Attaching from the rear is not a good idea. While doing a training with a SWAT TEAM we discussed Ausie styled rappels. IN the beginning the TEAM was all about Aussie styled rappels. After we discussed things like Rappel escapes, and Figure 8 devices going "Girth hitch" or capturing the rope, or just getting stuck. By the end the team was a little more open to a new style that I learned from FIRES.
Also speaking from direct experience of having to hang in an industrial full body harness for about 30 min while being the rescued for a Mock rescue. After about 10 min of hanging my legs went numb, after 15 min of hanging I had to ascend into my secondary harness that I was wearing under the first harness.
IF YOU ARE DOING AN EMERGENCY RAPPEL DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUSMSTANCESS ATTACH YOURSELF OR OTHERS TO THE ROPE VIA THERE BACK. AGAIN DO NOT EVER ATTACH YOURSELF OR OTHERS BACK TO THE ROPE.
I agrea, I also had to play victim in a mock rescue (rescue training), didn't hang for 30 minutes on the back attachment, but i felt nausea in a few minutes (don't do this right after lunch) and your pretty helpless.
I have also seen people wearing there harness backwards to do the aussie rappel for fun, but attaching a belay device on your back is not really safe practise. Nor could they control there belay devices and need someone else to give them a firemans belay as their primary belay. All reasons to not aussie rappel.
During rescue training i was taught to connect the primary connection to a victim by their rear attachment for a few specific type of rescue's, but that does not apply to normal people. Since those situations are fairly specific for height work. Besides that is rescue and not 'emergency rappeling'.
Previous Topic
Index
