In many industries there is a risk of falling from height. Such a fall is to be considered highly undesirable. As Douglas Adams once pointed out that :

"It's not the fall that kills you; it's the sudden stop at the end"

Whilst he may have written that with humour, there is no denying its accuracy. Fall protection and fall arrest devices have been designed not to prevent a fall, but to minimise the likelihood of injury from a fall.

It is fascinating to see the depth of research that 3M have undertaken to ensure that fall protection products are suitable for all environments, for example :

It is very common for workers in oil and gas industries for workers to experience extremes of temperature, hence fall protection products are tested up to -40°C to counteract the changes in molecular structure at low temperatures and to maintain a certain level of elasticity in the cold.

People working in chemical or pharmaceutical arenas may ( though wearing respiratory protection ) have their clothing and safety wear exposed to potentially degrading liquids or vapours. Resistance to such hazards are minimised due to the chemical resistance of the fabrics and binding agents used.

The construction industry is full of falling hazards, with many people working at height or on scaffolding. Special lifelines have been developed for areas with sharp edges that might fray the material and weaken it. A special addition for steel workers are toughened shoulder caps.

In other industries specialisations include : a patented Vacuum Anchor System for aviation workers; bespoke lanyards for Wind Energy situations; FlexiGuard™ Solutions for Transport and Rail which allow simpler fall arrest connection whilst in the realm of welding, reinforced Kevlar® / Nomex® materials protect from high levels of heat.

In summary, 3M - a company whose very ethos is based on research and development has put its considerable resources and talent pool into the design and manufacture of extremely well considered fall arrest equipment for a multitude of situations.

If you are interested in protecting yourself or your staff from falls from height at work then please peruse our fall protection section or, alternatively contact our experienced team for advice.