Petzl Absorbica®-Y 80 Double Lanyard

The Petzl Absorbica®-Y 80 is a double lanyard equipped with an integrated energy absorber, specifically designed for use on both vertical structures and horizontal lifelines. It is suitable for users within the weight range of 60 to 140 kg and offers multiple connection options for use with various types of connectors. Additionally, it allows for smooth progression and easy passing of intermediate anchors.

 

Features

 

• The product is designed to facilitate progression on a vertical structure or horizontal lifeline, as well as when passing intermediate anchors.

• It absorbs energy in the event of a fall:
  
  
  • The progressive tearing of the energy absorber webbing reduces the impact force on the user.
  • It is suitable for users weighing between 60 and 140 kg.

• The design is intended for use with a maximum length of 100 cm, including connectors.
• The energy absorber is compact, ensuring minimal bulk and not hindering the user’s movement during progression.
• A durable fabric pouch with a simple opening system protects the energy absorber from abrasion and contaminants, while also allowing for regular inspection of the absorber.

• There are two options for installation on the harness, depending on the intended use:
  
  
  • For frequent connection/disconnection, a carabiner can be used, held in the correct position by the STRING positioning accessory (which is included with the lanyard).
  • For semi-permanent connection, a RING OPEN gated ring can be utilised, with its circular shape allowing for optimal positioning.

• Two types of connectors are available at the end of the lanyard: carabiners or large-opening MGO OPEN connectors.

 

Specifications

 

Certification(s)	CE EN 355 Certifications depend on the connectors that are used. More information in the Instructions for Use.
Maximum length with connectors	100 cm
Material(s)	Polyester, nylon
Length without connectors	70 cm
x	100 cm
Weight	240 g
Inner Pack Count	1

 

 

Technology

 

Technical Notice

• Download the PDF : technical-notice-ABSORBICA-I-Y-1 - 2.37 MB

Declaration Of Conformity 

• Download the PDF : UE-Declaration-L012AB00-ABSORBICA Y 80 - 0.63 MB

Tips for maintaining your equipment

• Download the PDF - 2.06 MB

 

 

Inspection

 

PPE inspection procedure

• Download the PDF - 7.30 MB

PPE checklist

• Download the PDF - 0.23 MB

 

 

Video

 

 

Technical Content

 

Certification Tests of the Absorbica-I and Y Lanyards

The ABSORBICA-I and Y lanyards are certified to multiple standards whose requirements are not exactly the same.

WARNINGS Carefully read the Instructions for Use used in this technical advice before consulting the advice itself. You must have already read and understood the information in the Instructions for Use to be able to understand this supplementary information. Mastering these techniques requires specific training. Work with a professional to confirm your ability to perform these techniques safely and independently before attempting them unsupervised. We provide examples of techniques related to your activity. There may be others that we do not describe here.

Reminder: All lanyards in the ABSORBICA 2024 line (the model number has a B as the sixth character) are certified for use up to 140 kg max, and for the maximum fall distances specific to each product, as specified in their Instructions for Use.

 

Test Protocol:

M = Test mass H = Fall distance D = Tearing of the absorber F = Impact force

 

Standards	H	M	F	D
EN 355: 2002	2 x Lmax (cf. notice)	140 kg	6 kN max	175 cm max
ANSI/ASSP Z359.13-2013 12 FT	12 feet (3.66 m)	128 kg	Average < 6 kN 8 kN max	152 cm max
CSA Z259.11-17	12 feet (3.66 m)	140 kg	2.3 G < Average deceleration < 7 G Duration of deceleration between 8 and 10 G < 0.1 s Max deceleration < 10 G 8 kN max	152 cm max
墜落制止用器具の規格	4 m	100 kg	6 kN max	175 cm max
GB/T 24538-2009: 型 II	4 m	100 kg	6 kN max	175 cm max

 

EN 355: 2002 墜落制止用器具の規格 GB/T 24538-2009: 型 II

In the European, Chinese and Japanese standards, the impact force must not exceed 6 kN at any time.

 

ANSI/ASSP Z359.13-2013 12 FT

In the ANSI standard, the average force during tearing of the absorber must not exceed 6 kN. Thus the load can temporarily exceed 6 kN during the fall test, provided that it does not exceed 8 kN.

