Rope rescue: accompanied descent with ASAP and ASAP LOCK
The situation of an injured person suspended in a harness requires immediate attention, for example by evacuating them via an accompanied descent carried out by their partner.
Warnings
- Carefully read the Instructions for Use used in this technical advice before consulting the advice itself. You must have already read and understood the information in the Instructions for Use to be able to understand this supplementary information.
- Mastering these techniques requires specific training. Work with a professional to confirm your ability to perform these techniques safely and independently before attempting them unsupervised.
- We provide examples of techniques related to your activity. There may be others that we do not describe here.
This rescue situation is an exceptional case, where the use of single-person equipment for belaying or backing up more than one person is necessary due to the urgency of the situation. The worker must be trained and practiced in this type of rescue.
Downward evacuation is generally the most efficient solution. The rescuer connects themselves to the victim, disconnects them from their support and performs an accompanied descent.
The descent is controlled using a single descender: refer to the RIG, I’D S, and I’D L Instructions for Use, and follow the precautions specific to two-person use, especially those relating to adding friction and moderating the speed of descent.
The rescue maneuver is typically carried out with a single ASAP or ASAP LOCK, which thus serves as a backup for both rescuer and victim.
Only the ASAP’SORBER AXESS is designed and tested for rescue use.
See the Instructions for Use for the ASAP’SORBER and its label that indicates the maximum allowable load.
The ASAP’SORBER 20 and 40 are designed for single-person use only
The absorption capacity is insufficient for two-person use: there is a risk of tearing the rope in the event the ASAP blocks on the rope (e.g. uncontrolled descent or failure of the descender’s rope).
Weight limit
If you realize that your equipment’s capacity would be exceeded in the event of a rescue, we recommend that you create an alternative evacuation plan.
General precautions
Before and during the maneuver, make sure that all risks of falling and shock loading are minimized (e.g. the condition of the ropes in place, risk of anchor failure, pendulum, uncontrolled descent, sudden loading).
Rescue with two ASAPs, using additional ropes
When the victim’s safety rope is in good condition, a second ASAP may be connected to it. With two ASAP and two ASAP’SORBER AXESS, certain maneuvers are facilitated (e.g. passing a knot or other obstacles).
We recommend connecting the two ASAP to the sternal point of the rescuer’s harness. With an ASAP attached to the victim, if that ASAP were to block on the rope, the rescuer would be suspended from the victim, complicating the recovery maneuver.
This descent may be carried out with an ASAP’SORBER 40 and an ASAP’SORBER AXESS. In this case, the ASAP equipped with the ASAP’SORBER AXESS must be active during the entire maneuver.
Using two energy absorbers in parallel is possible for a two-person descent. This technique should be avoided for single-person use (initial deployment force is doubled).
