There is a large amount of work that needs to be done at a certain height above the ground. And if during construction tasks, special woods and cradles are used for this, then for washing windows, for example, it is too expensive both from an economic (expensive equipment) and time point of view. Delivery and installation of woods take time. In such cases, boys from promalp are involved.
Industrial mountaineering, also known as promalp, involves carrying out various works on the repair and maintenance of buildings at a height without the use of equipment or additional structures. Prompalp specialists are not limited in the height of the building, they do not need a lot of space below the ground.
The most popular works on industrial mountaineering are:
- Cleaning, including washing windows, window sills;
- Painting of facades;
- Repair works on building facades;
- Sealing of inter-panel seams in residential buildings;
- Installation of air conditioners;
- Installation of billboards;
- Cleaning roofs from snow and icicles;
- Delivery of large items at a height, if it is not possible to deliver by hand or by elevator;
- Maintenance of elevators;
- Arboristics (trimming of trees).
All these jobs require special equipment that guarantees safety at height - various ropes, carabiners, safety systems, all that is used in mountaineering.
But there are some differences. In mountaineering, the equipment is used to overcome difficult areas, while in alpine skiing it is more static loads. In mountaineering, the weight of the equipment is important, as it has to be carried on the person, and in work at height, safety margin is important.
Mandatory equipment for industrial mountaineering
In order to safely perform work at height, you will need the appropriate equipment. Many equipment manufacturers have lines for sport mountaineering and rock climbing and separate collections for industrial work. This makes it easier and faster to pick up everything you need. Also, some items of equipment, such as a rope or a helmet, can be used both for sports and for work. But here it is important to remember that during the performance of work, the equipment is subjected to harsher operation, after which it wears out faster. Many people keep equipment wear diaries, where various data are entered - the number of breakdowns, the dates of rope checks.
Climbing rope
To perform work at height, you need at least two ropes - the main work rope and the safety rope. Using only one rope is not safe!
When calculating the length of the rope, it is important to consider:
- The height of the object;
- Necessary length for organizing the fixation point;
- Nodes.
For example, the height of an average nine-story building is 35-45 m. Taking into account the fixing point and nodes, it is optimal to take a bay 100 m long.
For promalp, it is recommended to choose a rope with a diameter of 10-12 mm. This is due not only to its strength, but also to the ability to work with various trigger and safety devices. A large diameter may simply not pass through the device.
For industrial work, choose a certified rope with a breaking load of at least 22 kN (about 2200 kg). Such a large margin of safety is necessary to hold a person and additional work equipment and tools at height. During a jerk, this weight multiplies and a strong climbing rope must withstand it.
There are static and dynamic ropes.
Static rope has an elongation of 3% to 5% depending on the quality and manufacturer. For industrial work, static is the best solution. It does not deform, practically does not stretch. It is used as the main rope for belaying the worker, for lifting loads, for hanging auxiliary equipment.
The dynamic rope provides an extension of more than 7%. It is not suitable directly for work and as the main one, but it can be used as insurance. You can also make a safety mustache from dynamics.
Before buying a rope for a promalp, you need to pay attention to its characteristics:
- Softness. Hard rope is difficult to work with, it is difficult to tie into knots. But it does not affect the quality of work and safety. Soft ones are more pleasant to work with, but at the same time they are more expensive. If the budget for equipment is limited, then a hard static rope is no worse than a soft one.
- Shrinkage is the change in rope length due to wetting. A high-quality rope will shrink up to 2%, that is, up to 2 m of shrinkage per 100 m of the bay. The ropes of the Ukrainian manufacturer give a large shrinkage, foreign ones, for example, Singing Rock or Tendon, - less.
- Weft shift. In budget ropes, it is possible to shift the braid relative to the core. This affects its strength and ease of use. At Tendon, this issue was solved with the help of TeFIX® technology. Between the core and the outer braid, manufacturers added the TeFIX material, which simply connects the components without changing the characteristics of the rope.
Insurance system
The second important component of worker safety is the insurance system. They distinguish:
- Safety belt - used during work on scaffolding, planes with a small slope. An example would be the Singing Rock Pole II belt, which has additional side D-rings for attaching tools or gear.
- The lower safety system, also known as the gazebo, is a belt with a soft interior and leg straps. They differ from sports climbing frames in terms of comfort during a long stay in it, weight (heavier for promalpu), the presence of two lateral positioning points for the safety of work.
- The insurance system for arboriculture is very similar to the model for promalp. It is distinguished by the low location of the insurance point. There is not much choice in this category of gazebos, but there are successful models in the Singing Rock line.
- Full belay systems include chest harness and lower canopy. For prompalp, it is better to use full strap systems, specially developed for high-altitude work. One of these models is the Singing Rock Expert 3D Standart. It is equipped with a soft wide belt, adjustable leg straps, chest strap, side positioning points. If necessary, you can remove the upper strap.