 

CSA Z259.11-17

The CSA standard mentions a maximum impact force, but is mainly based on maximum deceleration, a quantity measured in G. This deceleration is calculated based on load values measured during fall tests. The CSA standard requires an average deceleration during tearing of 2.3 G to 7 G. Deceleration must not exceed 10 G, and the duration of any load between 8 kN and 10 kN must not exceed 0.1 s. The construction of the ABSORBICA energy absorber is such that the CSA deceleration values can only be met starting at 75 kg, instead of the 60 kg minimum required by the other standards. D140, the maximum deployment factor at 140 kg, is the multiplication coefficient between the free-fall distance in a factor 2 fall and the absorber tearing length measured under these fall conditions with a 140 kg mass.

 

The ABSORBICA-I and Y lanyards are calibrated to pass the tests of the above standards.

In a fall of an equal or less mass, over an equal or less distance, the user will be stopped by the energy absorber without exceeding the maximum allowable impact force.

Note: Even if the energy absorption capacity allows a 4 m fall to be arrested with an "acceptable" impact force of less than 6 kN, such a fall is not harmless. In all cases, the fall distance should be reduced as much as possible.

 

 

Understanding and Optimising Clearance with Absorbica-I and Y

Clearance is the amount of clear space required below the user to avoid hitting an obstacle in a fall.

A: Lanyard length B: Tearing of the energy absorber C: Average distance between harness attachment point and the worker’s feet = 1.5 m D: Safety margin required by the standard = 1 m

 

1. Optimising Clearance

To reduce the clearance, it is necessary to limit the tearing of the energy absorber. The tearing depends on the amount of energy to be absorbed, thus the length of the fall. Two ways to reduce the fall distance: favour work positions that are below the anchor, or shorten the lanyard.

FAVOUR WORK POSITIONS THAT ARE BELOW THE ANCHOR

 

SHORTENING THE LANYARD

If the situation requires the use of an anchor located below the user, choosing a lanyard that is as short as possible helps limit the potential fall distance. The ABSORBICA VARIO lanyard helps address this type of situation.

 

2. Clearance progression depending on the user’s weight

For the same fall distance, arresting the fall of a heavier user (with their equipment) means more energy that needs to be absorbed, so the absorber tear length is greater, which affects the clearance value.

 

For greater precision and to find the clearance values for various products in our range, see our clearance simulator.

 

Clearance Values with Absorbica-I and Y Depending on Your Situation

Here are specific guidelines to avoid hitting an obstacle in a fall.

 

Clearance: The clearance, as presented in the Instructions for Use for the ABSORBICA-I or Y, is the amount of clear space required below the user’s feet to avoid hitting an obstacle in a fall. This value is useful for progression with multiple anchors (e.g. towers, theatrical structures...).

Minimum Anchor Height: Depending on the clearance, there is a minimum anchor height required to prevent the user from hitting an obstacle in a fall. This value is useful for working on lifelines or fixed-height anchors, and for anchor installers.

Fall: The fall distance depends on the lanyard length and on the user’s position relative to the anchor.

 

AS OF 2024

Relevant products: L010AB00, L011AB00, L012AB00, L012BB00, L012CB00, L013AB01, L014AB01, L014BB01, L014CB01, L015AB00, L015BB00, L016AB00.

 

BEFORE 2024

Relevant products: L010AA00, L011AA00, L012AA00, L012BA00, L012CA00, L013AA01, L014AA01, L014BA01, L014CA01, L015AA00, L015BA00, L016AA00.

 

Absorbica-Y Lanyards and Fall-Arrest Lanyard Connector Parking on the Harness

With a two-arm (Y) lanyard, connecting one arm to the harness is dangerous, except to specific locations designed for this purpose.

 

1. Petzl Solution: Fall-arrest Lanyard Connector Parking

 

Located on each of the harness’ shoulder straps, the fall-arrest lanyard connector parking is an equipment loop with a system that releases any load greater than a few kilograms.

In a fall with a lanyard arm attached to the fall-arrest lanyard connector parking, the lanyard arm will be released and the energy absorber can deploy normally.

 

Examples:

 

 

2. Risk Of Preventing Energy Absorber Deployment (Before 2024)

 

 

To cushion a fall, the energy absorber must be able to deploy freely. If a lanyard arm is attached to a strong part of the harness, deployment is prevented, with a risk of elevated impact force.

 

3. Evolution In Absorber Design (From 2024)

With the new absorber range starting in 2024, the attachment loop design for Y-lanyards helps reduce the risk of a high impact force when a lanyard arm is clipped to a strong part of the harness.

 

Slippage of the lanyard can hinder proper deployment of the absorber, thus slightly increasing the impact force. This solution only reduces the consequences of improperly clipping the free arm, and does not in any way replace the fall-arrest lanyard connector parking, which remains the best solution for stowing the free arm.

