Load Arrestors

Load arrestors are designed as a secondary safety device to arrest (catch, stop) falling equipment if the primary lifting equipment fails while being lifted lowered or for equipment that is permanently suspended. The fall may be caused by mechanical, or electrical failure due to anchorage point failure. Load arrestors are also known as fall arrestors (though the term fall arrester would more typically lend to PPE such as a fall arrest inertia reel / self-retracting lifeline), materials arrestors, safety fall arrester and increasing door arrestors (bi-folding doors in particular).

Load arrestors are commonly used on lifting machines such as electric chain hoists, stage lighting rigs in the theatre and in mechanised production processes such as pallet strapping and shrink wrapping machines etc. They provide a secondary backup safety device that, in the event of the load free falling will prevent damage to the equipment impacting on the lower surface; more importantly 'material load arrestors' also stop the load from dropping onto or in the region of people below where they are working or in a public place such as in a lighting rig in the roof space of a shopping centre.

Important: A Load arrester is designed for arresting materials/goods and equipment and is not to be used in systems for arresting people or equipment carrying people/persons.