PMI ROPE PMIROPE.COM T 1-800-282-ROPE ROPE LIFE SAFETY V3-0413
PIGEON MOUNTAIN INDUSTRIES, INC. PO BOX 803, LAFAYETTE, GA 30728 USA
PMI LIFE SAFETY ROPE CONTENTS: ENGLISH Warnings 2 PMI Labeling 3 Rope Classifications 4 Use, Care & Maintenance 6 About Your PMI Rope 6 Using Your Rope 9 Unpacking Your Rope 10 Maintaining Your Rope 11 Retiring Your Rope 11 Inspecting Your Rope 12 Cleaning Your Rope 13 ESPAÑOL Precaución 19 Etiquetaje de PMI 20 Clasificaciónes de Curedas 22 Uso, Cuidado y Mantenimento 23 Acerca de su Cuerda PMI 23 Usando su Cuerda 26 Desempancando su Cuerda 27 Retiro de su Cuerda 27 Inspectión de su Cuerda 28 Limpieza de su Cuerda 29 RM00330 V3-0413 1
WARNINGS WARNING YOU COULD BE KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED IF YOU DO NOT READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS BOOKLET BEFORE USING PRODUCT. SPECIAL TRAINING AND KNOWLEDGE ARE REQUIRED TO USE THIS PRODUCT. YOU MUST THOROUGHLY READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL MANUFACTURER S INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USE. BEFORE USING THESE ROPES THE USER IS RESPONSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THESE ROPES ARE SUITABLE FOR THE INTENDED USE AND THEIR COMPATIBILITY WITH ALL HARDWARE TO BE USED. USE AND INSPECTION OF THIS PRODUCT SHOULD ONLY BE DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURER S INSTRUCTIONS. INSPECTIONS SHOULD ONLY BE CONDUCTED BY A COMPETENT PERSON. DO NOT MAKE ANY ALTERATIONS TO THIS PRODUCT WITHOUT THE MANUFACTURER S EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT. REPAIRS SHALL BE CARRIED OUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH MANUFACTURER S PROCEDURES. FOR IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION, CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER AT 706-764-1437 or custserv@pmirope.com. IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED A ROPE WITH FACTORY TERMINATIONS, REFER TO SEPARATE INSTRUCTIONS FOR TERMINATION TYPE. CAUTION ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY IS JUST THAT... PERSONAL. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY. WE BUILD THE BEST POSSIBLE PRODUCTS FOR THE PURPOSES STATED, BUT IT IS UP TO YOU TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR USING THESE, AND OTHER PRODUCTS, SAFELY. YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY IS INFLUENCED BY THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE. TAKE THE TIME TO READ AND UNDERSTAND THESE INSTRUCTIONS, AND GET THE TRAINING YOU NEED FOR YOUR APPLICATION. THE HIGH ANGLE ENVIRONMENT IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ONE. WE HOPE YOU TAKE IT AS SERIOUSLY AS WE DO. PROPER TRAINING, GOOD EQUIPMENT AND A PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO SAFETY WILL LESSEN THE DANGER OF ROPE WORK; HOWEVER, TAKE CARE NOT TO BECOME COMPLACENT. INSPECT YOUR EQUIPMENT, RIGGING, ANCHORS (INCLUDING STRENGTH, SUITABILITY AND POSITIONING) AND THAT OF OTHERS AROUND YOU FOR SAFETY AT ALL TIMES WHEN YOU ARE IN THE VERTICAL ENVIRONMENT. ACTIVITIES INVOLVING THE USE OF LIFE SAFETY ROPE ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS. SUCH ACTIVITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO; ASCENDING AND DESCENDING FIXED LINES, HAULING, HIGHLINES, POSITIONING, AND BELAYING. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS AND DECISIONS. IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THIS RESPONSIBILITY, DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT. 2
WARNINGS (cont.) IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE SAFETY OF THE USER THAT, IF THE PRODUCT IS RE-SOLD OUTSIDE THE ORIGINAL COUNTRY OF DESTINATION, THE RESELLER SHALL PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE, MAINTENANCE, INSPECTION, AND REPAIR IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH THE PRODUCT IS TO BE USED. IF YOUR ROPE BECOMES WET, EITHER FROM BEING IN USE OR WHEN DUE TO CLEANING, IT SHALL BE ALLOWED TO DRY NATURALLY, AND SHALL BE KEPT AWAY FROM DIRECT HEAT. BE AWARE OF ANY DANGERS THAT MAY ARISE BY THE USE OF COMBINATIONS OF ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT IN WHICH THE SAFE FUNCTION OF ANY ONE ITEM IS AFFECTED BY OR INTERFERES WITH THE SAFE FUNCTION OF ANOTHER. THE USER SHOULD HAVE A RESCUE PLAN IN PLACE IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH ANY EMERGENCIES THAT COULD ARISE DURING USE. THE USER SHOULD BE AWARE OF ANY MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT COULD AFFECT THE SAFETY OF THE USER IN NORMAL AND EMERGENCY USE. CONNECTIONS SHOULD BE USED WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF STABILITY AND COMPATIBILITY OF THE SURROUNDING COMPONENTS. THIS ROPE MAY BE DIRECTLY TIED TO AN ANCHORAGE OR CLIPPED DIRECTLY TO CONNECTORS. WHEN USED AS A VERTICAL LIFELINE, NO MORE THAN ONE PERSONAL FALL ARREST SYSTEM SHOULD BE ATTACHED AT ANY ONE TIME. PMI LABELING PMI maintains a Quality Assurance Program, meeting all the requirements of ISO 9001, NFPA 1983, ANSI/ASSE Z359.1-2007 and the PPE directive. PMI s CE accreditation for the listed products has been issued by SGS United Kingdom Limited, 202b, Worle Parkway, Weston-super-Mare, BS22 6WA, United Kingdom. Notified Body 0120. PMI s NFPA marking has been issued by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), USA. Users can verify product certification by UL at their online certifications directory. Reference www.ul.com. External Markings are placed on the ends of all PMI ropes to indicate the PMI name/logo. At least one end will have an additional label with the Lot Number, diameter, length, part number, product bar code, and all applicable certification information. V3-0413 3
PMI LABELING (cont.) Ropes that are cut from a spool for re-distribution should be retrofitted with legible external product markings as necessary by the user. The user should check for legibility of product markings. Internal Markings (printed tapes) are placed inside the rope along with the core yarns during manufacture. These printed tapes identify PMI, made in USA, rope material(s), quarter and year of manufacture, and limited standards information. ROPE CLASSIFICATIONS Ropes are classified according to the various standards to which they conform. CI 1801 CLASSIFIES ROPE AS FOLLOWS: LOW STRETCH - Ropes with 6-10% elongation at 10% of Minimum Breaking Strength STATIC - Ropes with less than 6% elongation at 10% of Minimum Breaking Strength NFPA 1983 CLASSIFIES ROPE AS FOLLOWS: ESCAPE - Single purpose, emergency self-escape (self-rescue) rope; not classified as a life safety rope. FIRE ESCAPE ROPE An emergency self-rescue rope used to escape an immediately hazardous environment involving fire or fire products; not classified as a life safety rope. 4
ROPE CLASSIFICATIONS (cont.) TECHNICAL USE - Equipment item or manufactured systems designed for technical use loads, and escape based on design loads that are calculated and understood. GENERAL USE - Equipment item or manufactured systems designed for general use loads, technical use loads, and escape based on design loads that are calculated and understood. EN 1891 CLASSIFIES ROPE AS FOLLOWS: TYPE A ROPE- low stretch kernmantle ropes designed for general use by persons in rope access including all kinds of work positioning and restraint, in rescue and speleology. TYPE B ROPE - low stretch kernmantle ropes of a lower performance than type A ropes, requiring greater care in use. Ropes not specified as Type A or Type B include PMI Classic Static EZ-Bend ropes. These ropes inherently have lower elongation and energy absorption properties than required by EN 1891. PMI has earned ISO 9001 registration from SGS United Kingdom Limited. Constant monitoring of materials and processes are an essential part of our ISO Quality Management System. All PMI Life Safety Ropes are designed and manufactured based on Cordage Institute Standards for Life Safety Ropes and other Standards as noted. V3-0413 5
USE, CARE & MAINTENANCE Congratulations on the purchase of your new PMI rope. In using it, you assume the responsibility to learn and understand its capabilities and limitations before placing it into service, and to use it properly and wisely. The following information is designed to support your efforts toward this goal. ABOUT YOUR PMI ROPE This rope is a Life Safety Rope. Your life (or someone else s) may depend on it, possibly time after time. PMI goes to great lengths to make the best rope in the world, maintain high quality assurance standards, and provide you with the maximum amount of information possible. The rest is up to you. Your personal safety is your responsibility. Please take it seriously. We do. PMI kernmantle static and low stretch ropes are designed and manufactured based