 

Tests of Absorbica Lanyards in a Fall Over an Edge

Depending on anchor position, the lanyard can rub on an edge in a fall. WARNING: assess the condition of any edges you may encounter in the field (sharpness and/or presence of burrs) and change the configuration to avoid exposing your lanyard to rubbing on an edge.

The strength of ABSORBICA-I and Y lanyards is based on an existing standard: the EN 355 standard provides additional tests for this situation (PPE-R/11.074). ABSORBICA-I and Y lanyards, both webbing and rope versions, meet the requirements of these tests.

 

TEST OF A STRAIGHT FALL OVER AN EDGE

• Mass 140 kg.
• Drop height: 2 m.
• Lanyard rubbing on a metal edge 0.5 mm in radius.
• Requirement: The lanyard must not be severed.

 

TEST OF A PENDULUM FALL OVER AN EDGE

• Mass 140 kg.
• Drop height: 2 m.
• Offset of 1.5 m to the side before the fall.
• Requirement: The lanyard must not be severed.
  

 

Note: As with most laboratory tests, the chosen scenario is very harsh and not representative of a real work situation (for these tests, the lanyard was extended beyond the normal length). WARNING: observe the usage conditions for ABSORBICA lanyards as specified in the Instructions for Use.

 

 

Slinging an Anchor with Absorbica Lanyards

Some anchors cannot be clipped with a connector, but may be slung with the lanyard.

 

Only the ABSORBICA-Y TIE-BACK lanyard is specifically designed and certified for slinging an anchor.

Notes: The rope or webbing of your ABSORBICA-I or Y lanyard is not protected. Beware of friction against the structure that could damage the lanyard. Beware of metal structures that can heat up in the sun; observe the operating temperatures indicated in your lanyard’s Instructions for Use. Beware of the positioning of your connector when wrapping around an anchor. The possibilities of poor positioning are numerous (e.g. cantilever loading, loading over an edge, pressure on the gate).

 

Standards Aspect

The ANSI Z359.13 standard has an additional test with a slung anchor.

ANSI Z359.13 Test Protocol: Slung metal beam of about 25 cm x 20 cm Slow pull on the lanyard for one minute Test passed if the strength is greater than 22.2 kN   Results: ABSORBICA TIE-BACK lanyard: breaks at 25.4 kN

 

In Use

• Only the ABSORBICA-Y TIE-BACK lanyard passes the ANSI Z359.13 wrap-around test.
• The breaking strength values recorded for the other lanyards of the ABSORBICA line are still greater than the maximum impact force that can be sustained by the user in a fall.
• These lanyards may thus be used to sling an anchor, provided that the lanyard has been verified to be in good condition and the surface quality of the anchor has been checked.

 

Risks Specific To Slinging A Structure

 

WARNING: Everyone is responsible for doing their own risk assessment according to the situation. The risks presented below are non-exhaustive.

The Anchor

Check the general condition of the structure to be used as an anchor; make sure that it has no burrs or sharp edges. Beware of friction against the structure that could damage the lanyard.

The Lanyard

Verify that the lanyard length is suitable for the size of the anchor to be slung. Use a lanyard type that is suitable for the anchor to be slung.

Connectors

Check that your connector is properly positioned when slinging an anchor. The possibilities of poor positioning are numerous (e.g. cantilever loading, loading over an edge, pressure on the gate, pulley effect on the connector frame).

WARNING: If you use an ABSORBICA lanyard to sling a beam, during a fall there can be a pulley effect on the connector’s frame if it is subjected to cantilever loading (load multiplier on the connector).

 

As a reminder, a non-exhaustive list of incorrect connector positions:

 

Installation Tip For Slinging A Large Diameter Anchor

An attachment point may be added to your ABSORBICA, for slinging a large structure and reducing cantilever loading situations for the lanyard-end connectors: install a RING OPEN in the yellow loop on the energy absorber (lanyard-arms side).

WARNING: Do not install the RING OPEN at any other location on your energy absorber. Follow the installation directions in the Instructions for Use for your RING OPEN.

Beware of friction against the structure that could damage the lanyard.

 

Caution regarding the connector used for slinging a large-diameter anchor with a RING OPEN. A connector with a protruding nose relative to the gate can snag in the RING OPEN. So there is a risk of the lanyard disconnecting in the event of a fall.

 

 

How an Why Use a Fall-Arrest Lanyard?

A fall-arrest lanyard makes it possible to stop a worker’s fall. It protects the worker by absorbing the energy of the fall, thus limiting the severity of the impact.

