An eyebolt has many different uses: in simple terms it is a screw thread with a looped end – or eye – to which ropes or cables can be attached. In the case of rope access to the exterior of a building it is used to attach the ropes which the operative uses to descend the outside and a fall arrest rope which prevents injury in the event of a fall by stopping the operative very quickly.
The different types of eyebolt are made of galvanised carbon steel, which may have a white plastic coating if it is for internal use, and stainless steel which is used outside. Isis Property Services undertakes work positioning eyebolt installation and the method of installation will depend on the material from which the building is made.
For solid brickwork (9″) the only real choice of eyebolt fixing is a resin socket type where the eyebolt is screwed into a socket set in resin. The standard setting is 100mm eyebolt set into 100mm resin, although in practice the socket is usually 104mm and the eyebolt 95mm. If the brickwork is sound with solid mortar joints, it will be strong enough. However, many of the buildings of solid brick were built before 1935 and the brickwork can be badly weathered. In this case tests must be undertaken. It is sometimes possible to use a thick solid backplate.
For cavity brickwork a through fixing is the only practical solution, and an anti-compression tube is needed to prevent the cavity from collapsing when the nut is tightened, either when the eyebolt is fitted or on subsequent testing.
For concrete, the resin socket eyebolt is the choice again. Solid stonework is treated in similar fashion to solid brickwork, although again some buildings are very old and will need testing if there is any doubt.
Eyebolts have to be tested on a regular basis, and in the case of a rope access eyebolt, Isis Property Services will undertake work positioning eyebolt testing every six months. For fall arrest eyebolts the testing interval is twelve months. However, a fall arrest eyebolt is only for use on ONE occasion after which it must be replaced in accordance with HSE and LOLER standards.
All eyebolts have to be marked according to British Standard and PPE Directives. They must also have a label attached showing the date of the next examination and category of use.