwgate, been using them for years and never had an incident. I'd like to think that it came unscrewed by itself but it seems very unlikely. I must have failed to screw it up and when I made a leap something on my harness opened the gate. I'll be switching to some kind of ball lock/twist lock biner for my lifeline. One close call is one too many.

Shaun


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## beastmaster

imagineero said:


> I had a near miss this week also. Was taking big lunges up my climb line, made a lunge, slid the prussik up and it popped right out of the karabiner. I was about 40' up. I'd slid the prussik too far up to be able to re-clip it and I couldnt let go of the rope... so grabbed a quick foot look and got up high enough to reclip.
> 
> The karabiner was a screwgate, been using them for years and never had an incident. I'd like to think that it came unscrewed by itself but it seems very unlikely. I must have failed to screw it up and when I made a leap something on my harness opened the gate. I'll be switching to some kind of ball lock/twist lock biner for my lifeline. One close call is one too many.
> 
> Shaun


I saw a guy fall 50 ft out of a pine using a screw gate biner, he was reppelling using the biner as the lower device and as the rope twisted through the biner it unscrewed it and it popped the rope out. He tried his best to stop his fall, but it was 1/2 rope. By some miraculous intervention he wasn't seriously hurt(except for rope burns on his hands). He was no good as a climber after that though.


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## Nailsbeats

imagineero said:


> I had a near miss this week also. Was taking big lunges up my climb line, made a lunge, slid the prussik up and it popped right out of the karabiner. I was about 40' up. I'd slid the prussik too far up to be able to re-clip it and I couldnt let go of the rope... so grabbed a quick foot look and got up high enough to reclip.
> 
> The karabiner was a screwgate, been using them for years and never had an incident. I'd like to think that it came unscrewed by itself but it seems very unlikely. I must have failed to screw it up and when I made a leap something on my harness opened the gate. I'll be switching to some kind of ball lock/twist lock biner for my lifeline. One close call is one too many.
> 
> Shaun



I was using a screw gate krab on my tophandle saw and lost it out of the tree twice. Went to a tri-lock and no problems. I don't ever use a scew gate in my climbing configurations for exactly that reason. Glad you are OK man.


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## herby57

Maybe its not the right thread - had that moment too, with screwed karabs, attached to my 020T.
Didn't clip it, let it fall into my saw-line - but the karab had opened due to vibrations and the saw fell about 12 metres, bar stuck completely in the ground.... just inches away from the head of my groundsman, pulling the branch away. Helmet or no helmet would have been the same, I think.
At least three things learned: Keep groundies away from falling wood and falling saws, securing saw with line, not with carab, and always clip your saw when not in hands... and thank god for being with us!


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## A-STAR

Triple Locking beeners are the only way to go. The Steel ones are way stroner, and heavier. They hurt more when poking over branches. lol. I have had the spinning beeners loosen in the past. Not worth it one bit.


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## imagineero

I grabbed a coupe of 'wild country' aluminum tripple action beeners today. The action feels pretty good and tey ave a keylock system which I way prefer over the latch/pin system. Will give them a try over the next couple weeks. I might grab some of the petzl ones too just to compare. They really dont cost much for such a critical piece of gear. For those worried about ansi, the wild country beeners are only rated to 22kn.

I have about 50 beeners I think, quite a lot of snap links, and screwgates in different shapes, D's, modified D's and pears as well as half a dozen steel ones that are good to 50~60kn. A couple of the steel ones are triple action but I've never been a big fan of triple action beeners. I guess its something I'm going to have to get used to. I use the steel ones for light rigging, for medium to heavy rigging I go for heavy D shackles. As noted, the steel ones hurt lick heck if you flick one at yourself accidentally.

Shaun


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## Kottonwood

As far as I know (and some safety junkie can correct me if I am wrong) the screw gate carabiners are not approved for use in tree climbing by osha or ansi. Could really screw you (pun intended) if you ever have to make a workers comp claim. Though I hardly know about the laws in the US...... so I definitely don't know them in AUS


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## Kottonwood

AM'd Ball Lock Carabiner by Petzl, gold : SherrillTree Tree Care Equipment

These are my favorite to use. Not only is the one handed action awesome but they are usually the cheapest ones.


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## Kottonwood

Oh yeah....
I think there is also a rule that you are supposed to use a cinching knot to tie in....... Think I heard that somewhere.

Rule or knot (pun intended again) My favorite to use is a buntline hitch. It is basically a cinching clove hitch. Just run the rope through the biner and tie a clove hitch on the running end with the working end, leave six to eight inches of tail.

Cinching knots are safer cuz they are harder to screw up and less likely to side load your carabiner.


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## imagineero

I've read quite a few reports about problems with those ball locks, mostly by users who are working in conifers, or sappy sticky trees. The sap/pitch clogs the ball up and makes them difficult to operate. I've read a few reports of the ball completely popping out too.

