The complete-system answer to vertical fall protection. Where a conventional rope grab is bought separately from its certified line, leaving the user to pair them correctly, the NIRO arrives assembled: arrester, integral shock absorber and 12 mm kernmantle rope as one certified unit. The arrester is captive, meaning it cannot be removed from the line, which eliminates both the wrong-rope problem and the risk of the device being refitted incorrectly. Rated to 140 kg, appreciably higher than the 100 kg of most rope grab systems.
Key Features
- Supplied as a complete system: No separate rope to order, no compatibility to check, no possibility of pairing the wrong components.
- Captive arrester: The device cannot be taken off the line, which removes the risk of it being refitted upside down or onto an unsuitable rope.
- Integral shock absorber: Reduces the forces transmitted to the user in a fall.
- 140 kg maximum user weight: Against 100 kg for the Lofty system, which matters for larger users or those carrying substantial tooling.
- 12 mm kernmantle rope: A core-and-sheath construction giving good handling and abrasion resistance, in polyester.
- Transparent sleeve over the terminations: Protects the stitching while leaving it visible for pre-use inspection.
- Six lengths: 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 and 50 metres.
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
Length |
| FA 20 102 10 |
10 m |
| FA 20 102 15 |
15 m |
| FA 20 102 20 |
20 m |
| FA 20 102 30 |
30 m |
| FA 20 102 40 |
40 m |
| FA 20 102 50 |
50 m |
All versions: 12 mm kernmantle polyester rope, resistance 15 kN, maximum user weight 140 kg, BS EN 353-2. Stainless steel and alloy steel fittings.
BS EN 353-2 | Complete Certified System | Max User 140 kg | Category III PPE
Conforms to BS EN 353-2 for guided type fall arresters on a flexible anchor line. Supplied as a complete certified system with the arrester captive on the rope. Category III personal protective equipment under Regulation (EU) 2016/425, supplied with a Declaration of Conformity and covered by EU Type-Examination certificate 2777/10862-01 E01-01. Requires inspection by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months and immediate withdrawal after arresting a fall.
Suitable Applications
The NIRO suits the same vertical and inclined work as any rope grab system: ladder access on towers, tanks and silos, roof work down a slope, and scaffold erection. Where it differs is in how it is bought and managed. As a sealed system it suits organisations issuing equipment to users who should not be assembling systems themselves, hire fleets where components must not go astray, and any situation where the 140 kg rating is needed. Where you already run Lofty arresters and stock the matching lines, staying with that system keeps your spares consistent.
More About This Product
A retractable block is the most mechanically complex item in a typical fall protection kit, and the only one the user cannot inspect internally. Everything else — harness, lanyard, connectors — can be examined by eye and hand. A block is a sealed case containing a spring, a drum, a brake and a fall indicator, and the user sees none of it.
That is why the pre-use checks matter so much. Winding the line fully out, feeling it retract, testing the lock with a sharp pull and checking the fall indicator are the only windows into whether the mechanism still works. They take under a minute and they are the difference between a working block and a heavy metal box.
Clearance, Edges and the Horizontal Question
Three things determine whether a block is the right choice, and all three are commonly got wrong.
Clearance. A block arrests in a much shorter distance than a lanyard, which is usually why it is chosen. But the arrest distance is not zero: it is the deceleration distance plus the user's height below the attachment point plus a safety margin. On a short block over a low structure the numbers get tight quickly, and the block's own datasheet gives the figure to work from.
Edges. Where the line can cross an edge in a fall, the edge becomes the failure point. A wire rope line will be cut by a sharp steel edge under fall arrest load as readily as webbing. Blocks specifically rated for leading edge use exist and are constructed differently; a standard block used over an edge is being used outside its approval.
Horizontal use. Most retractable blocks require an overhead anchor and are not approved for horizontal work. On a deck, a roof or a gantry the anchor is often at or below foot level, which changes both the fall factor and the way the line runs. Only a block specifically marked for horizontal use may be used that way, and it is not something to infer from the model name or the supplier's category page.
How to Use the NIRO System
- Anchor the line at the top: Above the user, to a point capable of withstanding fall arrest forces.
- Connect the arrester to the harness: Via the integral shock absorber to the appropriate attachment point as specified in the user manual.
- Check the arrester travels freely: It should move with the user without needing to be dragged, and lock under a sharp pull.
- Do not attempt to remove the arrester: It is captive by design. Any attempt to detach it damages the assembly.
- Protect against edges: Fit edge protection where the rope passes over structure.
- Calculate clearance below: Including shock absorber deployment, arrester sliding distance and user height.
Warning: The arrester is captive and must not be removed from the rope. Do not substitute a different rope or attempt to fit the arrester to another line. Withdraw the complete system immediately after arresting a fall. Maximum user weight 140 kg including tools.
Safety Information
- For use only by trained and competent persons within a safe system of work.
- Maximum user weight 140 kg including tools and equipment.
- Anchor above the user to a point capable of withstanding fall arrest forces.
- Do not remove the arrester from the rope.
- Fit edge protection wherever the rope passes over a sharp edge.
- Calculate fall clearance including sliding distance and absorber deployment.
- Withdraw the complete system immediately after arresting a fall.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
- Store dry, away from direct sunlight, heat and chemicals.
Inspection and Maintenance
Inspect the system as a whole, since that is how it is certified. Test that the arrester slides freely when moved slowly and locks positively under a sharp pull; a device that slides under a sharp pull has failed. Check the cam and pivot for wear and contamination. Run the full rope length through your hands feeling for soft spots, hard spots and diameter changes indicating internal damage, and look for cuts, abrasion, glazing and staining. Examine the terminations through the transparent sleeve for cut or missing stitches, and check the shock absorber pack for any sign of deployment. Because the components cannot be separated, a fault in any one of them takes the whole system out of service.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: NIRO or the Lofty rope grab?
The NIRO is a complete sealed system: nothing to specify separately and nothing that can be wrongly paired. It also takes a 140 kg user against the Lofty's 100 kg. The Lofty is bought as a device plus a certified line, which suits organisations already stocking those lines and wanting to replace either part independently.
Q: What does captive mean?
The arrester cannot be taken off the rope. That removes two known failure modes: fitting the device to an unsuitable rope, and refitting it the wrong way up. It also means the whole assembly is replaced together rather than in parts.
Q: Why is the user weight 140 kg here and 100 kg on the Lofty?
Different system design and testing. The 140 kg rating covers a larger user or one carrying heavy tooling, which the 100 kg limit can exclude more often than people expect once a loaded tool belt is counted.
Q: What is kernmantle rope?
A construction with a load-bearing core inside a protective woven sheath. The core carries the load, the sheath takes the abrasion. It handles well and resists wear better than a simple twisted rope, which is why it is standard in climbing and rope access.