on Cordage Institute life safety rope standards. Static ropes will provide more stability and less elongation in ascending, raising, and lowering situations while low stretch ropes are more forgiving, and provide lower peak forces during dynamic loading. PMI life safety ropes feature a braided sheath over continuous core. All models of PMI ropes are finely balanced to prevent spin under load and to provide consistent strength and elongation performance. The braided sheath offers protection to the inner load-bearing core from dirt and abrasion. As a general guide, smaller diameter ropes are best used for rigging, personal escape, handlines, and safety lines while larger diameters (10-12.5 mm) have been developed for higher load applications such as occur in professional work and rescue. The largest diameters, such as 16 mm Classic Professional, offer maximum strength and grippability. Static and low stretch ropes are NOT dynamic ropes and should not be used in severe dynamic load situations without additional provision for force absorption. Doing so could cause serious injury to personnel and/or equipment. Ropes intended to be used as dynamic ropes should comply with Dynamic Rope standards such as UIAA 101 or EN 892. For more information about specific models of rope, see below. 6
ABOUT YOUR PMI ROPE (cont.) ALL-NYLON ROPES PMI CLASSIC ropes offer static-rope performance, with a continuous stranded core inside the braided sheath. Two styles of sheath are available for PMI Classic rope. The standard sheath is known as EZ-Bend, and is crafted to optimize wear while still maintaining a comfortable hand for rigging. For even greater abrasion resistance and durability choose the Max-Wear option. The Max-Wear sheath is a tighter weave, which makes for a longer lasting but stiffer hand rope. PMI CLASSIC PROFESSIONAL conforms to the exacting demands of professional users and is labeled to conform to industry specific standards such as those developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 1983) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), as applicable. PMI Classic Professional ropes are available in a multitude of colors, to facilitate a variety of needs. PMI CLASSIC SPORT ropes are the same basic design as our other PMI Classic ropes but are only available in white sheath colors and are not marked as certified to NFPA 1983. They do conform to CI 1801. Our Classic Sport ropes have long been a favorite of cavers and sport rappellers the world over. PMI PASSAGE is a water-resistant rope that is based on Classic construction. Featuring PMI Hydro Cover treatment, these ropes repel water, making them a great all-around canyoneering rope for a reasonable cost. PMI TUFF CORD is a 7 mm static kernmantle rope built to be a small version of our classic static rope. This rope is an excellent choice for rigging, but should be used with caution due to its smaller diameter. PMI PER is an 8 mm braid over braid all nylon rope for emergency bailout. Its braided cord provides extra elongation to reduce the inevitable shock that occurs during fast loading. PMI PER is certified to NFPA 1983 as an Escape Rope. V3-0413 7
ABOUT YOUR PMI ROPE (cont.) POLYESTER SHEATH ROPES PMI ACCESS PRO is an excellent low-stretch alternative with a softer hand and is a great choice for any rope access or work positioning applications. Conforming to EN 1891 as well as CI 1801, the core of this rope is specially engineered of continuous filament high-twist nylon bundles and the sheath is a 32 strand polyester yarn construction. PMI EXTREME PRO with patented Unicore construction is a hardy static rope with a 32 carrier polyester sheath bonded to a nylon core. Great abrasion resistance, no sheath slippage, and excellent knotability make this an ideal choice for rescue applications as well as work at height in harsh environments. POLYESTER CORE ROPES PMI TALON is a sturdy rope with minimal elongation that features a nylon sheath similar to PMI Classic Professional ropes and a polyester core similar to PMI Isostatic. This is a tough wearing static rope that stays round under use, offering a smooth, controlled rappel and minimal stretch or bounce while ascending. The polyester core of this rope results in very little force absorption capability. PMI ISOSTATIC is an all-polyester rope that provides extremely low elongation and excellent abrasion