Working from ladders, scaffolds and platforms is an occupational hazard in some industries, but injuries from falls can be prevented with the right safety equipment.
Choosing the right fall protection equipment can save those working at height from serious injury and 3M has created a virtual reality demonstration to highlight the issue.
The demo uses an immersive headset to teleport those brave enough to the top of a building under construction where they are invited to put on a 3M™ DBI Sala™ harness and clip it into the Self Retracting Lifeline before walking out onto a beam and clearing some tools out of the way.
Explained 3M’s senior marketing executive for Personal Safety, Steve Crouchley: “The participant is then asked to step off the beam. If they are wearing the harness, they will experience a slight fall and then be saved from plummeting. If they chose not to wear the harness, they will fall to the ground.
“The beauty of the demo is that it really does fool your brain into thinking that you are on top of a building and a surprising number of people refuse to step off of the beam, even though they know that in reality their feet are planted firmly on the ground.
“The demo is a great way to highlight the importance of wearing 3M Fall Protection equipment when working at height and we’re looking forward to inviting health and safety professionals to try it out for themselves.”
3M’s fall protection equipment was also put under the spotlight at Safety Network Live events held at Old Trafford, Manchester, and 3M Centre in Bracknell.
The 3M harness and self retracting lifeline was demonstrated during a workshop – just one of a number run by 3M safety specialists that highlighted the importance of face fit testing for respiratory protective equipment; gave an overview of a new 3M system to field-test hearing protection solutions; and showed how to prevent slips and trips and boost workplace safety compliance.
