Braked Lowering on Man Riding Winches


Braked or controlled lowering is the terminology used for when a man riding winch has a process that can be engaged to allow either the wearer to descend under their own speed or to give a preset speed of descent.

This is very useful as waiting for the top man to lower you down can be slower than you could travel.

If the winch allows free movement to the rope drum by using this feature, there will be an over-speed facility too. This will instantly grab the wearer if he exceeds this rate of descent. This can happen if he travels too fast or slips off of his ladder or step irons.

Some manufacturers will have a re-set process if this event has taken place and you should always check prior to use.

If the rope has been recovered onto the drum in the wrong direction this safety feature will also not work!


Using braked lowering on a winch

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