Carabiner Questions and Answers
Carabiners are a type of connector used in rope access, rope rescue, and arborist work to join two pieces of equipment together. They go by many names including snap links, biners, and karabiners. They are available in a large number of styles and materials with various types of closing mechanisms.
We receive a lot of questions about carabiners and here are the answers to some of them. If you have additional questions please ask us in the space at the bottom of the page and we will answer them for you.
The first step is to determine how the carabiner will be used. Will it be used for lifting equipment or people? How much weight should it be expected to hold? What type of conditions will it be used in? Is it a dirty environment? Is it close to salt water (ocean)? These questions will help determine the most suitable carabiner design.
There are rumors that if an aluminum carabiner is dropped it can develop a ‘micro fracture’ in the aluminum which can cause it to fail. Numerous tests have show this is not true. If you drop an aluminum carabiner you should inspect if for proper function. If the gate still works properly and there is no visible damage, it is safe to continue using it. If the gate does not operate properly or there are still questions about it’s safety, we recommend to discontinue using it and destroy it to prevent accidental future use.
A carabiner is designed to be pulled between two points. Tests performed to determine the strength rating of the carabiner are performed in this way. When the carabiner is pulled in a way in which it was not designed it will result in a reduction of the rated strength. Three way loading refers to a carabiner being attached to three separate pieces of equipment each pulling the carabiner in a separate direction. This can result in a dramatic loss of strength and failure of the carabiner.
A <a href=”https://www.seaairthai.com/shop/?filter_shape=d-shape”>D-Shape carabiner</a> is designed to hold weight along the the strongest part of the carabiner, the spine, and away from the weakest part, the gate. This makes D-Shape carabiners the strongest available. D-Shape carabiners are a good choice for rigging and other options where strength is the most important concern.
We do not recommend carabiners without locking gates for rescue or work at height use. This is because of the possibility of the load accidentally ‘rolling out’ of the carabiner.
It used to be taught to tighten a screw lock carabiner then unscrew it a small amount. This was done to prevent the gate from locking closed under weight. With newer better carabiner designs this is no longer a problem. A screw lock carabiner should be tighted all the way closed before use and not loosened until it is removed.
A two stage gate requires two motions to open it, usually a twist and push. A three stage gate requires three motions to open it, usually pull, twist, and push. Two stage gates are common in vertical rope access work where there is less of a chance of the gate rubbing on something causing it to open accidentally. Three stage gates are more secure but care should still be taken to prevent the gate from coming open accidentally.
While auto locking gates are more secure than many other types, they can still fail to lock properly. This is usually because of the locking mechanism getting dirt or other debris inside causing it to malfunction. In order to prevent this we recommend regular inspection and cleaning. To be safe, we recommend always gently squeezing a carabiner after it is connected to equipment to ensure the gate is locked properly.
