SPRAT Equipment Inspection & Maintenance 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: While inspecting a harness, a technician sees broken or frayed stitching on a load-bearing seam. What should happen?
- Restitch it with heavy thread
- Remove the harness from service (Correct answer)
- Keep using it if less than half the stitches are broken
- Cover the seam with tape
Correct answer: Remove the harness from service
Damaged load-bearing stitching weakens the harness and field repairs aren't allowed, so it is retired.
Question 2: A carabiner's gate opens but doesn't fully close and lock by itself. What is the correct response?
- Close it by hand every time
- Lubricate it, and if that doesn't fix it, use it anyway
- Clean it and recheck, and retire it if it still doesn't close and lock properly (Correct answer)
- Use it only on anchors
Correct answer: Clean it and recheck, and retire it if it still doesn't close and lock properly
A gate that won't close and lock is a critical defect; cleaning may fix it, and if not the carabiner is retired.
Question 3: What usually determines the maximum service life of textile rope access equipment?
- The technician's preference
- Always exactly 20 years from purchase
- The color of the equipment
- The manufacturer's specified lifespan together with usage and inspection findings (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The manufacturer's specified lifespan together with usage and inspection findings
Service life follows the manufacturer's guidance, adjusted for actual use, exposure, and inspection results.
Question 4: How should a helmet with a cracked shell be handled?
- Retire it from service (Correct answer)
- Fill the crack with epoxy
- Use it only indoors
- Cover the crack with a sticker
Correct answer: Retire it from service
A cracked shell can't absorb impact as designed, so the helmet is retired.
Question 5: Why should equipment from different manufacturers be checked for compatibility during inspection and setup?
- Mixed brands always void certification
- Incompatible parts can cause cross-loading, gate loading, or rollout (Correct answer)
- Colors need to match for job site audits
- Compatibility only matters for helmets
Correct answer: Incompatible parts can cause cross-loading, gate loading, or rollout
Incompatible connectors or devices can load wrongly and fail below their rated strength.
Question 6: A rope's sheath is cut and the white core fibers are visible. What should the technician do?
- Keep using it, since the core carries the load
- Tape over the damaged area
- Remove the rope from service, or cut out the damaged section per company policy (Correct answer)
- Reverse the rope ends and keep working
Correct answer: Remove the rope from service, or cut out the damaged section per company policy
Exposed core fibers mean significant damage, so the rope is retired or the damaged section is removed under a controlled procedure.
Question 7: Which environmental exposure gradually weakens nylon and polyester soft goods even without any visible cuts?
- Cold temperatures
- Low humidity
- Clean fresh water
- Long exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Long exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light
UV radiation breaks down synthetic fibers over time, causing fading and loss of strength.
