34 / 44
CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
NOVEMBER 2016
32
PLUGGING THE HOLE
Heightsafety Gear, a South African manufacturer, designer, developer, importer and distributor of a full range of fall
arrest, rope access and rope rescue equipment, has added one more critical skill to its service portfolio following
its accreditation to recertify a range of fall arrest blocks it supplies. Director Johan du Toit, who received training in
Taiwan to service the HARU range of retractable fall arresters, explains the importance of the latest skills set in closing
the remaining loophole in the company’s service portfolio, writes
Munesu Shoko.
Key points
• Heightsafety Gear now offers recertification for the HARU range
• Fall arrest blocks need to be serviced on an annual basis
• The blocks go up to 30 m
• Suited for an overhead anchor point where the pendulum swing is
not more than 30º
• Demand has gone from 20 blocks per year to selling 600 blocks last
year in one go
Munesu Shoko (MS): Heightsafety Gear
now offers recertification for the HARU
range of fall arrest blocks in South Africa.
How significant is the latest service
offering for the company at large?
Johan du Toit (JdT):
As end users are
increasingly on the lookout for user friendly
work at height solutions, more companies
are moving towards the retractable fall arrest
system. Fall arrest blocks are increasingly
gaining popularity as they allow the user
less restricted movement while working at
height. The fall arrest blocks are mostly used
in conjunction with anchor line systems and
the retractable system is a great add-on to
our product range.
Both the anchor lines and fall arrest blocks
need to be serviced on an annual basis. At
Heightsafety, we design, supply and install
our own permanent anchor line systems, and
the combination with a retractable system,
and the in-house servicing and recertification
capability, closes up that remaining loop in
our service offering. From a personal point
of view, it is also great to understand the
mechanics in the inside of the block and to
know what makes a durable device and how
to assemble and service the item.
MS: When did you start recertifying this
range locally?
JdT:
This is a new venture for Heightsafe-
ty Gear. I trained in August and we started
setting up the service centre by mid-Septem-
ber this year. Though we may not be the first
company to set up a service centre, we will
be the first to offer service for a much cheap-
er product locally. All other service centres
available in the country are for American and
European products, and they are extremely
expensive. For example, we sell a 10 m block
at +/-R5 000 and they sell the same sized
block at +/- R25 000.
The service component will definitely further
make our range more cost-effective for our
customers. It also helps us increase our service
basket. We already have the anchor solutions
and lifeline solutions available. Offering the
service for the retractable systems will make
us a one-stop shop for our customers.
MS: Just take me through the
recertification process.
JdT:
The physical appearance of the block
determines what kind of service it needs.
Every block has the same basic parts and
components, comprising a hook up point,
a casing, a lifeline and a connection hook.
The first inspection is a visual one for the
basic parts and components to determine
any signs of wear, cracks and deformities,
to mention a few.
The second test is a function test. This
is to see if the entire length of the lifeline
extends out of the housing and retracts and
locks when pulled too fast. If the lifeline
does the required function, only the small
inertia weight springs inside the block
would need to be replaced and the main
axel bolt torqued again.
If the entire block doesn’t go back, it
means there could be a problem with the
springs, it could be dirty or there might be an
impeding object inside. There are three little
weights on the inside sitting at 120º each. As
you increase the inertia by pulling the lifeline
down, those little blocks start jumping out
and are grabbed by the brake itself.
MS: What happens if the lifeline doesn’t
retract anymore?
JdT:
If the lifeline does not retract or lock,
a full service might be required. This could
include a full strip down; a full clean out;
replacing the small springs on the small
Johan du Toit recently received training
in Taiwan to service the HARU range of
retractable fall arresters.