I recently went back to window cleaning as a chair guy(high rise window cleaner). The company I went to still uses 3strand rope as a lifeline. Coming from other lines of work that all involved rope access, I thought this was frowned upon now days since the invention of kernmantle rope? Am I wrong to question the use of this rope or are my concerns justifiable?
I mean where would I stop in the lack of appropriate standards on you USA high rise guys.
I started doing high rise in the late 90s, Here we have Never since I started been able to use any other rope than kernmantle nor are racks or those other descend devices allowed, you must use a stop descender and a bowsans chair is just a chair, we make our own, our chair is just for sitting in.
We use racks still which doesn’t bother me in the least. I wish we could make our own chairs but where I am at they have to be completely osha complaint. Which just means they have to be made by a company that’s in OSHA’s pocket. The part that worries me, although it probably shouldn’t, is that we are still using 3strand ropes instead of kernmental ropes as our lifelines.
So lifeline, I assume that is your saftey and working or main rope is the kernmantle.
I personally would not use that rope, would just purchase my own gear and switch to subcontracting.
I am not familiar with the rope which you are talking about, if its what I’m thinking its the rope they use for deep sea crabbing.
I have seen videos on people using that, I couldn’t imagine how safe it would be since that rope has no stretch. Since our safety lines are static rope ( same as our main line) which has 30% stretch then you add in your tear away lanyard and should you have a fall you will be amply caught by your equipment without shocking loading your body.
Basically rigging rope. I’ve just always heard it being called 3strand. I’ve used it in tree work but never for a lifeline. I know it’s been used for years in window cleaning but I didn’t think that people still used it since kernmental became the industry standard. Just doesn’t seem like it would have the same load rating for a fall as you said. Subcontractings definitely the goal.
Also, yes our main line(working line) is kernmental.
