Rope retiring

[sean1]

I'm aware of the many different views on the subject of retiring climbing rope but is there a single piece of health and safety legislation in the uk or US that gives a specific life span for climbing rope? Do manufacturers give a life span? I would think that a maximum life span would be useful for those of us that have to nag year after year to our employers for a new rope.

 

[No_Bivy]

When that little voice in your head starts saying " what if this mofo breaks!!" then it's time to buy a new one.

 

[Toparboring]

When you are doing this before you climb

then it is time to retire it.
Nate

 

[Stumper]

Some rope manufacturers (by no means all) give a span in years after the rope is first but into service saying to retire it even if damage is not noted. The most common figure seems to be 5 years.

 

[Blinky]

When you show a bad spot to an ASO or one of your climbing friends and they look at it a minute and say, "Hmmm... looks like that's getting there."

 

[Norm_Hall]

One of the Big 3 in the USA says to retire when the rope is 25% or more warn.

 

[Colin]

I keep my ropes a LONG time.

 

[No_Bivy]

add a friction saver and they seem to last forever....till' I kick one with a spur...O Fock!

 

[Colin]

Yep. I'm my ropes worst enemy.

 

[sean_freeman]

Sean, stumper is right I too have heard the five year period quoted but lets face it the wear or cycles of use that a climbing line gets varies so much depending on the workload of the climber or company using it. Time frames set in stone so to speak are not useful in managing the effects of wear and loading on your life line.

Implement a documented program of inspection from the moment you buy a new life line..I check mine every day after each climb as I load it back into the rope bag, gets washed probably once or twice a month depending on work load and tree species...sap etc. Every month all my climbing gear gets pulled out laid out on the ground and closely inspected (all this needs to be recorded) There are good examples of rope inspection criteria available from every rope manufacturer, use these....look for the critical % of damage through the length of your life line, some damage can be managed some not.

If I were to have a major fall and shock load the rope beyond swl but not (obviously!) to it breaking limit

then I would cut it up (or use it for dog leashes etc..)

 

[Blinky]

So far, I just keep cutting mine into shorter pieces till they disappear.

 

[Smallwood]

[ QUOTE ]
So far, I just keep cutting mine into shorter pieces till they disappear.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ha!. that's funny and exactly right. 'Lil off this end and a 'lil off the other end.
Phil

 

[SRTFAnatic]

its been shown that a hybrid SRT system can lengthen the lifespan of ropes (and climbers) exponentially!

 

[knudeNoggin]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm aware of the many different views on the subject of retiring climbing rope but is there a single piece of health and safety legislation in the uk or US that gives a specific life span for climbing rope? Do manufacturers give a life span? I would think that a maximum life span would be useful for those of us that have to nag year after year to our employers for a new rope.

[/ QUOTE ]
The useful life span of cordage depends on a great many factors of useage,
so how is it to be specified in a useful way? Let's hope that there is NOT
some misguided legislation about this (though maybe vendors would like
to have some predictability on sales).

You might find the USA's Cordage Institute's paper about rope retirement
of help; it is CI 2001 - Fiber Rope Inspection and Retirement Criteria, and
can be requested in PDF format:
:
[url="http://www.ropecord.com/cord...opecord.com/cordage/publications/download.htm [/url]

*kN*

 

[sean1]

thanks

 

[BobT]

[ QUOTE ]
One of the Big 3 in the USA says to retire when the rope is 25% or more warn.

[/ QUOTE ]

How do we define 25% worn? That problem takes us back to the befinning of this thread.