At all times, the worker must be protected from a fall from height. The fall-arrest lanyard is there exclusively for stopping a fall, and does not replace a positioning or progression system, which can be a positioning lanyard, or simply the feet, etc. The worker's fall-arrest lanyard should not be under tension at any time. In certain situations, such as working on a platform, the worker progresses on their feet, and they do not manipulate their fall-arrest lanyard during progression.

 

In other work-at-height situations, the fall-arrest lanyard can be paired with a positioning lanyard. The worker is held in a stable and comfortable position by the positioning lanyard. The fall-arrest lanyard provides the worker with a means of stopping a potential fall during manipulation of their positioning lanyard.

Positioning Lanyard

Fall-Arrest Lanyard

 

How do ABSORBICA lanyards protect you?

A fall-arrest lanyard allows a fall to be stopped gradually, reducing the impact force on the user. The impact generates an impact force, measured in kN, which is considered acceptable for the user up to 6 kN (the maximum value accepted by various fall-arrest lanyard standards).

 

The energy to be dissipated in a fall depends on independent factors:

	The length of the fall: The longer the fall, the more energy to be dissipated during the fall. The risk of hitting an obstacle is also greater.
	The position relative to the anchor: When the worker moves above their anchor, the severity of the potential fall increases. The fall factor concept is sometimes used to describe the worker’s position relative to the anchor and the severity of the fall.
	The weight of the user, including equipment: The greater the weight, the more energy to be dissipated during the fall.

 

How does an absorber work to cushion a fall?

The absorption capacity of a fall-arrest lanyard is due to the presence of an energy absorber, an essential component of any fall-arrest system.

To cushion a fall, a tearing energy absorber uses the successive breaking of the multiple woven fibers that make up the tear-webbing. The strength of these woven fibers regulates the impact force that the user is subjected to.

 

The woven fibres are weaker at the start of the strap than they are at the end. The impact force is lower if the fall energy is lower (light weight user and/or short fall). ABSORBICA energy absorbers are designed so that the impact force transmitted to the user, regardless of the fall, does not exceed 6 kN and so that the deceleration does not exceed 10 G (deceleration is proportional to the user’s weight, unlike impact force which does not take weight into account).

 

Clearance

Clearance is the amount of clear space below your feet, that you must maintain to avoid hitting an obstacle in a fall. The clearance value is given in the Instructions for Use for each fall-arrest lanyard. For a given product, the clearance depends on the user’s weight and on their position relative to the anchor.

 

For more details on the topics covered here, or to learn the clearance values for the various products in our line, see the ABSORBICA technical advice available online or check out our clearance simulator.

 

Strangulation Risk in a Fall on an Absorbica Y Lanyard

With a Y-lanyard attached to the dorsal point, if the user passes the lanyard legs under their arms to use the connectors in front of him, they may find themselves in a position that prevents the energy absorber from functioning.

Note: This can also happen if the lanyard is connected to the harness sternal point and used behind the user.

 

 

Rescuing a Person Hanging on an Absorbica Lanyard

 

How to unhook a person after a fall?

When someone has fallen on an ABSORBICA lanyard, even if she is unhurt, she is hanging with little means of self-rescue, especially if the structure cannot be used for support.

To rescue the person, a coworker must set up a load transfer and evacuation system, for example based on the JAG SYSTEM. Once this system is attached to a suitable anchor, the difficulty is in accessing the victim.

 

If Direct Connection To The Victim’s Harness Is Possible

The ideal situation is to be able to attach the evacuation system directly to the victim’s harness. The manual operations are easier, and setup is cleaner with less equipment. Direct connection to the harness also allows the victim to be raised more efficiently if an obstacle must be passed during evacuation.

 

If Accessing The Victim’s Harness Is Difficult

Several attachment points may be reachable from the structure:

• The eye of the MGO on the victim’s lanyard.
• An intermediate tie-back loop on the ABSORBICA TIE-BACK lanyard.
• A rope clamp suitable for a rope lanyard or for a webbing lanyard.

 

 

Oblique or Vertical Anchors and Fall Distance with Absorbica Lanyards.

Choosing appropriate, well-positioned anchors contributes to user safety: certain anchors can increase potential fall distance.

Energy absorbers are calibrated for a maximum fall distance (Hmax) of "twice the lanyard length." This maximum fall distance varies depending on the model. During a fall, if the connector can move along the anchor or if the anchor itself can move, the fall distance can exceed the allowed maximum.

 

Note: Even if your ABSORBICA lanyard can absorb the energy of a fall at its maximum fall distance with an "acceptable" impact force of less than 6 kN, such a fall is not harmless. In all cases, the fall distance should be reduced as much as possible.

 

Examples: