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Vibration check; loose screws

Vibration check; loose screws

Richard Tregoweth - Saturday, August 27, 2022

Just as a vibrating chainsaw will cause Raynaud disease (carpel tunnel syndrome or white finger), it will also undo screws on some climbing devices (that's why screw lock carabiners are frowned on in tree work).

When the pertinent screw protects one's life, most devices have redundancy built-in. That is, multiple screws need to unscrew simultaneously to cause catastrophic failure.

Non-life support screws, without redundancy, must be constantly monitored by the climber. For example, daily, you need to check the grub screw retaining the release lever on the ART Spiderjack (or ART Positioner). Or, if you feel unsure, Loctite the grub screws in as a back-up, so they cannot move.

If you don't complete the gear check, the part may go West, and be gone forever. Lost of the Release Lever is not a device warranty issue; it's a user maintenance problem, entirely within your control.

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