Husqvarna Rigging Rope User Manual

Husqvarna Rigging Rope User Manual

Introduction

Product description and intended use

The product Husqvarna Rigging Rope is a rope made of synthetic fibers. The product has an eye end connection at one end. The product is used as a component in a rigging system for step-by-step dismantling of a tree.

The product must only be used by trained professionals. A competent person with necessary training for rigging systems must always be at the work location.
The competent person is responsible for the rigging operation. Do not use the product as personal protective equipment (PPE)

Symbols and markings

pull configuration.
| The number next to this symbol indicates rated load in knotted eye – straight pull configuration.
| The number next to this symbol indicates rated load in spliced eye – straight pull configuration.
| The number next to this symbol indicates rated load in tree stem configuration.

Product liability

The manufacturer is not responsible for damages that occur during or after the use of the product if:

• the product is incorrectly used.
• the rigging system is incorrectly assembled

Safety

Safety definitions
Warnings, cautions and notes are used to point out specially important parts of the manual

WARNING: Used if there is a risk of injury or death for the operator or bystanders if the instructions in the manual are not obeyed.

CAUTION: Used if there is a risk of  damage to the product, other materials or the adjacent area if the instructions in the manual are not obeyed.

Note: Used to give more information that is necessary in a given situation

General safety instructions

WARNING: Read the warning instructions that follow before you use the product.

• This product can be dangerous if you are not careful or if you use the product incorrectly. Before you use the product, you must read and understand the contents of this operator’s manual.
• You must obey all instructions in this operator’s manual. The risk of serious injury or death increases if the instructions are not obeyed.
• Only use the product for the specified intended use and in the specified limited scope.
• The operator must have good medical health.
• The product can cause damage if incorrectly used, stored, cleaned or if it is used with too much load.
• Do the product inspections as given in this operator’s manual.
• Keep this operator’s manual together with the product.

Safety instructions before operation

WARNING: Read the warning instructions that follow before you use the product.

• Do not operate this product unless you have the  necessary knowledge and experience. There is a high risk of personal injury and damages during a rigging operation. The loads involved in a rigging operation are high and very difficult to calculate.
• The operator must be trained in the safe use of the product and in the applicable safety precautions. We recommend these training programs:
• ETT (Certified European Tree Technician)
• ETW (Certified European Tree Worker)
• Relevant training courses by Arboricultural Association
• Do not operate this product unless a competent person with necessary training and knowledge is at the work location.
• It is the responsibility of the competent person to plan the rigging operation.
• All components in the rigging system must be compatible and correctly configured. You must comply with the recommendations for use of the product together with other components.
• Select a relevant safety factor for hoisting. According to the Machinery directive 2006/42/EC, the minimum safety factor is 7. The safety factor is defined as the ratio of the minimum breaking load to static work load for a new rope in its free length.
• Prepare a risk assessment (RA) that includes emergency procedures for all possible emergencies. Make sure that emergency and rescue procedures can be done quickly and safely if an emergency occurs.
• Obey these safety instructions for the person that climbs the tree:
  • They must have presonal protective equipment for fall protection.
  • They must have a hand saw.
  • They must know how to move away from the tree safely in an emergency.
  • The position of the person that climbs the tree must always be away from the expected trajectory of the rigged tree section and the rigging equipment.
• Do a visual inspection of the tree.
• Cordon off the work area.
• Make sure that bystanders cannot get access to the work area.
• Identify possible risks, such as electrical wires

Safety instructions for operation

WARNING: Read the warning instructions that follow before you use the product

• Do not use this product for other tasks than as part of a rigging system.
• It is the responsibility of the operator that the product and other components in the rigging system are compatible
• It is the responsibility of the operator that the risks during operation are at a minimum and that the product is operated safely.
• Use applicable personal protective equipment.
• Do not do modifications to the product.
• Do not use a product that is damaged or shows signs of wear. Refer to Product inspection on page 7.
• Keep the product away from chemicals.
• During operation, always think about the factors that can decrease the breaking load:
  • Very high or very low temperatures
  • Dirt
  • UV radiation
  • Weather conditions
  • Humidity
  • Shock loads and other unintentional strain on the product
  • Twisting of the product. The cover pattern of the rope helps identify twisting
• Temperatures below 0°C cause the product to become hard.
• Tree exudates can have a negative effect on knots and how the product runs on pulleys.
• Do not walk or stay below or near a lifted object.
• Do not wind the product around your hand or body.
• Do not put your feet on the product.
• Keep branches, tools and other objects away from quickly moving rigging ropes.
• If the product is subject to a shock load, take it out of service immediately. Refer to To take the product out of service on page 8.

