A swivel connector for a retractable assembly comprises a body defining a hollow portion, an indicator block received within the hollow portion of the body and sized to be movable within the body, a support upon which the indicator block rests, the support being movable relative to the body, and a yoke to which a lifeline can be connected, the yoke being connected to the support. The yoke and support move relative to the hollow portion of the body in unison, such that movement of the yoke and body relative to each other will cause the indicator block to move relative to the body between a first position and a second position, and wherein the indicator block is visible when in at least one of said first and second positions, to indicate that the retractable has been subject to a fall.

An internal drum brake anti-falling device includes a carrier having an accommodating chamber and main shaft crossingly arranged in the accommodating chamber for supporting a rotating drum to autorotate, wherein the rotating drum has a life belt coiled thereon, a brake unit arranged at an end thereof, and a drum brake module, which comprises a base, mounted in the accommodating chamber, and a passive ring, mounted on the base. An outer diameter of the base defines a first ring surface configured in a concentric circle manner to the main shaft. An inner diameter of the passive ring defines a second ring surface, wherein an externally toothed ratchet teeth is arranged in a concentric circle manner on the second ring surface to allow the second ring surface and the first ring surface to be disposed opposite to and closely fitting to each other so as to allow the first ring surface and the second ring surface to sequentially generate maximum static friction force and kinetic friction force therebetween when the life belt drives the brake unit buckling with the ratchet teeth, so as to buffer the rotating drum and the life belt.

A non-motorized fall-protection apparatus, comprises a drum, and a rotationally-activated braking device that comprises at least one pawl and at least one ratchet with at least one tooth that is engagable by an engaging end of the at least one pawl, wherein the rotationally-activated braking device comprises a limited-use, constant-contact friction brake comprising at least one layer of friction material with a friction-braking surface and at least one rotatable member with a contact surface that is in contact with the friction-braking surface of the layer of friction material.

A system for lowering a user from an elevated position is described. The system includes a fall-arresting device operable to arrest a fall of a user attached to the fall-arresting device, a harness for wearing by the user, and a separable connector for attaching the harness to the fall-arresting device. The separable connector is configured to separate in response to a minimum load of about 0.66 kN acting on the separable connector and thereby disconnect the harness from the fall-arresting device.

An energy-absorbing unit with a first end bearing a modular connector that is disconnectably connectable to a complementary modular connector of a cable of a self-retracting lifeline, and with a second end bearing a fastener that is fastenable to a dorsal connection point of a fall-protection harness. Uses of such units in combination with self-retracting lifelines and fall-protection harnesses.

Described herein is a system, method of use and Self Retracting Lifeline (SRL) apparatus using a system that governs a dynamic response between members causing a halt in relative motion between the members. Magnetic interactions, eddy current drag forces and centrifugal and/or inertial forces may provide various mechanisms of governing movement.

The present disclosure relates to a portable device for hoisting/lowering/storing a rope from a tall structure, such as a wind turbine. The device is formed of an assembly of a rope storage container and a rope driver reversibly connected thereto. The rope storage container defines a rope storage volume bound between a bottom surface and an outer side wall. The rope driver is reversibly connectable to the container and comprises a rope passage having a dimension matching a diameter of the rope. The passage is formed between a pair of adjacent rollers or between a drive coil and a clamp. The rope is driven (hoisted and stored or provided and lowered) by an electric motor arranged to drive at least one of the rollers or the drive coil.

Provided is a new technique capable of determining whether or not a hook of a safety harness is used correctly, without causing complexity in the configurations of the hook and a safety rope. Specifically, provided is a system for confirming a hooking state of a safety harness, wherein a safety harness 10 comprises: a belt 11 to be worn on a body of a worker; a safety rope 12 connected to the belt 11; a hook 13 attached to a distal end of the safety rope 12; and a hook holder 14 for allowing the hook 13 to be attached to the belt 11 therethrough. The system is operable to detect whether or not the hook 13 is attached to the hook holder 14, and issue a warning when it is detected that the hook 13 is attached to the hook holder 14.

Techniques are described for monitoring and controlling fall protection equipment. For example, the techniques of this disclosure may be used to monitor the connection status of fall protection equipment, e.g., whether or not the fall protection equipment is connected to a support structure. The techniques described in the disclosure may determine whether the fall protection equipment is connected to a support structure based on changes in a resonant frequency of an electronic circuit of an inductive sensor within the fall protection equipment. The inductive sensor may be formed from sets of one or more coils, where a first set of one or more coils and a second set of one or more coils are wound in opposite directions.

A fall arrest system includes a line retraction device having a safety line, an energy absorber configured for connecting to a terminal end of the safety line, and a harness configured for connecting to the energy absorber such that the energy absorber is disposed between the terminal end of the safety line and the harness. The safety line is selected to have a predetermined mean breaking force with a first standard deviation, and the energy absorber is selected to have a predetermined mean deployment force with a second standard deviation. The mean breaking force of the safety line and the mean deployment force of the energy absorber overlap over an overlapping region of the first and second standard deviation. A ratio of an overlap mean force of the overlapping region to an overlap standard deviation of the overlapping region is less than or equal to 6.