Temporary lifeline

Textile Lifeline: Quick, Transportable Setup

The temporary textile lifeline is the most widely used for one-off jobs, since it installs quickly and its lightweight design makes both setup and transport easier.

To ensure it works properly, it is important to follow the conditions of use set by the manufacturer and to check that the system suits the job to be done. Points worth keeping in mind include:

• Textile webbing deflects more under load than a steel cable lifeline.
• The number of simultaneous users depends on the manufacturer’s testing and the technical documentation.
• Textile components have a maximum service life set by the manufacturer, and must be replaced once that period has passed or after they have been involved in arresting a fall.
• The installation tension must be adjusted according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Compared with textile, the temporary steel cable lifeline is heavier and takes longer to set up, but it deflects less. The choice between a textile or cable solution should always be made based on the characteristics of the installation and the specific requirements of the job.

From Horizontal to Vertical: Portable Variants

The choice of a temporary system depends fundamentally on the axis along which the risk occurs, since moving across a roof and climbing a ladder are situations that call for different configurations.

Temporary Horizontal Lifeline

This configuration covers lateral movement across the work plane and is anchored at both ends, whether to a steel structure, a concrete column, or an anchor point that is already installed, so that the worker moves while connected by means of a lanyard and an energy absorber. It is the most widely used portable horizontal lifeline configuration, both on construction sites and in roof maintenance work.

Portable Vertical Lifeline

This system is designed to protect the climb, and in it the anchor line is usually a rope fitted with a thimble at the upper end, together with a guided type fall arrester with a locking function that accompanies the user along the entire route. Because it uses a flexible anchor line, the portable vertical lifeline is subject to the UNE-EN 353-2 standard, and is suitable for occasional access by ladder or structure, although when the climb is for recurring use, the system must be permanent.

Temporary Anchors by Surface

The weak point of any temporary lifeline is not the webbing or the cable, but the element it is fixed to, since the transportable anchor transmits the entire arrest load to the substrate, and that substrate must be properly verified. We manufacture and supply temporary anchors for the most common surfaces, including steel profile, concrete, parapet, beam, and metal sheet.

Temporary Anchor for Trapezoidal Metal Sheet

Trapezoidal metal sheet is the most delicate surface, since a point anchor placed on a thin-gauge rib concentrates the load on an area that was not designed to receive it, so the sheet may tear before the system even comes under load. The solution is to spread that load by means of load distribution plates resting on several ribs, by fastening to the supporting structure beneath the sheet when it is accessible, or by using wide-base anchors that distribute the stress. To size this solution correctly, we need specific data, such as the sheet thickness, the rib pitch, and the type of purlin under the roof, information that lets us determine whether a temporary anchor is feasible on the roof in question or whether, on the contrary, the project requires another solution.

Temporary or Permanent: When Installers Choose Each

The decision between one system and the other usually comes down to four main variables:

Annual maintenance on an air handling unit is well served by a temporary system. A roof with monthly worker traffic is not: setting up, verifying, and dismantling for every job ends up costing more than a fixed installation.