Arresting new design for PPE Integrated Safety Harness is being launched by Bristol Uniforms.
The harness is a complete body safety harness, fully integrated into structural firefighter garments to improve wearer comfort in a single garment meeting EN469:2005 Level 2 protection. This is to serve an increasing number of fire and rescue services deploying safety harnesses for their firefighters when working at height.
Until now, the typical means of providing added safety for firefighters when working at height has been to use an external harness designed to fit over the PPE being worn for the task in hand, requiring the firefighter to don and doff two separate items of clothing. Bristol’s innovative design makes for a much more compact solution with fewer harness components exposed to damage or snagging during operations as most of the supporting components are enclosed within, or under, the fabric layers of both coat and trouser.
With Bristol’s Ergotech Action™, XFlex™ and RescueFlex™ designs, optional proprietary harnesses have been carefully integrated into the firefighter clothing after the completion of an extensive in-house design programme and wearer trials.
Image: Arresting new design for PPE Integrated Safety Harness
The seat harness is fitted around the waist of the trouser using a series of belt loops, whilst the leg straps are integrated inside the layers of the trouser with Velcro adjustments either side of the front fly. To facilitate cleaning and inspection, the harness can be removed and replaced through an internal horizontal inspection zip at the rear of the trouser, complying with both CE EN 813 and CE EN 358 standards.
To accommodate a chest harness, the fire coat has a special opening on the front to provide access to the central caribiner, allowing the chest harness to be attached to the seat harness offering full fall arrest protection. This is CE certified to the fall arrest standard EN 361 when used with the seat harness. It is also certified to UIAA and EN 12277 chest harness standards.
Roger Startin, Bristol’s joint MD commented on the decision to develop and introduce the first integrated safety harness for firefighter and USAR PPE, “It has been clear for some time that in other parts of Europe, especially Scandinavia and Spain, fall arrest safety harnesses have become widely used by fire and rescue services but that they were looking for an easy-to-use solution to accommodate the unpredictable nature of many missions.By integrating the harness within the ensemble, a firefighter is instantly able to hook up to a support mechanism deployed to facilitate the wearers high level access to buildings or structures where alternative access routes or methods would be more hazardous.”
For more information about Bristol Uniforms or Bristol’s managed services please contact either:
Roger Startin, Bristol Uniforms on 0117 956 3101 or email roger.startin@bristoluniforms.co.uk
or Richard Storey, RSL Associates on 07970 863251 or email richard@rslassociates.co.uk