There are many aspects when it comes to safety at heights
Here are some useful TIPs on ‘safety at heights’ compiled by Chadel Soon of Learning Adventures Malaysia.
When you are at heights, whether on the edge of a cliff or a waterfall, don’t stand at the edge to take a look at the bottom without any safety! The edge could be supported with brittle rocks, or could be covered with slippery moss, that could cause you to fall. Instead, at a safe distance, get down on your tummy, and slowly do a commando-crawl (on knees and elbows) to the edge. This would spread your weight across the ground and add stability to your body. Don’t worry about getting dirty, as you are after all in the outdoors!
Safety at heights would increase if you have gears like a harness, prusik cord and rope. Here is a technique that works well, if you need to inspect the edge of a cliff:
Firstly, you need a Safety Line. Take the end of the rope (kernmantel rope), tie a figure 8 with a bight and toss it to the edge (this is so you have a rough length needed to be at the edge from the anchor).
Tying a 'figure 8' with a bight
Next tie the anchor off. There is plenty of knots you can use to tie off an anchor (e.g. half hitches, bowline, retrace figure 8 etc.), but anchor building will not be covered here.
Tying off anchor
Clip into the figure 8 with a bight with a locking carabiner. Now you have a Safety Line ready!
Next use a prusik cord of about 160cm in length to make a loop.
Tie a Figure 8 first. Then re-trace the path of the tail with the other end of the cord. The Flemish bend should look like in the image below. Ensure tails are twice the length of the knot.
Making a loop using a Flemish bend
With the Prusik cord ready in a loop, tie a classic prusik hitch to the Safety Line.
Attaching the prusik onto the line
With the Classic Prusik hitch attached to your harness with another Locking Carabiner, travelling to the edge is much safer as the hitch arrests a fall effectively.
Better now!
As you walk to the edge, drag the classic prusik hitch with you. Make sure it remains taut, so there is no shock load to the anchor if you fall. The Figure 8 with a bight that is clipped into your harness would serve as a backup, if the classic prusik hitch should fail (which it should not).
Note the hand positions
To move back up to safety, pull the Safety Line to make it tout. The classic prusik hitch should also be tout. Walk back up to safety with the assistance of pulling the Safety Line, and not the classic prusik hitch.
Make sure the prusik is tout
Summary:
- Never stand at the edge of a cliff or waterfall without safety.
- To inspect the edge, get on your tummy and commando-crawl. Getting dirty should be the least of your priorities.
- If you have gears, use the classic prusik hitch and a Safety Line with a backup, to do your inspection at the edge.
- If in doubt, don’t go to the edge. Inspect the edge from another vantage point.
- Attend a Ropeworks Workshop to learn more about safety at heights and rope skills!
Note: If you find this article useful, you may also want to read the following:
Water Safety TIPS- useful for those who are always near water bodies