A cinching knot is a good idea, but I use spliced eyes on the ends of my rope. Cinching knots make it harder/slower to undo your tie in while in the tree if you need to recrotch too. I dont see side loading as being a very big issue for me. Even with a cinching tie in you've still got your prussik floating around in there.

Shaun


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## dts99

i use a petzl treeaccend for my long climbs i have it atached with a 8 inch loop and 2 screw lock beaners (only because i didnt have extra autolocks) i was a up a bit when i galnced and noticed my loop was caught in the little notch in th clip of the beaner very scarry, i still use those screw locks but i hold the loop in place with corner traps, it made a great diffrance not only on safty but keeps those beaner heading in the right direction every lunge


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## dts99

PatriotTreeCO said:


> As far as I know (and some safety junkie can correct me if I am wrong) the screw gate carabiners are not approved for use in tree climbing by osha or ansi. Could really screw you (pun intended) if you ever have to make a workers comp claim. Though I hardly know about the laws in the US...... so I definitely don't know them in AUS



ansi z133.1-2006
8.1.11 carabeaners used in climbing shall be self-closin and self-locking, with a minimum tensile strength of 5,000 pounds (22.24 kN). carabeaners shall be designed to release the load by requireing at least two consecutive, deliberate actions to prepare the gate for opening.

i think that means triple lock is the only exceptable way to go.


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## arborealbuffoon

I have now officially relegated all inadequate 'biners to the "key ring" pile.

Lost a saw from the tree years ago, and shoud have done it then.

Tragic threads can contain wisdom to help those still living.


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## tree lopper

I know this is an old thread, but I was using a screw lock until now. On Monday when I have a big silky oak removal I'll use a triple-lock carabiner I have lying around, and I plan to keep using triple locks from now on. I don't know what the Australian Standard is, but if it's the safe way to climb trees I'll do it.

I guess my problem is having learned from picking things up from people who haven't had formal arboricultural training, rather than formal education.


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## derwoodii

tree lopper said:


> I know this is an old thread, but I was using a screw lock until now. On Monday when I have a big silky oak removal I'll use a triple-lock carabiner I have lying around, and I plan to keep using triple locks from now on. I don't know what the Australian Standard is, but if it's the safe way to climb trees I'll do it.
> 
> I guess my problem is having learned from picking things up from people who haven't had formal arboricultural training, rather than formal education.



triple gate standard Oz industry nowdays cobber you'll only find them a pain for a few days till get used to the twist and finger mucking about,, take care for dirt and wood dust getting into the mechanism 

Last week in real bushy canopy I flipped my life line around the trunk beside me, I checked the connection lent back slowly and looked in time to find i had not straddled the trunk just fouled the line amongst the leafy limbs,,, phew wos only 12 foot up but that be more than enuff to wreck ma day


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## ropensaddle

derwoodii said:


> triple gate standard Oz industry nowdays cobber you'll only find them a pain for a few days till get used to the twist and finger mucking about,, take care for dirt and wood dust getting into the mechanism
> 
> Last week in real bushy canopy I flipped my life line around the trunk beside me, I checked the connection lent back slowly and looked in time to find i had not straddled the trunk just fouled the line amongst the leafy limbs,,, phew wos only 12 foot up but that be more than enuff to wreck ma day


Nice catch had a few myself in 30 years only takes a few secs double checking to save your life is how I see things today!


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## bikemike

herby57 said:


> Maybe its not the right thread - had that moment too, with screwed karabs, attached to my 020T.
> Didn't clip it, let it fall into my saw-line - but the karab had opened due to vibrations and the saw fell about 12 metres, bar stuck completely in the ground.... just inches away from the head of my groundsman, pulling the branch away. Helmet or no helmet would have been the same, I think.
> At least three things learned: Keep groundies away from falling wood and falling saws, securing saw with line, not with carab, and always clip your saw when not in hands... and thank god for being with us!


Yeah a double locking beaner is what i use for my saw and, life line and steel beaners for rigging


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## treesmith

I clipped my lanyard into my caritool the other week deadwooding a massive pine, thought it didn't feel right and looked, oops! I had a high point in with my main line but still woke me up


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## Tree94

Almost too embarrassed to say this, but the other day I tied my blakes hitch to the working end of my rope. (The same end!)
So I basically wasn't tied in at all.

It's just a different world when you're up there you know; you're up 30' or more, you got a branch in your face, you got a poor work position, your legs cramping up cause of the awkward angle you're standing in.

Gotta learn to slow down and concentrate more


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## Tree94

I basically did this,


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## TimberMcPherson

ditched by screwgates for climbing in 2002. makes me wonder what other things are an accident waiting to happen


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