Very nice Jim!
There was somewhere, and I have no clue where but definately from UK, that research was done on the safety of biners.
They actually focused on our industry and found the probability of triple lock biners opening the gate was more likely than screw gate biners.
A rope wrapped a certain way can open the biner quickly, most tri-locks open with about half a turn.
Where as to open a properly set screw gate is many turns.
However, the problem is the climber not screwing it shut and not checking it often.
I climbed on Kong 50kn steel screw gate biners up till 2005. Only changed when college insisted we use trilocks. I personally feel more secure and would prefer to climb on screw gates, however I sight in my gear and check often.
I personally have found and seen tails of ropes and flip lines wrapped in that biner so odd that it had the potential to open.
That study I cannot find or reference any more, they were recommending going back to screw gates.
We do not really have such mandated standards here like ANSI. However the college course was enforcing ANSI standards onto us.
There was one chap who disputed it and asked where it was written that screw gates could not be used, the wording is two definate actions isn't it, and unscrewing is a definate action. |