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View All Press Releases| SED2011 | 30 Apr 2010 |
Specially designed harness for women wins IPAF Design Prize
Tractel’s Ladytrac harness has won the IPAF Design Prize for the best designed harness for women. IPAF will be at SED 2011.
The winning entry from Tractel features several plus points that make it particularly suitable for use by female operators of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs). It is also suitable for use by male operators. The straps are not positioned across the chest; they are positioned down the side of the upper body. The harness comes with a detachable, lightweight, breathable vest fitted with adjustable Velcro fastening at multiple points. The buckles featuring colour coding and quick release are fastened on the outer thigh, as opposed to the inner thigh. The harness is easy to put on and take off and is comfortable to wear.
“The winning entry addresses the problem of friction on the upper body caused by the traditional positioning of load-bearing straps across the chest,” said Rupert Douglas-Jones, IPAF international training manager, who led the independent panel of judges for this competition. “In the event of a catapulting incident, this harness specially designed for women would take the pressure away from the chest and move it down the side of the body towards the more muscular outer thigh muscles, thus reducing the potential for injury.”
“IPAF’s harnesses for women competition has highlighted points to look out for when providing female operators with harnesses,” said Tim Whiteman, IPAF managing director. “Research suggests that MEWPs are increasingly used by women, particularly in the non-construction sector, which accounts for more than 40% of European MEWP rental activity.”
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