Operation

Introduction

WARNING: Read and understand the safety chapter before you use the product.

To do before you operate the product

• Select an applicable method for the tree dismantling. Refer to Selection of tree dismantling method on page 11.
• Make sure that the performance of the product is applicable for the operation. Refer to Technical data on page 9.
• Remove the product correctly from the spool to prevent damage. Refer to To pull a rope from a spool on page 6.
• Make sure that all components in the rigging system are compatible and correctly configured.
  • a) The ratio D/d of the pulley diameter D to the ropediameter d must be as large as possible.
  • b) The diameter of the pulley groove must be applicable for the rope diameter.

To pull a rope from a spool

1. Put a support through the center of the spool to make sure that the spool can rotate freely.
   CAUTION: Do not pull a rope off a spool that lies on its side and cannot rotate. This will twist the rope and increase the risk of damage and injury.

2. Pull the rope off the spool. (Fig. 1)
   
   

To pull a rope from a coil

1. Pull the rope end that is on the inside of the coil.

2. Make sure that the rope unwinds counterclockwise.
   CAUTION: Do not continue to pull the rope if unwinds clockwise. The rope can become damaged

3. If the rope unwinds clockwise, stop and then do these steps:

   • a) Put the rope back inside the coil.
   • b) Turn the coil over to the other side.
   • c) Pull the rope end that is on the inside of the coil and make sure that the rope unwinds counterclockwise.

To tie a doubled bowline knot

WARNING: Use doubled bowline knots to tie the product. Knots always decrease the breaking load but a correct knot keeps the decrease in breaking load to a minimum

1. (Fig. 2)
   

2. (Fig. 3)
   

3. (Fig. 4)
    

4. (Fig. 5)
   

5. (Fig. 6)
   
   

• Obey the instructions in Tree dismantling operation with a rigging system on page 12.

Product inspection

WARNING: Do the product inspections at the intervals given below. There is a risk of serious injury or death if defects are not identified.

Note: Refer to national regulations for other product inspection intervals

Product inspections must always be done before and after each use. The operator can do these inspections. We recommend to make notes of the findings and the date of inspection.

If you think that the product can be damaged, a full product inspection must be done by a competent person or the manufacturer. The detailed instructions in To do a full product inspection on page 7 must be obeyed

To do a product inspection before each use

• Do a visual inspection of the product and the end connection.
• Feel along the product to identify hidden core damage.
• If defects are found or if you are not sure that the product is safe to use, take the product out of service. Refer to To take the product out of service on page 8

To do a product inspection after each use

• Examine the product visually for damages, swellings, discoloring or other unusual changes. A glassy rope surface is a sign of thermal damage, usually caused by high friction in the system.
• Examine the product for abrasion and cuts.
• Feel along the full length of the product to find hidden damages.
• Examine carefully the section of the product that was used on the tree stem. This section is usually the most damaged part
• Examine the eye end connection.
• If defects are found or if you are not sure that the product is safe to use, take the product out of service. Refer to To take the product out of service on page 8.

To do a full product inspection

WARNING: This product inspection must only be done by a competent person or the manufacturer

We recommend that the product inspection is documented

• Do a check of the general product condition:
  • a) Do a check of the product age.
  • b) Do a check of the completeness of the product.
  • c) Make sure that the product is not dirty.
  • d) Make sure that the product is correctly assembled.
• Examine the product label:
  • a) Make sure that the product label is clearly visible and easy to read.
  • b) Make sure that the product label specifies the year and month of manufacture.
• Examine all individual parts for these types of mechanical damage:
  • a) Cuts and cracks
  • b) Indentations
  • c) Fibrillation and abrasion of fiber parts
  • d) Formation of ribs
  • e) Kinks
  • f) Crush damages
  • g) Twisting
• Examine all individual parts for thermal or chemical damages, such as fusing or hardening.
• Make sure that there is no discoloration of the product.
• Examine all metal components for corrosion and deformations.
• Do a check of the condition and completeness of the end connections:
  • a) Make sure that there are no damages to the stitching, such as abrasion of the sewing thread.
  • b) Make sure that there is no slippage of the splices.
  • c) Examine the knots.

Maintenance

To repair the product

• Only let the manufacturer do repairs.

To clean the product

1. Clean the product with warm water and a rope detergent. Obey the instructions on the package of the rope detergent.
   WARNING: Do not use a textile detergent.

2. Flush the product with a large quantity of clear water.

3. Let the product become fully dry, away from sunlight, fires or other heat sources.

WARNING: Do not use the product or put it in storage before it is fully dry.

