As many of you know this week (May 6-10) is National Safety Stand-Down Week! A big focus of this effort traditionally is on Fall Hazards and Fall Prevention, but for those not exposed to fall risk still a great time for employers to talk about safety hazards they face on the jobsite. Our friends at FallTech are extremely busy this week doing multiple presentations everyday in our area and across the country with partners like Ohio Power Tool, doing the ABCD’s of Fall Protection. This year showing off their new addition, the UniDriver Rescue System which is an impressive piece of life saving technology.
FallTech was relatively unknown in the Fall Protection realm only a decade ago but since then have really become one of the leaders in innovation and testing. With a lot of corporate consolidations in the industry and numerous Safety recalls from popular brands like 3M ExoFit DBI-SALA and Guardian Fall Protection, FallTech remains one of the only independent manufacturer’s left with their own In-House ISO 17025 accredited testing labs that meets all ANSI and OSHA standards. Assembling a majority of their items in the USA and investing heavily in product development and innovation, we’ve really seen them grow their fall protection reach dramatically in recent years.
After a fall there continues to be a real safety threat, hanging in air by your safety harness can be life threatening in as little as 5 minutes. Simple trauma relief slings can greatly extend that time for rescue but there really needs to be a plan in place for rescue in every environment someone could be working, whether that be new construction, crane, wind turbine, tower, bridge or basically anywhere fall protection is required.
The FallTech UniDrive System is anchored overhead and designed for self or assisted rescue operations. The Unilift provides 3 options for lifting and decent; manual handwheel, telescoping ratchet and power drill adapter. Systems are available in either 150’ or 300’ rope length and either a backpack style bag or safety sealed barrel (requiring less frequent safety inspections). Additionally there is a telescoping rescue pole accessory which operates the carabiner from 4’ to 17’ away, allowing others to reach the fall victim safety from a distance.
While the price tag of $1600-$2000 for the UniDrive will certainly give many pause, especially if you had not made any plans for a rescue situation there can be some sticker shock. The system is multifunctional, as a material lift is can safety handle up to 300 lbs, used with a power drill this can be a very functional tool for daily use as well as a life saving safety solution.
For more questions on FallTech Safety products give the team at Ohio Power Tool a call 800-242-4424, they will be happy to help you find the right solution for your needs. Also if you are in the Central Ohio area they would be happy to setup an ABCD’s of Fall Protection demo on your jobsite.
