A Ladder that Helps When You've Fallen from One Already!

Many people who use ladders regularly, especially tall ladders within structures such as wind turbines and grain silos, will be fitted with a fall-arrest system that prevents them from dropping to the ground in the event of slipping from the ladder. These fall-arrest systems are usually in the form of a full body harness that leaves the person dangling from an anchor point while they await rescue. Although these systems do prevent serious injury or death by eliminating the risk of a full fall to the ground, they come with another set of problems.  Any type of body harness has the associated risk of cutting off the blood supply to the legs as the person hangs in mid-air.  This means that the rescue needs to be carried out quickly and efficiently to reduce the risk of circulatory problems and other damage that can occur as a result of hanging in a harness.  Sometimes the person dangling can use the rungs of the ladder they fell from as a support on which to rest their legs in a horizontal position, but if the ladder has slipped away this is not an option.  The same goes for cases where the ladder, or another vertical surface, is too far away to reach. There is a new product on the market designed for this very situation; the Hy-Safe Suspension Relief Ladder is a short, three rung fabric ladder that attaches to the body harness and is kept stowed by way of velcro straps.  If a fall occurs, the person can deploy the Suspension Relief Ladder and put their feet into the rungs.  By then leaning back against the fabric ladder they can raise their legs to a horizontal position and minimise the potential damage caused by hanging in a harness.  This means that the rescue effort can be undertaken with less urgency, and hopefully more efficiency.  When the Suspension Relief Ladder has been deployed, it can be repacked and used again in the same situation. Although this is not available in the UK yet, it can be ordered online.