What do Safety, Tower Climbing and KidWind all have in common? Well if you are on a KidWind Team at Darlington Middle School you learn a lot about the design, building and testing of model wind turbines to produce electricity. Then if the you are lucky you get to see and learn about climbing wind turbine towers, the equipment used and the attention to safety that everyone in the industry must consider and maintain. SAFETY is number one!
Portland, Ore. – February 27, 2019 – Mallory Safety and Supply LLC, the largest independent safety distributor in the Western United States, today announced the company introduced its advanced new Ape-Xtreme Micro Descender System. The Ape-Xtreme is the lightest, strongest, full tower multi-use Micro Rescue System with NFPA 1983 Certified Lifesafety Rope on the market, and is the only friction descender with an integrated pulley and cam system. The new Ape-Xtreme will be demonstrated for the first time at the 2019 AWEA Wind Project O&M and Safety Conference in Coronado, Calif., February 27-28, 2019.
First Go Anywhere, Do-Everything Micro Descender System
The Ape-Xtreme Assisted Rescue and Personal Escape System is designed for rescue and evacuation by persons who work at height in or on structures where an additional means of rescue or emergency egress involves the use of a control descent device. Now, any rescuer or worker in Wind Power, Fire Service, Industrial, Oil & Gas, Construction and Telecom operations can conduct easy, efficient rescue in any situation. These rescue situations include: vertical descent, static horizontal lifelines, confined space, inside ladder wells, and rescue unreachable situations.
Mallory-ENSA’s Ape-Xtreme’s lightweight, high-performance design reduces the need for large rope and is 100% compatible with any commercially-available full body harness. The new System is ideal for confined spaces because it utilizes the smallest NFPA-certified life safety rope, and delivers two-mechanical advantage systems for hauling and rescue out of convoluted spaces. The Ape-Xtreme’s lightweight design also makes it more efficient for use by power generation, wind farms, construction, telecom, fire service and other worker applications where exertion and high heat are a challenge.
“Wind power, telecom, Oil & Gas and industrial organizations have demanded a lightweight, multi-use, two-person micro descender that their teams can use anywhere, anytime, for all situations. Our commitment to our customers and at-height worker safety and rescue led us to design and manufacture the new Ape-Xtreme Assisted Rescue and Personal Escape System, the first go-everywhere, do-everything micro descender system that delivers rescue and descent capabilities that previously only an NFPA tactical team could do,” said Tim Loy, President of Mallory Safety and Supply. “Now any tower or at-height industrial worker or responder can affect a rescue with the smaller, lighter, Ape-Xtreme System.”
Industry-First Micro Descender Integrated Pulley Increases Safety, Descent Response
To enable all users to better control rescue and descent, the Ape-Xtreme includes a built-in Ape-Xtreme Variable Friction Control Cam™ system. This patented new cam system provides users with tactile and audio feedback, which puts greater response and easier control in the hands of the user as they conduct their static-dynamic movement. The new Ape-Xtreme Cam System smooths the descent and makes it easier for the user to recognize and regulate descent speed.
The pulley and capture key eliminate the need for an additional carabiner tension setup and connector. This provides the user with a second point of friction, and allows users to maintain higher loads. In addition, the new Ape-Xtreme pulley creates a mechanical advantage system for hauling and lowering items. The integrated pulley provides a 3:1, 4:1 and 5:1 mechanical advantage system for users.
Comprehensive Lightweight Micro Descender Design Advances the Marketplace
The Ape-Xtreme System is a lightweight micro system capable of a two-person evacuation and rescue maintaining a 5:1 safety factor when used for a maximum weight of 585 lbs. The System can be used for multi-scenario rescue situations including: Self and assisted evacuation; Self-rescue when in suspension; Rescue in descent (single person); Rescue raising a remote patient (single person); and Team rescue and rigging scenarios.
The patented, fully- serviceable Ape-Xtreme System is built in the USA, and includes innovative features including: A pivoting cam “mechanical variable friction control;” High performance folding control lever handle for easy egress over edges, as well as the ability to conduct feedback descent; Integrated rope wear/control pulley; Hands-free locking and panic grab brake system; Euler change-out system; Pivot cam plurality groove technology; ENSA Descent Performance Long Line Life Safety Rope Systems; and The Ape-Xtreme will operate on ENSA FR hybrid kernmantle Polyester/Technora® rope.
Ape-Xtreme system is 3rd party tested to conform to: NFPA 1983 C(E), EN 12841, ISO 22159, ANSI/ASSE Z359.4-2013 Safety Requirements for Assisted-Rescue and Self-Rescue Systems, Subsystems and Components for a single maximum descent of up to 137 m (450 ft) in accordance with Z359.4 Descent Energy Rating Calculation formula (DERC). (Certificates and test data are available upon request.)
“Major industrial and tower operations have turned to Mallory to provide effective safety products and integrated training that reduce risk, help increase worker safety, drive productivity and grow revenue,” added Loy. “Mallory-ENSA will continue to provide all industries with innovative new safety systems, as well as the best safety equipment, personnel support services, and training that increase worker protection and improve operational growth.”
