Descending

• If safe access to the ropes is not available, protection needs to be maintained by other means until the operative is secured on both ropes.
• At the top of the rope drop, first attach the back-up device, then the descender to their respective ropes.

Locking off & moving over the edge

• Lock off the descender so that when the working rope is under tension it will overcome the edge of the drop and sit within 0.3 m of the top of the drop.
• The correct procedure for locking off a descender will be shown by your instructor and found in the information leaflet supplied with the device.
• Move the safety back-up device on the back-up rope to a position which minimises any falling distance.
• Move over the edge in a controlled manner until your weight is transferred to the working rope.
• Check that all equipment is loaded correctly and that it is safe to descend.

The descent itself

• Ensure the back-up device travels freely down the rope as you descend.
• The controlling arm should be tucked into the body and the controlling hand positioned approx. 500 mm below the descender — allowing the device to be safely locked off if damage to the rope sheath is discovered during the descent.
• If you need to stop and use both hands for a work task, ensure your descender is first locked off.
• Once locked off, position the back-up device high up on the safety rope to minimise both the falling distance and the shock load to the system should the working rope fail.

Releasing a loaded back-up

To release a back-up device that has become loaded onto the safety rope:

1. First ensure the descender device is securely locked off.
2. Attach a handled ascender to the safety rope, a good distance below the back-up device.
3. Stand in the foot loop — the stretch in the back-up rope will generally allow you to de-weight the back-up device.

If this is not possible, follow the "De-Weighting a Loaded Safety Rope during a Rescue" procedure.