To disinfect the product

WARNING: Do not disinfect the product more often than absolutely necessary.
WARNING: Only use disinfectants that do not damage the synthetic material of the product. We recommend isopropyl alcohol, 70%.
WARNING: Obey the safety instructions for the disinfectant.

1. Apply the disinfectant to the product surface.
2. Let the product become fully dry.

Service life of the product

If the product is used not more than 1 week each year and kept in storage correctly, the possible service life is 10 years from the date of manufacture.

The actual service life depends fully on the condition of the product. The condition of the product is affected by these factors:

• UV radiation
• Type and frequency of use
• Product handling and storage
• Climatic influences such as ice or snow
• Operational environments such as salt or sand
• Chemical influences such as battery acid
• Heat contamination
• Mechanical deformation or distortion

Extreme conditions during operation can shorten the service life to a single use only. If the product is damaged before its first use, for example during transportation, it must be discarded immediately and not used.

Mechanical wear and sunlight decrease the service life considerably. Bleached or abraded fibers, discoloration, and hardened spots are signs that show that the product must be discarded.

To take the product out of service

If the product is subject to a fall or shows signs of wear or damage, it must be taken out of service.

1. If you are sure that the product is damaged, discard it.
2. If you think that the product can be damaged, do these steps:
   • a) Put a clearly visible label or marking on the product to prevent accidental use.
   • b) Let a competent person or the manufacturer do the required tests and inspections

If the competent person gives a written approval, the product can be used again.

Transportation, storage and disposal

Transportation and storage

• Before transportation and storage, make sure that the product is clean and dry.
• Do not keep the product in storage together with personal protective equipment. Put a clearly visible label or marking on the product to make sure that it is not used as personal protective equipment.
• Put the product in a bag that gives protection from moisture, light and dirt.
• Put the product loosely in the bag. If the product is made into a roll, it can twist and become damaged.
• Make sure that the storage space meets these requirements:
• The temperature is 15–25°C.
• The air flow is sufficient.
• There is no sunlight, UV radiation or light from welding equipment.
• There are no chemicals or other aggressive environments.
• There are no objects with sharp edges.

Disposal

• Obey national regulations.
• Use the local recycling system.

Technical data

Conditions for technical data

• All data are valid for new dry ropes tested under laboratory conditions.

• All breaking loads are tested under static conditions. Dynamic load, such as when the product suddenly stops a fall, can be many times higher than the static load.

• MBL = minimum breaking load.

• The value for MBL at spliced eye configuration is only valid for a spliced eye end connection made by Husqvarna.

• The value for MBL at knotted eye configuration is valid for this configuration: A doubled bowline knot at each rope end (Fig. 7)
  

• The value for MBL at tree stem configuration is valid for this configuration: (Fig. 8)
  

• The length of the rope increases with the applied load according to the diagram. (Fig. 9)
  

  • (A) = elongation, %
  • (B) = force, % of breaking load.

• The MBL values must only be used as an indication. They are not based on a statistically relevant sample size.

• Humidity increases the length of the product under load. Without load, humidity decreases the length of the product.

• During use of the product, the ability to elongate decreases.

Technical data

Material properties, polyester (polyethylen-terephthalate)
Resistance against acids| Good against diluted mineral acids and organic acids at room temperature
Resistance against alkali| Sufficient. Concentrated or hot diluted alkali affect the fibre
Permanent heat resistance, °C| 120
Characteristics in cold| Minor increase in tenacity, strong decrease in elongation
Weathering| After 1 year weathering 40–47% (double) bending cycles until breakage
Burning behavior| Does not continue burning, tendency to flaming droplets
Disposal| Domestic waste

Declaration of Conformity

EU Declaration of Conformity
We, Husqvarna AB, SE-561 82 Huskvarna, Sweden, tel: +46-36-146500, declare on our sole responsibility that the product:

Description| Rope for lifting purposes to be used in rigging operations.
Variants :

• Rigging rope 14 mm, 60 m coil, one splice
• Rigging rope 14 mm, 500 m coil

---|---
Brand| Husqvarna
Type / Model| ROPE Rigging 14 mm, 60 m coil, one splice ROPE Rigging 14 mm, 500 m coilBraided cover-core rope made of PES/PES.
Identification| Art No. 534098901, 534098902

complies fully with the following EU directives and regulations:

• Directive/Regulation: Description
• 2006/42/EC: Machinery Directive as amended

Appendix

Selection of tree dismantling method

Tree dismantling operation with a rigging system

www.husqvarna.com

References

• 1984 - Safe hosting in Iceland
• Husqvarna Forest & Garden

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