control of the DEUS 3700 by manually tailing the free
end of the rope to further limit the rate of descent, or
simply turning the speed control dial for hands-free
descent.
Always safeguard against impact loading components
of a fall arrest or rescue descent system. When using
the DEUS 3700 controlled descent device – especially
at loads in excess of 140 kg (310 lbs) - minimize the risk
of impact loading by making sure that there is no slack
in your rope or any other component when loading
the system. Please see page 20, "Major fall & impact
loading", for more information on this safety precaution.
Ropes (read and understand all of these
WARNINGS)
DEUS 3000 Series controlled descent devices may only
be used with DEUS-approved ropes. Use of any other
rope is specifically forbidden and may lead to loss of
control, severe injury or death.
All life safety ropes should be inspected before and
after each use, and on a quarterly basis, and logged
accordingly. If any imperfections are found, the rope
should be taken out of service. Also, if a rope has
been subject to shock load, fall arrest, or used in an
emergency rescue situation, the rope should be retired
from service.
All ropes can be cut, and ropes are especially
susceptible to cutting when under load and bent over
sharp or abrasive objects. Avoid bending ropes over
sharp edges or objects, and use edge-protection.
Dirty ropes can be cut by the dirt in the rope, especially
when the rope is under tension. Keep your rope
clean. Avoid letting ropes touch the ground, avoid
stepping on ropes, avoid dragging ropes, and avoid
contaminating ropes.
In long descents where the free end of the rope is
hanging and unsupported, the weight of the free
end of the rope acts as a brake that can slow or stop
descent. This happens with all descent devices. To
moderate this effect, you may have to physically lift the
free end of the rope to initiate and maintain descent.
All ropes experience a condition called "sheath
slippage. " Too little sheath slippage makes a rope
extremely stiff and unusable. Too much sheath
slippage allows the sheath to bunch up and jam in the
controlled descent device.
Sheath slippage is exacerbated when the rope is
subjected to sudden stops inside the controlled
descent device. To prevent jams caused by sheath
slippage in your DEUS 3000 Series controlled descent
device, avoid using the control dial for sudden stops.
Instead, if you anticipate stopping midway during
descent, use the manual tailing brake to control
descent and to stop descent. Once stopped, turn
the control dial to the "stop" position to maintain
vertical position hands free. To re-initiate descent
after stopping, apply the manual tailing brake before
turning the control dial to the "go" position. Ropes
become stiffer and harder to work with the more
they are used. This happens because the fiber-twist
and braid-angle put into a rope to make it easy
to work with are gradually straightened out as a
rope is used. Stiff rope will affect performance of
a DEUS 3000 Series controlled descent device by
making it harder to pull rope through the device and
making descents slower. When a rope becomes stiff
and difficult to use, replace it.
Rope will experience wear when used in a
DEUS 3000 Series controlled descent device. Surface
fibers in the mantle (outside sheath) will fray and
individual surface fibers in the mantle will melt and
become hard under high load and high heat. When a
rope looks and feels heavily used, replace it.
Knots tied in rope, webbing and slings can dramatically
reduce strength and cause premature wear. Any kind
of end-termination on a rope – knots, sewn eyes,
swagged fittings, spliced eyes – reduces strength.
In general, the strength reduction due to an end-
termination is a function of the compression in the
rope and the sharpness of the bend in the rope. It is
not uncommon for strength to be reduced by 50% due
to the end-termination.
Rope, sewn slings, lanyards, energy absorbers and
harnesses are vulnerable to wear. Frequent contact
with dirty, abrasive and sharp surfaces, particularly at
connection points to anchors and other hardware,
accelerates rope wear.
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