Staff gear upgrades are front of mind for a lot of operators right now so we wanted to give an overview of essential equipment to consider. There are many pieces of gear that we’ll cover later that are also valuable to help staff be more efficient, comfortable, and well protected against hazards. As always, this is a general overview and you should be selecting equipment based on applicable standards and laws at your location, along with the specific hazards and safety systems at your site.
Helmet
Essential protection from falling objects and impact with beams, cables, and other fixed components. Staff who spend lot of a time in a helmet, should be outfitted with one that is comfortable, has adjustable vents for work in different conditions, and fits properly and stays firmly in place. Always look for helmets meeting the ANSI Z89.1 standard.
Our Top Seller: Petzl Vertex Vent Helmet
Harness
A padded, multi-use harness, while not required, provides the greatest versatility and comfort for staff. Make sure that the harness you select has the proper attachment points for the fall protection systems installed at your site. You should have a variety of sizes to ensure compatibility with different body shapes and a jacket style fall arrest harnesses may be appropriate in some scenarios. We recommend a true full body harness with integrated upper that meets the ANSI Z359 standard.
Our Top Seller: Avao Bod Full Body Version International Version
Lanyard System
Many operators are unaware that the belay system used by their guest is not the fall protection system required for their staff. In fact, all components of staff primary connection to safety systems must meet the relevant ANSI standard for the application (e.g. ANSI rated carabiners on an ANSI rated lanyard). The common and cost effective solution is an adjustable webbing Y-lanyard with integrated connectors and an energy absorber. The integrated energy absorber offers greater protection should a staff member apply a dynamic force to a static anchor. While Y lanyards will allow greater mobility, they may not be necessary in all settings so consult with your vendor to make sure you have the proper systems in the proper places.
Our Top Seller: French Creek Adjustable Dual Leg Fall Arrest Lanyards
Work Positioning
Work positioning can be an effective tool to prevent a fall and uncontrolled swings, while remaining independent of the primary fall arrest system. Positioning components can be as simple as a fixed length webbing lanyard or more efficient and versatile like a work positioning lanyard with a camming device. Staff can use a positioning lanyard to maintain tension and stability when performing a range of job duties including rescues and retrievals.
Our Top Seller: Petzl Grillon Lanyard
Gloves
Never discount the value of a good pair of gloves. Gloves are regularly needed in the aerial adventure world for safely managing belays, rescues, zip line brake ropes, and hand braking. We recommend full or 3/4 finger gloves that fit snuggly and have a reinforced palm. Gloves should be cleaned and inspected regularly and replaced when they have holes or excessive wear. Operations where staff are required to hand brake on zip lines should invest in hand brake straps as they drastically extend the life of gloves and provide extra braking power for better stopping performance in all conditions.
Our Top Seller: Petzl Cordex Gloves
Now that you’re ready to properly outfit your team, check out all the gear staff could need in our Operations Staff collection!