A major personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturer invited our team to assist in the development of a next-generation fall protection safety harness. A clean sheet of paper, field research, and a collaboration-driven process ensued, with our industrial designers and mechanical engineers working hand-in-hand with the client team. A wide variety of innovations were identified, improving ease of use, comfort, durability, style, and manufacturability. The best of these ideas were incorporated into the new harness, a breakthrough product that has 5 patents pending, 7 unique components, 11 key product features and exceeded its projected annual sales within a month of its March 2005 launch.
This next-generation fall safety harness incorporates an astounding number of industry firsts. It uses a back shield that not only protects workers from heavy retractor spools but also ensures proper positioning of the D-ring and attached safety line. The harness incorporates rotation points at the hip, which, in addition to offering a better ergonomic fit, also provide an attachment point for a range of unique tool pouches. The harness also incorporates a new bi-material webbing which is strong and wear-resistant while being softer against the skin, color-coded for ease of donning, and adjustable with one hand via cam buckles.