Device and method for monitoring safety cables

A method of monitoring a safety cable, the method comprising:

• coupling a vibration sensor to a safety cable;
• communicably coupling the vibration sensor to a vibration monitoring computing device located remotely from the vibration sensor;
• receiving, by the vibration monitoring computing device, data from the vibration sensor indicative of a set of vibrations imparted on the safety cable by a cable-grab device coupled to a climber harness and moveable unimpeded by the vibration sensor along a length of a portion of the safety cable;
• and
• characterizing, by vibration monitoring computing device, a time and oscillating wave signature of the set of vibrations to determine an occurrence of a fall event related to use of the safety cable based on the received data from the vibration sensor.

A vibration monitoring computing device, comprising:

• a memory comprising instructions stored thereon;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the stored instructions to:
• receive data from a vibration sensor indicative of a set of vibrations imparted on a safety cable to which the vibration sensor is coupled, wherein the set of vibrations is imparted on the safety cable by a cable-grab device coupled to a climber harness and moveable unimpeded by the vibration sensor along a length of a portion of the safety cable;
• and
• characterize a time and oscillating wave signature of the set of vibrations to determine an occurrence of a fall event related to use of the safety cable based on the received data, wherein the vibration monitoring computing device is located remotely from the vibration sensor.