In 1970 there were roughly 38 worker deaths per day in America; these deaths are largely a result of falling from height. It was recorded in 2019 that there are 15 deaths per day in America. So how come so many fewer people die at work today? The answer to this is progression. Fall protection equipment has progressed rapidly and so have the materials that this equipment is made of. Loops of rope tied around one’s waist have become full-body harnesses comfortable enough that builders often choose to wear their harness even when building at ground level.
So why does what your equipment is made of matter so much?
In the case of a fall, your PPE has very large amounts of force exerted on it. When a brand like singing rock designs a piece of PPE they want to make sure that the equipment can handle those forces. To cut down on testing costs it is useful to understand the weaknesses of each material. And the strengths.
When a company like Black Diamond is designing a piece of clothing they are looking to solve a problem. For instance: how can we stay dry and cool? This is a complex problem because the material needs to be waterproof and breathable. There are two ways to solve this problem, create a material that works or find a material that can solve this issue. ie. Gore-Tex.
Now that we have decided that we would like to learn about the materials that make up my gear, where can I find this information? Fortunately, you and I have our work made easy because Singing Rock has already created a detailed list of the attributes of the common materials found in your equipment. The list can be found here: https://www.singingrock.com/professional-materials
-Timothy Larsen