Figure-Eight Knot Holds Up In Rescue Service Applications

Figure-Eight Knot Holds Up In Rescue Service Applications

The figure-eight knot is proving a successful replacement for many normally used rescue service knots. Perhaps it’s time to consider additional applications for the figure-eight.

Assistant Training Specialist

Knots, although a basic necessity in fire and rescue operations, tend to weaken the rope, particularly if considerable stress is placed on the knot.

The bowline, for instance, which is the most frequently used knot, can reduce a rope’s tensile strength (amount of force needed to break the rope) by as much as 50 percent.

However, tests have shown that the bowline can be replaced in many instances by the figure-eight knot. New to the fire service, the figure-eight knot has less effect on a rope’s tensile strength. Basically used at the end of a rope to prevent it from being pulled through a pulley sheave, the figure-eight is proving very versatile for other fire and rescue operations.

The figure-eight knot gets its name from the actual shape of the knot. It resembles a written figure-eight when tied properly.

To tie a figure-eight knot, hold the standing part in the left hand and pass the running end over the top of the standing part to form a loop. Then pass the running end under and around the standing part. Next, pass the running end down through the loop. Draw the running end tight, and the knot should resemble the figure “8.”

Tying off to an object, ordinarily a bowline application, has been found to be successfully done with the figure-eight knot. To do this, a figure-eight knot is tied in the standing part of the rope, allowing enough rope to reach around the object.

Pass the rope around the object and trace the figure-eight, starting at the running end with the tail of the rope. In this case, the tail again will be parallel with the standing part of the rope. Tie a safety knot behind the figure-eight knot.

The figure-eight knot can be used to splice or tie together two ropes of near equal size. Normally a square knot is used for this application. Splicing is done by tying a figure-eight knot in one of the ropes (no. 1). The second rope (no. 2) is joined to the first rope by starting at the running end or tail of the no. 1 rope and simply tracing the no. 1 knot with the no. 2 rope to complete the knot. When tied properly, the knot should look like the knot in the third figure. The tails of each rope should be parallel with the standing parts of the joined ropes. It is a good habit to tie a safety knot on each side of the figureeight knot.

Another use of the figure-eight knot is to form a lifting eye in a piece of rope or even two pieces of rope. With a single rope, form a bight in the rope. The doubled rope is then tied into a figure-eight knot using the bight as the running end. Tied properly, the knot will resemble the knot in the second figure.

To use the figure-eight knot with two ropes, the same procedure is followed. Both ropes are used to form a bight and then the figure-eight knot is tied, making a lifting eye. A good application for this knot is when forming a lifting harness for a Stokes basket to make a one-point horizontal lift or lower.

The figure-eight knot can be a very useful tool; its versatility is limited only by the rescuer’s imagination.

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