A rope grab rides up and down a fixed anchorage line with the user, staying where it is put and locking onto the rope the instant it detects a fall. It is the standard method of protecting someone climbing a ladder or working down a roof slope, because it moves with them rather than requiring anchor points at intervals. This one has two features worth understanding: a manual lock position that holds it in place for working on an incline, and a non-inverting system that physically prevents it being installed upside down.
Key Features
- Non-inverting system: The device cannot be fitted the wrong way up. Inverted installation is a known and serious error with rope grabs, and designing it out is worth more than any instruction label.
- Manual lock position: Holds the grab in place on the line so the user can work at a fixed point on an inclined roof without it sliding down with them.
- For 14–16 mm anchorage line: Works with the FA 20 100 XX twisted polyamide rope, which must be ordered separately.
- Resistance 15 kN: Certified to BS EN 353-2 for guided type fall arresters on a flexible anchor line.
- Maximum user weight 100 kg: Including tools and equipment.
- Two versions: The 00A is the plain arrester; the 00B, Lofty-A, comes complete with an integral shock absorber.
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
Description |
Line Compatibility |
Resistance |
Max User |
Standard |
| FA 20 100 00A |
Lofty rope grab |
14–16 mm |
15 kN |
100 kg |
BS EN 353-2 |
| FA 20 100 00B |
Lofty-A, with shock absorber |
14–16 mm |
15 kN |
100 kg |
BS EN 353-2 |
Anchorage line is not included with either device. Order FA 20 100 XX in the length required.
BS EN 353-2 | Guided Type Fall Arrester | Category III PPE
Conforms to BS EN 353-2, the standard for guided type fall arresters on a flexible anchor line. Category III personal protective equipment under Regulation (EU) 2016/425, supplied with a Declaration of Conformity and covered by EU Type-Examination certificate 2777/10357-02 E03-01. The device is certified for use with the specified anchorage line only. Requires inspection by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months and immediate withdrawal after arresting a fall.
Suitable Applications
Rope grabs suit vertical and inclined work where the user moves along a fixed line: ladder access on towers, tanks and silos, roof work down a slope, scaffold erection, and any task requiring continuous protection while ascending or descending. The manual lock makes this model particularly suited to roof work, where the operative needs to stop at a point on the slope and stay there. Where the line is horizontal rather than vertical or inclined, a different device is required.
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 Rope Grab
- Use only the specified anchorage line: Certification covers the device and line as a system. A rope of the right diameter but wrong construction is not certified and may not lock correctly.
- Fit it the right way up: The non-inverting system prevents the error, but check the orientation marking regardless.
- Anchor the line above the user: The line must be anchored at the top, hanging down, with the anchor capable of withstanding fall arrest forces.
- Connect to the harness dorsal or chest attachment: As specified in the user manual for the configuration you are using.
- Use the manual lock only where appropriate: It holds position on an incline. It is not a work positioning device and must not be relied on as one.
- Calculate clearance below: Including any shock absorber deployment, device sliding distance and user height.
Warning: Use only with the specified anchorage line. The device and line are certified as a system, and substituting a different rope invalidates that certification and may prevent the device locking. Withdraw immediately after arresting a fall.
Safety Information
- For use only by trained and competent persons within a safe system of work.
- Use only with the specified 14–16 mm anchorage line.
- Maximum user weight 100 kg including tools.
- The line must be anchored above the user to a point capable of withstanding fall arrest forces.
- Confirm the device is fitted the correct way up before every use.
- The manual lock is not a work positioning device.
- Calculate fall clearance including sliding distance and absorber deployment.
- Withdraw immediately after arresting a fall.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Inspection and Maintenance
The locking mechanism is what you are inspecting. Fit the device to its line and test that it slides freely in both directions when moved slowly, and locks positively when pulled sharply. A device that slides under a sharp pull has failed. Check the cam and its pivot for wear, contamination and free movement, since grit, paint and rope fibre accumulate there. Inspect the body for distortion and cracking, and confirm the orientation marking remains legible. The device and line should be inspected together, since wear on one affects the other.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the rope included?
No, and this catches people out. The device is sold separately from the anchorage line. Order FA 20 100 XX in the length you need: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100 or 200 metres.
Q: Can I use my own rope?
No. The device and line are certified together as a system under BS EN 353-2. A rope of the same diameter but different construction may not allow the cam to grip correctly, and using one invalidates the certification entirely.
Q: What is the difference between 00A and 00B?
The 00B, Lofty-A, includes an integral shock absorber. That reduces the forces transmitted to the user in a fall, at the cost of additional deployment distance which must be included in your clearance calculation. For most applications the 00B is the better specification.
Q: What does non-inverting mean?
The device physically cannot be fitted upside down. Inverted installation is a recognised cause of rope grab failure, because the cam then cannot grip. Designing the possibility out is considerably more reliable than a warning label.
