Transition; Transition W/High Anchor Rigging; Transition W/Low Anchor Rigging; Shock Load (Impact Load) - 3M DEUS 7300 Manuel D'instruction

Transition. The act of changing how a person is
supported (such as from a platform to suspension in
a harness) is called "transition. " The primary goals of
transition are avoiding shock load and maintaining
control and balance – all to avoid injury to the person
and damage to the equipment. These objectives are
much easier to meet when the DEUS 7300 device is
rigged overhead with a high anchor.
• Transition with High Anchor Rigging. With
"high rigging, " connect the person who will
descend to the end of the rope running through
the DEUS 7300 device and remove the slack
between the person and the descent device.
With slack removed, the person descending can
simply step off the edge (like stepping off a chair)
and descent will begin immediately. Alternatively,
transition can be managed manually by holding
onto the free end of the rope. (Either the person
descending or a remote operator can hold onto
the free end of the rope.) With manually managed
transition, once the person who will descend is
over the edge and fully supported by a harness,
descent can proceed automatically or manually.
• Transition with Low Anchor Rigging. Transition
with Low Anchor rigging is considerably more
difficult and dangerous than transition with
High Anchor rigging. Transition with Low Anchor
rigging should be avoided if possible. The
difficulty is getting over the edge without injury
to the person descending and without shock-
loading the person and equipment. The danger
is that getting over a low edge may shock-load
the person and the equipment. This can cause
catastrophic equipment failure, as well as injury
or even death. There is no "usual" way to transition
with a Low Anchor – it requires athletic ability and
regular training.
Shock Load (Impact Load). Shock load is
dangerous – it can severely injure the person and it
can damage both equipment and rope resulting in
severe internal injuries and death. The DEUS 7300 is
designed to absorb a limited amount of shock load
without injury to the user or damage to equipment
or rope. Shock load using a DEUS 7300 device must
be limited to 12 inches of slack in the rope.
12
The DEUS 7300 can be custom-tuned to have
different operating characteristics, which can make
the device better or worse at handling shock load. If
shock load is part of your operating plan, discussing
your plan with 3M is strongly recommended to avoid
injury and equipment failure. People vary widely in
their ability to withstand shock load without injury.
Back-up Belay for Controlled Descent. The DEUS
7300 is specifically designed for use as a back-up
belay (sometimes called a back-up safety line). The
advantage of using the 7300 for back-up belay is
that it operates hands-free and automatically, so it
does not require tending. This is particularly useful
in cases of limited manpower. Rig the DEUS 7300 in
parallel with the primary controlled descent device.
To do this, use a locking carabiner to connect the
end of the rope running through the 7300 device
to the person descending, and let go. If your DEUS
7300 is to be used as a back-up belay for another
DEUS descent device, or a device from another
manufacturer, you may wish to request a factory
speed setting that will not interfere with the speed
of the primary system.
Select a backup connection location carefully to
ensure that failure of the primary system does not
result in injury. This includes, but is not limited to, the
rope being wrapped around any body part.
Ascending. Although designed for descent, ascent
(going up) is possible with the DEUS 7300. For
a person to ascend without assistance, the rope
running through the 7300 device must be at least 2x
the descent distance. To ascend, the person climbing
must climb the free side of the rope, not the loaded
side to which he or she is connected. The usual way
to do this is to create a foot-loop with the free side
of the rope, stand in the loop, pull out the slack and
repeat.
For a person to ascend with assistance, the rope
running through the 7300 device must be at least 2x
the descent distance. To ascend, the people assisting
must pull down on the free side of the rope and
simultaneously the person climbing must reduce
the load on the side of the rope to which he or she
is connected by pulling down on the free side of
the rope.