THE K.I.S.S* PRINCIPAL AS APPLIED TO ROPES AND ROPE RESCUE

 

*Keep It Simple Stupid

ALL RIGHT PEOPLE, LISTEN UP.....Let's get it straight right now....No amount of book reading, picture gazing, or couch potato video training can take the place of HANDS-ON TRAINING. Get with someone that knows what they're doing and LEARN!!!

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The information presented in this article does not in any way replace hands-on training from a qualifed instructor. It is the responsibility of the reader to obtain thorough, qualified instruction on the proper application of all aspects of rope rescue.

All discussions about rope in the Rope and Rope Rescue section will refer only to rescue rope (a.k.a. life safety rope or lifeline).

The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) has developed standards for rope and rope rescue equipment. Reference to this standard, NFPA Standard 1983/1995 edition, will be used throughout this discussion.

The emphasis of this text will be on rescue rope characteristics and care, rescue knots, single rope rescue techniques, double line techniques (to a lesser extent), and SAFETY (to a greater extent).

Rescue Rope - Characteristics and Care

Rescue rope is for the sole purpose of supporting people during rescue, firefighting, or other emergency procedures, or during training evolutions. Rescue rope should NEVER be used for any other purpose.

The Physical Aspects of Rescue Rope

According to the NFPA, rescue rope must be:

• Constructed of virgin fiber; and

·         Block creel construction; and

·         All load-bearing elements must be of continuous filament fiber.

 

Rescue Rope Materials

Only synthetic (man-made) materials can satisfy NFPA requirements. Throw away your manila rope!!!

The most common synthetic rope construction material is nylon. Without being too technical, nylon has some great characteristics:

• excellent strength/weight ratio

·         excellent energy absorbing capabilities

·         flexible

·         lightweight

·         minimal weight loss when wet

·         not appreciably affected by petroleum compounds (i.e. gasoline, motor oil, kerosene)

 

Unfortunately, no material is perfect. Nylon has a few "negative" features:

 

• adversely affected by acids (battery acid is the "silent" killer)

·         photochemically degrades when exposed to UV radiation or sunlight

·         melts at relatively low temperatures (around 480 degrees F)

·         separates (i.e. cuts) quickly when under tension

·         nylon rubbing on nylon (or other synthetics) causes a physical and chemical breakdown. This results in a rapid "meltdown", usually of the protective mantle, but can quickly reach the load-bearing fibers

 

Another common rope material is Polyester. Polyester exhibits physical qualities very similar to those of nylon, with one exception - polyester is more resistant to weak acids, and less resistent to weak bases. This makes polyester ropes useful in certain industrial settings.

 

A quick mention of Polypropylene - use only for water rescue situations where there is a need for rope that floats on top of the water (i.e. throw lines). Polypropylene lacks an important physical quality necessary to be classified as rescue rope........strength. Do not use polypropylene rope for any purpose other than for what it is intended.

 

Some other lesser used rope materials often used in combinations with the more common materials to enhance physical qualities of the outer sheath - kevlar, spectra, and nomex.

 

Rope Construction

In the not-to-distant past, two distinct forms of rope construction were prevalent in rescue rope...laid and kernmantle. Laid rope has many characteristics that make it very undesirable for rescue...we'll only discuss kernmantle in this text.

Kernmantle rope construction consists of load-bearing fibers (kern [core]) encased in a braided, protective sheath (mantle). Typically the load-bearing fibers constitute about 80-85 percent of the overall tensile (breaking) strength of the rope, although this may vary between manufacturers. The load-bearing fibers are white (with an occasional tracer) to permit a distinct indicator if the mantle has been badly damaged. The outside sheath provides the rope it's abrasion resistance and "marketability" (ie color patterns, etc.).

Rope Strength

There are two basic strength classifications that you need to know:

• Minimum Breaking Strength (MBS) - the amount of weight (load) required to cause the rope to fail. Also referred to as tensile strength. The manufacturer of the rope is required to provide this information.

·         Working Strength- the amount of weight (load) that can safely be put on the rope. According to the NFPA, working strength is determined by taking the minimum breaking strength and dividing by a factor of 15. If a rope has a minimum breaking strength of 9,000 pounds, the working strength is 9000 lbs/15 = 600 pounds. Rescue rope is classified by its working strength:

• One-person rope - 300 pound working strength. Rope diameters typically are less than 1/2 inch (check manufacturer rating).

o        Two-person rope - 600 pound working strength. Rope diameters typically 1/2 inch or greater (check manufacturer rating). This implies that you can only put a maximum of two people on 1 two-person rope.....read on.....

 

 

STAY TUNED...LOTS MORE TO COME!!