All insurance systems for industrial work undergo mandatory certification according to EN 358, EN 361 and EN 813 standards.
Descenders devices
Lowering devices will be needed for comfortable work at height. All of them can be conventionally divided into manual and automatic devices.
Desenders of the manual type are classic figures of eight, grids. When choosing, we recommend paying attention to models with horns, they allow you to fix the rope. Steel models with high strength and wear resistance are suitable for promalp.
Automatic or self-locking ones are represented by a wide variety of models. When choosing, it is important to pay attention to comfort, your previous experience. Sometimes belays for climbers are used as descents. Functionally, it is quite possible, but it is not convenient to work with a hard rope with them and they do not have such a large safety margin. Therefore, it is better to take models designed specifically for work at height. For example, Singing Rock Double Stop Plus with anti-panic function, Singing Rock Indy Evo with double locking or universal Singing Rock Locker.
Fall arresters device
Various types of rope clamps can be adapted to the task of the safety device. Its main task is to create an additional safety point on the safety rope. For this, various devices are used, starting from pruss and ending with multifunctional clamps. When choosing the optimal solution, a lot depends on the specifics of the work and the experience of the employee himself.
It is important that the device does not damage the outer braid of the rope, has an anti-panic function, and most importantly - work skills. A vivid example of an insurance system can be Singing Rock Sir.
Carbines
They are part of the mandatory equipment for industrial work. They are used for connecting ropes, fixing insurance to the rope, fastening the tool.
There is no strict criterion for the material for manufacture, but steel carabiners are most often used for promalp. They are more durable and at the same time cheaper. It is more convenient to work with lightweight metals, but they wear out faster.
Carabiners are different in shape, but for work at height it is better to choose oval and pear-shaped ones.
The following main types are distinguished:
- Coupled: with a screw clutch, with a three- and two-stroke clutch. Reliable models, but require skill to quickly handle the clutch.
- Automatic ones are more often used in sports tourism, they are practically not used for hunting.
- Mountings have large dimensions, double locking. They are used when working with a steel cable, during rescue operations. They are easy to open with one hand, so they are popular among workers.
- Rapids are a special type of carabiners, distinguished by high strength. The material is steel. During work at height, it is used to create a stationary attachment point. They also often fix the pedal to the jumar.
Depending on the type of work, you should choose carabiners with a larger or smaller opening radius.
Promalp equipment for safety and comfort
Helmets
Do not neglect head protection. During the execution of work, various accidents are possible: the main work rope breaks, a brick fragment falls, the tool of the person working above breaks. To reduce injuries to a minimum, you need to buy a high-quality helmet.
Ordinary construction helmets are not suitable, nor are bicycle and ski helmets. They are designed for other types of injuries.
Manufacturers offer separate lines of helmets for industrial mountaineering. In their base, strong, dense ABS plastic is used, which can withstand impacts. In the line from Singing Rock, Kappa Work, Flash Industry will be bright examples of work helmets. Black Diamond does not have a separate line, but you can take a strong Half Dome helmet, it withstands the load and reliably protects.
It is also important to choose a helmet according to the size and comfort of the fit. Manufacturers offer them in several sizes with the possibility of adjustment and fit on the head.
Seats and podiums
Since it is not comfortable to constantly hang in the system, the seats and podiums ensure a comfortable position of the body during work. They do not perform insurance functions, but they greatly facilitate a long stay at height.
You can often find self-made models. They are not always reliable and functional. Therefore, it is better to choose models from well-known manufacturers, such as Black Diamond or Singing Rock. They provide for a comfortable position of the body, as well as additional rings for fixing tools.
Rope protection
All the load falls on the rope. It is this item of equipment that most often needs to be changed. It wears out, rubs off, gets dirty. It can be partly protected from wear and tear thanks to the use of special protection. The protective protector prevents the rope from rubbing against the edge of the roof, balcony or metal structure.
Block rollers, swivels
Facilitate the lifting of tools and materials to a height, are used for the organization of railings, polyspasts. They can be made of different materials, different configurations. For example, Singing Rock has single and double block rollers that are suitable for different tasks.
Rigging plates
They are intended for the organization of points of insurance and distribution of the weight of the cargo during transportation.
Gloves
Facilitate work with the rope, prevent abrasion of the skin. For industrial mountaineering, there is a distinction between open and closed. Which gloves to choose for work depends on the conditions and specifics of the tasks.
Carrying out work on industrial mountaineering requires not only understanding and knowledge of how to solve this or that task, but also special equipment. Since all work is carried out at height, it is important for the safety organization to choose reliable equipment and undergo training beforehand.
The wholesale company SMG offers a large selection of promalp equipment from the best manufacturers in the field of equipment. We are official distributors of Singing Rock, Black Diamond and Tendon brands.