WARNING.
The ISC Red back-up device on a loaded rope.

29th of november, 2012.

On the 15th and on the 23rd of november, 2012 we held a couple of rope access workshops, where we ao. conducted a number of droptests involving a variety of back-up tools.
The results of these tests are being worked upon and the test-report will be made available shortly on this site.

However as some of the results are seemingly new findings, that put some serious doubt on the safety of one of the back-up tools, the ISC Red back-up device, we find it necessary to issue a warning, regarding the use of the ISC Red, as soon as possible.

This is thus not the final test report.
Instead it is warning, based on several tests, consistently showing the same serius safety problem.

Below you will see a video of one the tests conducted.
The video clearly shows, that the ISC Red will not hold a climber, it the rope on which it is placed, is loaded, which is what will happen at any pick-off rescue, regardless of wether the rescuer descends or ascends to the victim.
- If the rescuer ascends to the victim, the victims ISC Red will become incapacitated as soon as the rescuer loads the rope to climb up to the casualty. WARNING.
- If the rescuer descends to the victim, the rescuers ISC Red will become incapacitated as soon as the rescuer puts his ISC Red on the loaded rope, from which the casualty is hanging. WARNING.

Below you'll see one the test films, that we shot, clearly showing that the ISC Red slides all the way to bottom (in this case all the way untill the back up rope, that we had put of for the occassion, stopped the ISC Red from falling any further.

Further down on this page you'll see some of the data of this test. More information will be made available, when the final test is published.

Redfall

Test of ISC Red back-up device. Background.

The reason for the unsafe behaviour of the ISC Red back up deivice, when on a loaded rope, seemingly is, that the ISC Red works by twisting the rope if loaded and thus locking itself on to the rope, which is a nice principle as long as the rope below the ISC Red is not loaded.
However. As soon as the rope below the ISC Red is loaded, the ISC Red will not be able to twist and this lock on the rope, and instead it will slide along the rope all the way to floor !!!

Background information on the test:

Results of the test:

Conclussions: