Connectors

Connectors and safety karabiners: the link between every part of the system

The connector links the harness, the lanyard or fall arrester and the anchor point. It is often the most handled part of a fall arrest system, opened and closed dozens of times a day. KRATOS SAFETY offers safety karabiners, anchor hooks, scaffold hooks and quick links, in steel, stainless steel or aluminium, with gate openings from 10 to 140 mm.

Choosing a safety karabiner for your use

• Permanent or infrequent connection: a screw-lock karabiner or a quick link, which only opens with a deliberate action.
• Repeated connections: an automatic quarter-turn, double-action or triple-action locking system, which closes and locks by itself.
• Scaffolding and large structures: a scaffold hook or anchor hook, with an opening of 55 to 140 mm for tubes and beams.
• Wet or marine environments: stainless steel connectors resist corrosion.

The Keylock system, with no notch, prevents the gate from catching on webbing or rope. Aluminium lightens the equipment when several connectors are carried; steel is more resistant to wear. Some models include a swivel that prevents the lanyard from twisting, and a visible fall indicator.

Standards and regulations for connectors

Fall arrest connectors are certified to EN 362, which classifies them by use:

• class B (basic) and M (multi-use) for standard karabiners,
• class T (terminal) for connectors permanently fitted to a lanyard or fall arrester,
• class A (anchor) for hooks attached directly to a structure,
• class Q (screw link) for connectors that must be fully screwed closed.

Every PPE connector sold in the European Union falls under Regulation (EU) 2016/425. The Documents tab of each product page gives access to the user instructions, the technical data sheet, the EU type-examination certificate and the declaration of conformity. The strength, up to 45 kN depending on the model, is shown on the product page and engraved on the connector.

Completing your equipment: from connector to fall arrest system

A connector is never used on its own. It is chosen together with:

• the lanyard or self-retracting lifeline it connects,
• the anchor point, whose shape and section determine the opening required,
• the fall arrest harness and its attachment point.

A connector must always be loaded along its major axis, without pressure on the gate or over an edge.

Maintenance and inspection of connectors

• Before each use: check that the gate opens, closes and locks automatically, and that there is no deformation, crack or corrosion.
• Periodic examination at least once a year by a competent person, as required by national regulations, recorded in the inspection log.
• Discard after an arrested fall, after the connector has fallen onto a hard surface, or in the event of any locking fault.

The service life of each product is stated on the KRATOS SAFETY product service life page.

To secure your tools as well, see our tool lanyards.