How do zip lines stop

Such a device shall require no action by the participant to engage, and either be completely separate from the primary brake or an integrated backup feature of a primary brake. The purpose of an EAD is to prevent serious injury or death resulting from user error or equipment failure. Examples of primary braking system failure includes:. Accidents do sometimes happen and the consequences can be unthinkable. Beyond the threat of serious injury or death to a participant, the ramifications of an accident— especially without a proper EAD—could literally cost you your entire business.

Install an emergency arrest device on every zip line. Always consult an engineer for installation guidelines.

Most braking systems can be used as either a primary or backup brake, but must be installed as separate, stand-alone systems. Please consult us to determine the best EAD option for your particular operation.

EADs stop riders more abruptly than primary braking devices. They are not only uncomfortable for riders, they can be outright dangerous to riders coming into the braking area in any orientation other than forward. A rider-orientation constraint is simply a system or device to ensure riders are facing forward at all times on the zip line. To mitigate risk and liability in your zip line operation, riders must enter the braking area oriented forward, or facing the landing area.

A non-constrained rider, or a rider hung beneath a trolley without something physically keeping them in a forward-facing orientation, will inevitably pivot backwards during swing initiation even if they were facing foward at the point of brake initiation.

The risks of not using a rider-orientation constraint include loss of revenue from unsatisfactory customer experience, legal consequences, financial impacts, and injury or death to participants. Install rider trolleys that constrain rider orientation on zip lines where arrival speed is 25 mph 40 kph or greater.

Options include passive means, as example a trolley with a built-in chair that keeps riders facing forward without rider input. A more active option includes the new Head Rush Technologies Impact Trolley with pivoting handlebar, which is specially engineered to keep riders facing forward and out of reach of the zip line cable and impact areas.

This causes damage to the line, faster wear to the rider trolley, augmented deceleration and upswing, and discomfort to the customer. The Impact Trolley with pivoting handlebar is specially engineered to keep riders facing forward and out of reach of the zip line cable and impact areas. As we will discuss shortly, while hand braking does constrain the rider to a forward-facing orientation, is not an adequate solution for braking high-speed zip lines.

Getting body parts caught in the impact area can cause serious injury or worse. These components collide with great force to initiate the braking process. Often not taken into consideration, another area of frequent impact occurs behind the trolley where a face, head, or other body part can collide with the rider trolley.

Allowing an object or body part to enter the impact zone not only affects braking capacity, but is incredibly dangerous. Allowing participants to enter the braking area in any orientation except facing forward and allowing the rider to be close enough to inadvertently get their hands or other body parts in the impact area creates a very dangerous situation. Possible injuries from these mistakes include loss of fingers or hands, broken jaws, head trauma, severe scrapes, or worse.

Allowing participants to enter the braking area backwards creates a very dangerous situation. Possible injuries could include include loss of fingers or hands, broken jaws, head trauma, severe scrapes, and in serious cases, death.

One of the most overlooked and dangerous culprits is hand braking. While many zip lines expect riders to use a gloved hand to slow themselves when approaching the landing area, this protocol introduces significant liability and risk because participants are then within reach of both the cable and impact area.

In order for a rider to be close enough to touch the cable for hand braking, they are also unavoidably too close to the brake trolley, impact area, and possibly other hardware. Critically assess and test your operation and determine where, specifically, participants are at risk for bodily injury on your zip lines.

Even if an accident seems unlikely, you are responsible for mitigating risk and controlling your liabilities by considering the worst-case scenarios. Some of the most important safety features you can incorporate are:. These measures will eliminate many types of common injuries including burns from hand braking and splinters from wire rope lacerations.

It will also prevent the incidence of fingers being rolled over by trolleys. The ideal braking system leaves the control of braking to the brake itself - in other words, the process is automated.

Many backyard zip lines use this method because it takes up less cable and allows for a longer ride. This method involves tightening or loosening the zip line cable tension to ensure the rider stops before the end of the zip line.

In this case, the rider's momentum will be stopped by gravity as they would reach the lowest point of the ride before the end of the ride. Be sure to do a lot of testing with this method a bucket of water attached.

There are some trolleys with speed control that will help slow down a rider, but we do not recommend this as the sole braking system. There are some people brave enough to actively brake with leather gloves. They apply friction to the zip line with their hand strength.

We aren't those people. We want families with children to be able to safely ride their zip line and this method is very advanced. Yes this method does seem a little rudimentary, but it works.

Usually 20' or 30' is connected to the block and the other end is anchored to an adjacent tree or post. The BUNGEE then will retract and bring the rider back to the low point of the zip line cable where the rider can dismount. This method is very common and practical for most backyard zip lines if there is no need to end up on a landing platform that is located at the very end of the run. Spring A spring stop operates much like a bungee brake, but without the need for an anchor off to the side of the zip line.

The spring compresses, absorbing the inertia of the rider, and then pushes the rider back out. Some higher end commercial zip lines utilize multiple springs, and the impact pad has a one-way cam that prevents the spring from pushing back out until the rider has been unclipped.

There are many guages of springs, ranging in size and absorb capacity. Tire Auto or wheel-barrow tires can be used as an end bumper stop block when a zip line has little to no speed at the end. While this does give the rider control over when they stop, it also takes a good understanding of how a zip line works.

Active braking is better left to those with real zip line experience. Press enter to begin your search. Tire Tires are often used as a type of passive braking in zip lines. Spring A spring works in a similar way to a tire but can provide a softer stop.

Active Brakes Active brakes are less common in commercial zip line parks because they rely on the rider to stop themselves.