Sling (climbing equipment)
The sling is a device for fall protection and rescue from heights and a supplementary equipment for the personal equipment of fire fighters. It is a simple loop of particularly stress-resistant synthetic fibers, which can have a capacity of several tons.
Material
Slings used in climbing, are made of polyamide or polyethylene. Slings and straps for lifting equipment are made of polyester, often with an edge protection of aramid. Cheap straps from the hardware store are usually made of polypropylene and have a very low resistance ( you can see them that they are swimming in the water).
Tensile strength
The tensile strength is characterized in some belts with a longitudinally woven continuous colored line. Here, each bar represents a tensile strength of 500 daN. If DIN tested sewn slings in the seam a shield is sewn on which the audited tensile strength is noted.
Hose band
In addition to flat woven straps and woven around hose bands are used.
When climbing
The sling is used in the self-and external assurance on the stand, at fixed points and as an intermediate backup. As an interim security when climbing it is usually set as Köpfel or spikes sling over or around protruding rock heads or plates or through hourglasses. Slings can be used as an extension between the hook and carabiner.
Slings are often color-coded with longitudinal strips, one strip each of 500 daN allowable working load. So three stripes mean guaranteed at least 1500 daN workload. They are usually finished sewn as an endless loop supplied in different lengths (typically 60 to 120 cm). Stitched from tubular webbing slings are much narrower for the same breaking load.
Even Knotted sling
Practiced by the long method, tape loops of knotting of the role of purchased ribbon material by means of belt loop node itself, is now strongly discouraged. The sling node can be when he gets stuck on a small prongs easily open itself and can be solved entirely then at very low loads. For this reason, he is now referred to in the alpine safety literature as " death knot".
Safer than the sling node ( = blind stitch in ring form ) is the figure-eight knot in a ring shape.
Slings, especially the seams are susceptible to abrasion, contusion, edge - of falls as well as heat and chemicals.
As slings
Slings are used in industrial lifting equipment as slings. This lift loads of several tons. Here the shear and edge strength play a special role. Slings are subject to special safety and testing standards. Fittings are always firmly sewn with special safety seams. At this point, a strip of fabric with printed test characteristics (material, tensile strength, test standard ) is sewn. In this area, the nautical term strop is used for the loop more often. If the loop formed from a rope, this is referred to as Leinenstropp.
For occupational safety
In many safety and craft occupations, the sling is also used for the backup job. Slings and other textile work safety measures must be checked annually and discarded after a maximum of eight years ( replacement state ).
In the fire service
In the fire the sling for a variety of tasks can be used. Carrying a sling for fire use in interior attack is not mandatory in the fire service in Germany, but is recommended and practiced in many places.
With the noose a troop can link to each other to keep in contact smoky objects. Also the searching of premises can be improved with certain search techniques with a sling. This can help to a door can be opened by pulling the door handle from the cover.
If, when the crash rescue because of time pressure, lack of material or imminent danger no rescue by a support or rescue cloth possible an accident victim can be saved with the sling. To this end, the loop is pulled apart and placed under the arms around the body of the injured person. Behind the head, the noose is placed on the cross in order to stabilize the head. The length of the loop should be for at least 1.50 m. If the accident victim respiratory protection equipment rack, the loop can be passed through the part of the structure of the SCBA and the person be drawn.
Note: The standard slings for the fire department and the Agency for Technical Relief (THW ) are partly not admitted as a climbing device!