Fall Arresters

Fall arresters in climbing are not a single piece of equipment, but rather a personal fall arrest system (PFAS) comprised of several interconnected components that work together to arrest a fall and minimize injury. Here’s a breakdown of the key elements:

• Full-body Harness: The foundation of the system, it distributes the impact force of a fall evenly across the body.
• Lanyard: A dynamic rope or webbing connector tethering the harness to an anchor point.
• Connector: A carabiner or other secure connection point that links the lanyard to the harness and anchor.
• Energy Absorber: A crucial component within the lanyard that deploys and absorbs the force of a fall, reducing the impact on the climber.

Function of the Fall Arrest System:

• When a climber falls, the entire PFAS comes into play. The lanyard catches the fall, and the energy absorber activates, stretching or tearing to absorb the impact force.
• This reduces the peak force experienced by the climber, minimizing the risk of injuries like broken bones or internal organ damage.
• The harness distributes the remaining force across the body, further reducing the risk of injury.