By: Sam Heim, Media Specialist, Petzl
Kathy Gill and the Tower Safety team did it again: another successful Tower Rodeo Challenge. This year was the second annual competition; and turnout and attendance grew exponentially. More booths, more competitors, and more spectators.
As a spectator myself, and a Petzl employee, I couldn’t help but notice the number of GRILLON’s being used. Kathy says, “Oh yeah, GRILLON’s are definitely the most popular Petzl product in the tower industry.” With that in mind I decided to ask the competitors themselves why they use the GRILLON.
The GRILLON is Petzl’s lanyard for work positioning. Length is easily adjusted by either pulling on the free end of the rope to shorten, or when lengthening, by pressing on the cam in double mode or pulling on the handle while holding the free end of the rope in single mode. Double mode is when attachments are connected to the side D rings and single mode is with one attachment at the ventral point.
Cody, with Dan Combs Consulting from Detroit, said that he previously used a rope grab for positioning, then tried the GRIGRI before settling on the GRILLON. “The GRILLON is adjustable with weight, so I don’t have to move. I can pull the rope and there she goes.”
James was a judge last year and wanted to try his hand at competing and came in second place. On the rescue challenge atop the 60 foot tower, James used the GRILLON with protective sheath. He learned about the adjustable lanyard on his first day of training. “It’s always smooth and reliable; it’s never acted funky.” In addition to the GRILLON feeling safer because it has a real “positive hold,” it can also be used in different situations by wrapping around a beam or using it on a spreader bar.
Micah, of Peak Rescue, the winning team of the 2021 Tower Rodeo, said that having different GRILLON options was a “game changer.” In the water bucket challenge, he wrapped the aramid fiber GRILLON PLUS around the beam. However, during the rescue challenge he could connect the GRILLON MGO connector directly onto the horizontal beam.
The GRILLON comes in several lengths: 2m, 3m, 4m, 5m, 10m, 15 and 20m and certified to meet ANSI Z359.3 and CSA Z259.11. Learn more about the GRILLON and Tower Rodeo Challenge.
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