Rescue Training is Essential – To Reduce Worker Stress, Risk and Insurance Premiums
NOTE: This product must only be used by persons who are trained by ENSA North America, and are competent in its use as part of an evacuation and assisted rescue kit. Safe use of the ENSA Ape-Xtreme Assisted Rescue and Personal Escape System requires familiarity with its behavior during basic rescue and descent skills. Successful completion of an initial Ape-Xtreme System certification training is required prior to use as a personal evacuation and rescue system. Initial certification, and recurring certification every two years, is required and must be provided by a certified ENSA instructor. Training must cover all relevant rescue and evacuation strategies per the ENSA APE Systems Instructor Guide and Student Field Guide (provided at the time of training).
Price and Availability
The new Ape-Xtreme Micro Descender System is available now in North America from Mallory Safety and Supply or from ENSA North America, a division of Mallory Safety. Customers interested in obtaining more information or purchasing the Ape-Xtreme should contact their local Mallory Safety and Supply office or Mallory regional sales manager. For more information and to download Ape-Xtreme product information, visit http://www.ensa-northamerica.com/apex/ .
About Mallory Safety and Supply
Mallory Safety and Supply LLC is the largest independent safety distributor in the Western US, with approximately 350 employees, and 22 locations in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Wisconsin. Mallory provides Industrial, Defense and Aviation, Municipalities, Oil and Gas, Responders, Ethanol, Wood and Pulp, Wind Energy, Telecom, Roofing and Construction and other industries with advanced safety solutions including: Safety Equipment, Staffing, Training, Vending, Turnaround, Mobile Training, Rental, Product Service and Support, Consulting, and other services. For more than 30-years, Mallory Safety has delivered a broad array of worker safety protection products, systems, and abrasives, cutting tools, clean room and construction supplies, to exceed customer expectations and deliver both safety expertise and full-solution vendor consolidation and supply chain efficiency for organizations. For more information, visit http://www.malloryco.com/.
ENSA Instructors Steve and Nick at Bondi Beach, New South Wales, Australia for Stormseal Training
ENSA APE Descends on Cuba
Guantanamo Bay Cuba
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GWO Training
This past week the Wind Turbine Operations and Maintenance Team of the Centerra Group LLC., under the Direction of Jacob Hansen, underwent a week long training event to obtain Global Wind Organiza-tion – Basic Safety Training Certification through ENSA North America.
Certification in the Global Wind Organization – Basic Safety Training is designed to impart knowledge and education of hazards encoun-tered when working within the wind industry and how to control and mitigate these hazards. And also equip recipients with the knowledge, skills and confidence to appropriately respond in the event of an emergency.
The training provided through ENSA North America introduces the recipient to safe work at height practices involving vertical rescue sce-narios specific to wind turbines, fire prevention and manual handling exercises necessary to the work environment and essential first aid training addressing the need to understand trauma at height.
The Centerra Group LLC. Procurement Team led by Tracey Miller in-vested in the ENSA A.P.E. Micro Rescue System a specially designed rope rescue and escape system with a reputation for unparalleled performance for ‘long line’ rescue scenarios (for persons working and access heights greater than 250 ft.).
(ENSA A.P.E. Micro Rescue System was designed to exceed OSHA response times for self and assisted rescue) Jake and his team will always be climbing with a personal rescue system capable of ‘prompt’ response in the event of an emergency.
In addition ENSA’s GWO Basic Safety Training curriculum took in hand a high level of training in Trauma Kits, AED’s, Bag Valve Masks, Cervical Splints and Immobilization Techniques. The equipment was demonstrated to proficiency under a scenario based training program involving multiple impact injuries and special movement consider-ations culminating in full tower emergency descent. (Full tower de-scent was carried out utilizing multiple rescue escape systems under professional rescuer supervision)
Ben Miller, Centerra Group Safety Director participated and organized incident command response participation by the Guantanamo Bay Fire and Rescue Team, who enacted all down tower casualty interven-tion, to be lowered on multiple rescue systems.
Rob Siegel Director of ENSA North America, stated, “This is really good to see and experience, this is the first time, I can personally recall a military contractor, operating at the forefront in rescue practices and technologies spearheading innovation within the wind industry.” “It shows the dedication and commitment to work at height safety my hat is off to Jake and the Centerra Group Safety Team, under the Direction of Ben Miller.”
Other industry early adopters of the ENSA APE Systems and training include EON, Vestas, EDP Renewables, BP, MFG, and EDF in addition at least four of North America’s top wind technician training colleges are teaching their students ENSA training and APE systems.
ENSA instructor Tom Sutton traveled to the Punta Lima Wind farm in Fajardo, Puerto Rico to deliver GWO_BST Work at Heights training to employees of Gestamp Wind. The device trained on was an automatic controlled rate descent device but Tom always has his APE system as the primary device in the rescue plan during training. We spent 2 days training in their wind towers with the beautiful Caribbean coastline as our backdrop!”
The first department of buildings compliant rope access SPRAT certification training for Telecom in New York City at Paragon Facilities Corp.
We’ve been preparing our new Wisconsin office for training and Ingeteam was here last week to take our first official class, GWO Safe Access and Rescue course, taught by our Director of Operations, Rob Siegel.
Tower 16 celebrated their newest location in Plainville, Illinois last week and invited ENSA to the party with our Mobile Training Tower. We were also able to coordinate a two day Telecom training course for their crew. We had a great time with great people, thanks again for having us!
The May 2015 issue of Wind Systems features our very own Glen Bedgood training on the APE system in a photo taken at AWEA last year. Congrats to the team!
You can view a digital version of the issue here, or download a pdf version here.
