The New FreeTech Harness: Innovative Fall Protection from CMC Rescue

CMC Rescue is known for excellent fall protection, rescue equipment, and training. The new FreeTech™ fall protection harness is designed for extended wear and for various work and rescue applications. The harness uses a patent-pending SwitchPoint™ System, which provides a significantly more comfortable position to a fallen, suspended worker.

What Makes This Harness Special?

The FreeTech™ Harness is a figure-8-style fall protection harness that incorporates the patent-pending  SwitchPoint™ System. This newly engineered system can save lives by substantially delaying the effects of suspension trauma in a post-fall situation.  Many safety professionals assume that once a fall has been arrested, the fall protection system has been successful and completed its job. Unfortunately, this is not the case. A worker suspended in an upright position with legs dangling in a harness of any type is potentially subject to suspension trauma.

What is Suspension Trauma?

It's an orthostatic shock or intolerance, also known as HHS (harness hang syndrome). The most common cause of suspension trauma is an accident in which a worker remains motionless and suspended in a harness. Leg circulation becomes compromised, then heart circulation and potentially diminished blood flow to the brain can occur. Typical symptoms, like pallor, sweating, shortness of breath, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, hypotension and numbness of the legs, usually occur after 15-20 minutes of free hanging. If the worker is not rescued in time, fainting and death due to the lack of oxygen in the brain are imminent.

How Does the Harness Work?

Its unique release mechanism provides a way for the user to safely and easily transfer their body weight from the dorsal connector on the upper back to the front waist location of the harness to reorient the user into a seated position. This re-positioning helps the worker by providing relief from loss of leg circulation, which delays suspension trauma.

Other Prominent Features of the FreeTech Harness Include:

• Quick-release buckles which make it easy to put on and take off the harness
• Secure and simple quick-connect buckles
• Contrasting thread colors that aid in inspection
• Integrated fall-arrest indicator
• Corrosion-resistant hardware and lanyard attachment loop.

This item, like many CMC Rescue items, is made in the U.S.A. and is UL Classified to ANSI Z359.11.

Who Needs a FreeTech Harness?

OSHA requires that fall protection is provided at elevations of four feet in general industry workplaces, five feet in shipyards, six feet in the construction industry and eight feet in longshoring operations. Generally, fall-protection harnesses are application-driven.

This harness is ideal for rescuers. Safety, efficiency, and speed are the main principles of any rescuer’s work. You also have to factor your gear into this equation. A harness is vitally important for rescuers because they are in continuous physical contact with this piece of equipment on a daily basis. This is why if the harness is uncomfortable, it may disrupt the worker’s ability to perform their job. The FreeTech harness gives the user the features they need to avoid disruption and stay safe in case of a fall incident.

CMC Rescue manufactures and ships products out of Santa Barbara, CA the same day an order is placed. Today, all CMC Rescue, CMC ProSeries, CMC ProTech, and CMC/Roco Industrial Rescue Brand Harnesses, Straps, Packs, and Bags are manufactured at their Santa Barbara, California facility.

If you need our expert advice, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 800-829-9580, or visit us online at pksafety.com, and follow us @PKSafetydotcom.