resistance. Choose PMI Isostatic for rigging highlines and for long hauls where minimal stretch is preferred, but keep in mind that this rope also has less capability to absorb sudden forces and will transmit the effect of impact loads to anchors and equipment. ARAMID ROPES PMI ELEMENT is a 32 carrier braid kernmantle rope made of aramid fiber. Very low elongation and higher heat resistance for bailout in extreme heat conditions. Certified to NFPA 1983 as a Fire Escape Rope. Additional information regarding this life safety rope can be found in NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, and NFPA 1983, Standard on Life Safety Rope and Equipment. 8
USING YOUR ROPE Any system incorporating these life support ropes should include a reliable anchorage point, compatible equipment, and a means of limiting the demands on the system to within its capabilities. There are no special transportation requirements for these ropes. However, exhaust fumes from motor vehicles have been known to discolor (or yellow ) the protective finish on some white nylon yarns. For best results, PMI recommends that your rope be stored in an appropriate rope bag to protect it from dirt, debris, accidental cutting and abrasion, exhaust fumes, heat, sunlight, etc. Perform a visual and tactile inspection on your rope to verify it is in serviceable condition before and after each use, (see INSPECTING YOUR ROPE on page 13) and ensure that everyone using the rope has the proper training and knowledge to do so and fully understands its performance capabilities and limitations as they relate to your application. Some sheath slippage may occur depending on the rope construction and devices being used with it. PMI ropes may be terminated using accepted life safety knots such as the figure 8, figure 9, bowline, and alpine butterfly. Users must be trained and proficient in the use of knots in order to use them safely. Keep in mind when calculating and using system safety factors that knots reduce the strength of the rope to some degree, usually by 25-30% depending on the knot. For PMI Classic ropes, PMI offers swaged or sewn rope end terminations that are stronger than any knot. These must be installed at our facility. Contact PMI for details. If you have purchased a rope with factory terminations, please see the separate instructions for user information on sewn and swaged eyes. Protect your rope from anything that might damage it, such as abrasion, heat, and chemicals. A metal roller, cloth pad, or other item should be placed between the rope and any sharp edge. Avoid contact between moving textiles (rope or webbing) and stationary textiles. Friction between textiles can quickly melt through the fixed part. Be aware of hazards which may affect the performance of your rope such as: extremes of temperature, trailing or looping of lifeline over sharp edges, chemical reagents, electrical conductivity, cutting, abrasion, climatic exposure, pendulum falls. The diameter of the rope you have selected will affect not only the minimum breaking strength, but also abrasion resistance, handling characteristics, weight per meter, and what auxiliary equipment you may be able to use. Be sure that any equipment you intend to use with this rope is compatible. V3-0413 9
USING YOUR ROPE (cont.) Equipment designed for larger diameters may not grip or provide adequate friction; equipment designed for smaller diameters may jam or render the system unusable. A wide variety of accessories may be safely used with these ropes. DO NOT USE any accessory with these ropes if you are not certain that it will be safe. Users should first seek out equipment that is tested and labeled to appropriate criteria including ANSI, NFPA, CE, UIAA, etc. Proper training and practice using the items on the rope in a safe environment is essential. Always work within an appropriate safety factor. Keep in mind that the load ratio for individual pieces of equipment is different than a system safety factor. Applying a 600# load on a 9,000# capacity rope may be translated to represent a 15:1 component load ratio, but when the rope is rigged into a system with knots, bends, and other equipment the system safety factor should be re-evaluated, taking into consideration the weakest point in the system. A system safety factor will generally be lower than load ratios of specific equipment within the system. Training, education, and experience are essential to calculating and using appropriate safety factors and to using equipment safely. Establishing and evaluating the safety factor will differ with every situation, and even throughout a given rope operation. It is your responsibility to acquire the appropriate training and experience to understand and apply such subjective concepts. 