Rope Fall Arrest Devices & Rope Grabs

Rope grabs and back up devices

A rope grab travels with the worker on a vertical rope and locks under a fall. A back up device does the same job on a working line while the worker descends or ascends on a separate system. Both are chosen by rope diameter and by whether they need to be opened onto the rope mid line.

An openable rope grab can be fitted anywhere along a rope, which matters when the anchor end is out of reach or the line is already rigged. A non openable grab has to be threaded from the rope end and is the cheaper option where the line is set up before use. Cable grabs run on steel wire rather than rope and are not interchangeable.

Rope grabs supplied as part of a vertical safety line kit come matched to the rope in the kit. Buying a grab separately means checking the diameter and the standard against the line already in service.