What Kind of Rope Can Be Used for a Safety Line?

Safety Line Rope

• Safety line ropes feature two primary elements to create strength and durability, and are most commonly made with a polyester and nylon blend. The center of the rope, known as the kern, is a tightly woven section of multiple strands braided into one piece. The core provides the majority of the strength of the rope. Around the core is the mantle, a woven sheath that protects the core from being cut by sharp items as well as prevents the rope from absorbing water and becoming heavy. The tighter the weave of the mantle, the more protected the core will be.

Gear Precautions

• When you're using safety line, it is important to use all of the available safety gear. A helmet helps to protect your head from any falling debris as well as from any bangs during the climbing or rappelling process. Gloves protect your hands from the rope should it slide through your hand too fast, preventing burns that can hinder your ability to firmly grasp the rope to arrest your fall. Most importantly, ensure that your carabiner and any loops the rope will pass through have not developed any jagged edges that can snag and cut your rope.

Using Safety Line

• Safety line can be used to allow for safe climbing as well as simply as a guide in an obscured area. When you're moving through a smoky building during firefighting duties, for example, a safety line is often attached in an area outside the smoke so that a firefighter can follow the line back to safety after finding individuals in need of help. For rappelling, the line is firmly attached to an anchor and then fed through a carabiner. To rappel safely, you hold the line in your break hand and slowly allow it to feed through to lower yourself.

Tying a Safety Harness

• In addition to a safety harness, a strong rope can also be used to create a safety harness. Hold the middle of the rope against your breaking hip and wrap the loose ends around your waist so they meet in front of you. Wrap the cords around each other twice, then pass each end through your legs against the thigh and around the buttock opposite the side it started on. Secure the ends to the section wrapped around your waist with a half hitch, then bring the ropes around your front to meet just ahead of your break hip and secure them together with a square knot. Tie a half hitch around the rope circling your waist using each loose end, then clip a carabiner over each rope that is passing over the front of your waist to complete the harness.