Product information: new CROLL®

• To clarify this question, a three-page report dedicated entirely to the Petzl CROLL chest ascender was published on the SNS CAI website on April 20, 2013. In the report, the SNS CAI working group concluded: "the 2013 Petzl CROLL is an ascender that should be used with extreme caution, with frequent inspections of its condition, and should be replaced if subjected to a load of greater than 4 kN (400 kgf)".
• The results of this work and its conclusions were published on the web, without the SNS CAI first trying to present them to Petzl. We can only be disappointed by this process, since such information, communicated without a balanced view and clearly raising doubt about the safety of the product, is harmful to the company, and to the trust that users place in their equipment. Following a phone conversation with the SNS CAI coordinator, Francesco SALVATORI, we understand that the implied questions are:

- Why did Petzl make these technical choices?
- Why did Petzl remove the cam stop?
- Why would Petzl have put an item of PPE (personal protective equipment) on the market that the SNS CAI judged a posteriori, "should be used with extreme caution"?
- Why would APAVE, an independent lab overseen by the Ministry of Industry, have given its approval for this apparently risky product to be put on the market?

In order to help shed light on the debate, Petzl would like to contribute the following: results of tests on the new CROLL.

Download results (pdf)

Video tests

I was going embed this video?

http://www.petzl.com/security/sport/recalls/product-information-new-croll?language=en#.VP4u1camKAc

Conclusions

All the tests performed throughout development as well as during certification have validated the technical choices made for the new CROLL. The absence of a cam stop and the reduced thickness of the frame do not in any way alter the safety of the new CROLL. This reduced weight and size were not implemented at the expense of user safety! Further, the reduced weight is an improvement in terms of speed, and therefore safety, during more challenging activities such as caving.

The new CROLL can be used with confidence, as long as you follow its instructions for use.

We are committed to earning and deserving the trust of our customers every day, by demanding the very best of ourselves and our products. We work to achieve the highest standards, and we are acutely conscious that we must always listen to our customers, in order to continue to develop the products that help you live your dreams and your passions more fully!

Thank you for your continued trust.

Source Petzl.com