Accident report on Facebook

treesap said:
yes

and I trust my gear
BUT, this is litterally a thread where a guy fell and almost died due to trusting his gear too much

I can back stuff up, weather I trust it or not


and, im going to replace on of my bridges, because although it passes inspection, I got my saddle used, and I have zero clue of the history of that bridge, for all I know its 30 years old and stored in a tub of bleach all those years
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Replacing the bridge is a great idea. And if you aren’t sure about the history of the harness, don’t climb on it. You need to trust your bridge, your harness, your carabiner, your rope, your quickie, your tie in point, your tie in point, your tie in point. If you’re thinking you should back up your bridge by connecting to two bridges all the time, then maybe it just means you need to replace your bridge. It’s sort of like two wrongs don’t make a right, you know? Either the bridge is something you can use and trust or it isn’t. And that’s true for all your gear. This is just a fundamental aspect of the relationship you want to have with the tools you work with.
 
Stumpsprouts said:
Replacing the bridge is a great idea. And if you aren’t sure about the history of the harness, don’t climb on it. You need to trust your bridge, your harness, your carabiner, your rope, your quickie, your tie in point, your tie in point, your tie in point. If you’re thinking you should back up your bridge by connecting to two bridges all the time, then maybe it just means you need to replace your bridge. It’s sort of like two wrongs don’t make a right, you know? Either the bridge is something you can use and trust or it isn’t. And that’s true for all your gear. This is just a fundamental aspect of the relationship you want to have with the tools you work with.
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100% agree
it will be replaced and i will quit worrying

the bridge is the only thing I worry about, since its core dependent, and I cant see the core, vs the webbing on my saddle will show any damage
 
I've mentioned this a bunch of times, but at the end of every work day I put all of the tools I've used into the back of my truck (as opposed to the cab or tool boxes they came from) and when I get home, clean and inspect every single item. That includes taking every rope I used out of the bag, looking over it and running it through my hand as it goes back into the bag to feel for potential problems. It is time consuming, but when I show up to the job site the next morning, I know everything is where it belongs, clean, ready, and safe to use.

No need to kick a man when he's down and I wish him a speedy recovery, but from that photo I can't help but feel like that bridge must have looked like a torn rag long before it finally failed. I'm glad he shared the accident with the community to keep gear inspection on folks minds. We all make mistakes, myself included, the goal is to always be improving.

0 at the shop.jpg
 
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treesap said:
100% agree
it will be replaced and i will quit worrying

the bridge is the only thing I worry about, since its core dependent, and I cant see the core, vs the webbing on my saddle will show any damage
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If the cover isn't damaged and the bridge cordage passes your inspection (no lumps or bumps, thinning or thickening) then the core is good.
-AJ
 
moss said:
New gear, used gear, every bit of it is inspectable, tired webbing, bridges, hardware, rope, it is all detectable. Ease your mind, know your gear, calm your fear.
-AJ
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Agreed is inspectable, but when starting wasnt exactly skilled in that area, and most people when asked to assist used to give me the 'hero' answer - 'If in doubt replace!' which wasnt as helpful when considering second hand as it should have been. Yes did need replacing, but the reason why was missing...
 
There has been some great advice given in this thread about inspecting your bridge. So, this is just a reminder that way back earlier in this thread there was enough info posted to suspect that 1) the bridge in question was at least 8 years old; 2) it was a bridge that Weaver had recalled at least 8 years ago (the yellow and black stripes shown on Weaver's page below); and 3) yes, it did not look to be in good condition. Yes, inspect your bridge; but, also make sure your bridge hasn't been recalled as well. It really can be that simple sometimes. Making it more complicated than that just plants doubt in our minds and takes our focus away from other things where Mr. Murphy may be more cunning.

Rope Bridge Safety Warning & Free Replacement

URGENT: 2016 Rope Bridge Safety Warning and Free Replacement for Weaver Cougar, WLC-700 & WLC-730 Models Over the past several years, there have been a number of failures of the spliced rope bridge component as shown in the pictures below, which was used in 2013 and prior years on the Weaver...
www.weaverarborist.com www.weaverarborist.com
 
Chaplain242 said:
Agreed is inspectable, but when starting wasnt exactly skilled in that area, and most people when asked to assist used to give me the 'hero' answer - 'If in doubt replace!' which wasnt as helpful when considering second hand as it should have been. Yes did need replacing, but the reason why was missing...
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This echoes a constant thought I have. No shortage of statements saying “inspect often, here’s what to look for” but the terms used can be loose and subject to interpretation. With hitch chord for example - excessively glazed or melted.
Me way early on: “this chord looks quite glazed after two climbs? What the fuck?” Experience tells you they are talking about a more significant form of glaze. Wish we could have a “how much wear is too much?” Thread or something, but that would get ridiculous and redundant as well. Although here we obviously have a sad form of extreme neglect. One that exists in many work places it seems. Tis a shame. Glad this fella survived.
 
Lupin_IV said:
This echoes a constant thought I have. No shortage of statements saying “inspect often, here’s what to look for” but the terms used can be loose and subject to interpretation. With hitch chord for example - excessively glazed or melted.
Me way early on: “this chord looks quite glazed after two climbs? What the fuck?” Experience tells you they are talking about a more significant form of glaze. Wish we could have a “how much wear is too much?” Thread or something, but that would get ridiculous and redundant as well. Although here we obviously have a sad form of extreme neglect. One that exists in many work places it seems. Tis a shame. Glad this fella survived.
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Someone mentioned connecting to two bridges for redundancy, but looking at the victims bridge that failed, I’d waver to guess that IF there were two bridges in this circumstance they’d both look like trash. I always err on the side of caution with any life support equipment. Gear is “relatively cheap” and can be replaced, my ability to walk can not.
 
Decided to swap out bridges at the end of work today(Did I NEED to? HELL no) Before I knot the ends, my rope is 44”. Safety Blue by the foot from Wesspur is $1.05. Less than $5 worth of life support supplies…. Swap your rope bridge. Shit, change up the color you were using, have fun, climb high, be safe!!
 
Chris Schultz said:
Decided to swap out bridges at the end of work today(Did I NEED to? HELL no) Before I knot the ends, my rope is 44”. Safety Blue by the foot from Wesspur is $1.05. Less than $5 worth of life support supplies…. Swap your rope bridge. Shit, change up the color you were using, have fun, climb high, be safe!!
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my bridges are the stock notch one, and a section of samson vortex hot, so far I like it

messing around in the house I put a hitchclimber on my bridge and it was awesome, I might have to get a small omniblock in the future
 
treesap said:
my bridges are the stock notch one, and a section of samson vortex hot, so far I like it

messing around in the house I put a hitchclimber on my bridge and it was awesome, I might have to get a small omniblock in the future
Click to expand...
Tried something similar, wasn’t for me. I like a ring, something about the iota of friction it provides maybe I guess.
 
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