Every worker who performs activities at height, uses and trusts his/her safety belt, since in case of a sudden evil or carelessness that may cause the worker to fall, the belt will retain that fall – thus avoiding an accident with greater proportions to the victim, correct?
This is basically the main function of the safety harness. However, while the harness provides safety to the worker, it is also the cause of an aggravating factor that will always be present after a fall in which the victim is suspended. This aggravating factor is Suspension Syndrome.
For this to happen, two things are necessary: suspension and immobility.
The lower limbs of the suspended worker’s body suffer a blood damming, because the belt straps end up compressing the passage of blood through the veins and arteries, causing the circulatory system to collapse, which generates changes in the body. These changes range from lack of oxygenation of the lower limbs to poor oxygenation to the brain, among numerous other factors (pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, etc.).
The time it takes for the symptoms of inertial suspension syndrome to appear varies with each person. Each organism responds in a different way. Usually the first symptoms occur after five minutes of exposure, progressing dangerously with each second.
The progression of the above symptoms can lead to the worker’s death within 5 to 8 minutes.
It is extremely important that the worker and the rescue team are aware and have knowledge about the syndrome, because this way they will act in the prevention and response time in case it happens.
Currently, no safety harness can prevent the syndrome from happening, regardless of the model, with or without padding in the legs.
For victims who have suffered a fall and are suspended but still conscious, Hércules developed the anti-trauma suspension strap, which relieves the pressure of the tapes on the body, facilitating the passage of blood to the legs, giving more comfort and increasing the rescue team’s response time.