Fall into a Chest Ascender – What Really Happens?

If a fall occurs into a chest ascender, the risk is extremely high. A typical situation: you need to reach just a little further, you do not transfer into the descender, you climb slightly higher, and in case of a fall you are caught only by the ascender. At that moment, you are literally hanging on a few teeth biting into a thin layer of rope.

The impact force generated during the fall is transferred directly to the worker’s chest and spine. This leads to significant stress on the body and poses a risk of serious injuries. In addition, there is a danger of rope damage at the point where the ascender clamps.

‼️ Important notice:
A chest ascender is designed exclusively for rope ascent, not as a fall-arrest system! When working at height, you must always transfer into a descender device and disconnect the chest ascender.

Test parameters:

• Rope: static, diameter 11 mm

• Load: 100 kg

• Climbing above device: 80 cm

• Impact force: 5.6 kN

In the video, a standard chest ascender commonly used in rope access was tested.  VIDEO AVAILABLE HERE.

This test clearly demonstrates that improper use of a chest ascender can lead to life-threatening situations. Safe rope access requires adherence to correct working procedures and proper use of equipment.

#RockEmpire #ropeaccess #safety