10 UNPACKING YOUR ROPE 1. Open the box carefully, so as not to damage the rope. 2. Inspect your rope right away. Make sure that it is exactly what you ordered and that it is in the same excellent condition as when PMI shipped it. 3. Retain the product label and user instructions after removing them from your rope as a permanent rope record. Keep a copy of these instructions with the rope. 4. Remove the coil from the box and unroll it. If on a spool, using a small pipe or broom handle as an axle makes it easier to unroll. Unwrapping coils from the sides will introduce kinks into your rope that likely will require free hanging the entire length of rope at once to untwist. 5. Take a moment to familiarize and educate yourself about your rope. Note such things as strength, diameter, working elongation, length and fiber.
UNPACKING YOUR ROPE (cont.) 6. Use some means of identifying the rope, such as a PMI Rope ID Kit, and begin a Rope Log for it (we provide one with every rope). Keep this and all of the instructions and paperwork which came with the rope in a safe, conspicuous place where all potential users will see the warnings and information prior to using the rope. PMI rope bags have see-through windows for this purpose. 7. Contact PMI IMMEDIATELY if you have any questions or concerns about your rope! MAINTAINING YOUR ROPE Maintain a Rope Log for each individual rope and review it regularly. Include information such as date placed in service, dates and conditions under which rope is used, results of rope inspections, and other information specific to your application. Keep your rope clean, using the guidelines provided in this booklet. Dirt rubbing into and against the fibers of your rope will deteriorate it. Store your rope in a clean, dark, dry environment, not on a cement floor, and away from exposure to chemicals, noxious fumes or other harmful agents. We recommend use of a PMI Rope Bag or PMI Rope Pack. RETIRING YOUR ROPE RETIRE IMMEDIATELY any rope whose strength or integrity may have been compromised during use. RETIRE IMMEDIATELY any rope which is subjected to uncontrolled or excessive loading. RETIRE IMMEDIATELY any rope which is greater than 10 years old, regardless of history and usage. RETIRE IMMEDIATELY any rope whose history and past usage you are uncertain about. RETIRE IMMEDIATELY any rope that has been exposed to heat, direct flame or excessive abrasion. RETIRE IMMEDIATELY any rope that has been visibly damaged. RETIRE IMMEDIATELY any rope that has been exposed to liquids, solids, gases, mists, or vapors of any chemical or other material that can deteriorate rope. RETIRE IMMEDIATELY any rope that does not pass inspection when inspected by a competent person following the inspection procedures in these instructions, both before and after each use. V3-0413 11
RETIRING YOUR ROPE (cont.) RETIRE IMMEDIATELY when there is any doubt about the safety or serviceability of the rope. Life spans of static & low stretch ropes are a maximum of 10 years from date of manufacture and are greatly dependent upon use, storage, and other variables. CUT RETIRED ROPE into short lengths which will discourage future use - or discard it entirely. A retired rope should not be stored, kept or maintained in such a way that it could inadvertently be used as a lifeline. In some cases, when only a single point or a small area of a rope has been damaged and the rest of the rope is still in good condition, the user may elect to cut that section out of the rope and continue to use the shorter rope(s) in lifeline applications. This is a judgment call and such a decision is left to the users discretion. INSPECTING YOUR ROPE BEFORE YOU START Refer to these instructions for proper procedures before and after each use. All ropes should be inspected for wear and damage before each use by a competent person following the manufacture s inspection procedures defined below. Rope must be inspected before and after each use. If it hasn t been inspected, DON T USE IT! Always inspect the entire length of the rope, even when you don t use all of it. Keep in mind that it is difficult to inspect wet rope. It is best to dry it first before inspecting it. Let one person complete the entire inspection of one rope. If you split this job between different persons, they might miss something important. Regardless of use, inspection frequency should be at least once every 12 months. HOW TO INSPECT YOUR ROPE LOOK AT IT... ALL OF IT! - Start at one end and look at every inch of the rope. Watch for signs that might indicate possible damage such as discoloration, chemical odors, abrasion, cuts or nicks in the outer sheath and visible differences in the diameter of the rope in one area in relation to the rest of the rope. WRAP IT IN SMALL LOOPS AND LOOK! - Wrap the rope around your hand to form small loops at different random points along the ropes length. Look at these small loops as you make them, the consistency of the loop should be uniform throughout. If it s not, you might have a problem with the rope s core. 12
INSPECTING YOUR ROPE (cont.) FEEL THE ROPE! - While you are looking at every inch of the rope, run it through your bare hands and feel it for changes that might indicate damage to the core. Changes may include any inconsistencies in rope diameter, soft or mushy spots, or extraordinarily stiff areas. WRITE IT ALL DOWN! - Write the results of your inspection on the Rope Log included with your rope. Be sure to include anything you found in your inspection that might be or become a concern and document other important information about the rope such as an occurrence of uncontrolled or excessive loading, rope older than 10 years, contact with harmful chemicals, and history of use. IF IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT! If you are not sure about the integrity of a rope...don T USE IT! Consult the manufacturer if you need help. Make a note on the Rope Log every time something happens to the rope including usage, inspection, cleaning, drying, modification, or if problems are noted. CLEANING YOUR ROPE WASH IT - You can wash dirty ropes by hand or in a front-loading commercial washing machine using cold to warm water with a mild soap. PMI recommends PMI Rope Soap, otherwise non detergent soaps are best. Soap used should not contain any bleaching agents. Avoid top loading washing machines with agitators because they tangle the rope severely and might even cause damage from friction produced by rubbing of the synthetic rope against the synthetic agitator. Note: Ropes may shrink up to approximately 6% after washing. In addition, some environments may cause your rope to shrink over time. The user should verify its length periodically. DISINFECT IT - Disinfection of a rope may occasionally become necessary, such as when exposed to bloodborne pathogens. To disinfect a rope from suspected bloodborne pathogens, PMI recommends following the NFPA standard for cleaning rescue gear of bloodborne pathogens. Prepare a solution of 60 ml of household bleach for every 4 liters of tap water or cup per gallon. Soak the rope for 10 minutes in this solution, then thoroughly rinse or wash as noted above. The rinsing cycle is critical to prevent any damage to the rope from the bleach. Allow the rope to dry in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. The use of bleach over a long period of time, in repeated uses, can cause damage to fibers such as nylon. Disinfection of the ropes using bleach should be used sparingly and only when needed. V3-0413 13
CLEANING YOUR ROPE (cont.) LUBRICATE IT - Ropes may dry out and lose some flexibility as a result of washing. You can prevent this by occasionally adding a little fabric softener (about a cup of fabric softener) to the rinse cycle during rope washing. Don t use any more than this or it might damage the rope. DRY IT - Dry your rope in a clean, dry area out of direct sunlight. Avoid: 1) using a commercial dryer, 2) placing wet ropes on a concrete surface, and 3) exposure to exhaust fumes. For best results, the rope should be laid in a loose coil or coiled around two objects in a low-humidity environment. WRITE IT DOWN - Remember to record the cleaning on the Rope Log. KEEP IT CLEAN - After repacking, store your rope in a clean, dark, dry environment, away from exposure to acids, other harmful chemicals, noxious fumes or other abuse. 14