GB2417282A

GB2417282A - Hollow impact absorbing units to arrest fall from height

Info

Publication number: GB2417282A
Application number: GB0516342A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Robson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-08-17
Filing date: 2005-08-09
Publication date: 2006-02-22
Also published as: GB0418311D0; GB0516342D0

Abstract

A fall arrest arrangement comprising a plurality of hollow impact absorbing units, each unit formed using a casing 1 of reinforced waterproof/ wear resistant material. The invention also relates to a kit comprising a plurality of substantially planar panels of a reinforced waterproof/ wear resistant material adapted to be constructed into an impact absorbing unit. The material may be a corrugated material, preferably an extruded polymer board, such as polypropylene. Preferably, each unit has a supporting endoskeleton, which may be in a honeycomb arrangement 9.

Description

Fall Arrest System This invention relates to a safe landing system for use

on construction sites and the like and to methods related thereto.

The present invention relates generally to an impact-absorbing unit and particularly to such a unit intended to reduce the risk of injury to individuals which may have resulted from a fall.

The present invention is focused for use on construction sites, house building sites and other building activities where the health and safety of the individuals is governed by regulations. Although these may change and be modified and further new legislation introduced, this patent is focused on the regulations relating to falls. Recently introduced legislation introduced for the construction industry demands that the employer must take appropriate precautions to significantly reduce the risk of any fall.

The impact-absorbing unit of the invention operates by bringing the person to rest at a rate slower than if they were to hit the hard surface. The risk of injury will be significantly reduced due to this more controlled deceleration.

Due, inter alla, to the introduction and greater enforcement of health and safety legislation, there have been many recent attempts to address this problem.

Thus for example UK Patent application No. 2 367 877, now assigned to Forest Safety Products Limited, describes an impact absorbing unit comprising an outer wear resistant casing containing an impact absorbing material, such as expanded polystyrene beads. However, such units suffer from the disadvantage that because, inter alla, they are filled with compressible beads, they are extremely bulky and therefore expensive to transport from one construction site to another.

Other attempts at fall arrest systems include the use of inflatable air mats. Such mats are widely available commercially from companies such as Bison Holdings Limited who are suppliers of the Bison Airmat Safety System. Although such systems are more easily transported than the aforementioned polystyrene filled bags, they are more susceptible to wear and tear, e.g. they must be puncture resistant, and require experts on site to ensure the daily inflation and deflation of the system. In addition, the air mats require a continuous supply of compressed air to remain inflated during the operating period. Therefore, if a loss of power is experienced, then the site may be rendered unusable.

There is therefore a long felt need for a simple, easily transported and easily utilised system.

It has long been known for stuntmen to use a collection of cardboard boxes as an impact absorbing unit in, for example, movie making. However, such an arrangement would not be suitable for use in all weathers and would not meet the stringent health and safety standards set down by legislation on construction sites.

We have now surprisingly found that a new simple and robust fall arrest system may be manufactured which overcomes and mitigates the disadvantages of known prior art systems.

Thus, according to the invention we provide a fall arrest system which comprises an arrangement of a plurality of impact absorbing units wherein each unit comprises an unfilled reinforced waterproof/wear resistant material.

Each impact absorbing unit will comprise a plurality of substantially planar panels arranged to form a "box" construction.

By the term "unfilled" it is intended to define a unit which may be filled with ambient air, but not compressed air.

According to a preferred aspect of the invention the fall arrest system as hereinbefore described the reinforced material may comprises an extruded material, which may optionally be a corrugated material. Optionally, the reinforced material is completely corrugated, i.e. shaped into folds or ridges and/or grooves. The material may also optionally be further reinforced, i.e. in addition to the corrugation, although it is within the scope of the present invention for the material to be only partially extruded or reinforced, e.g. corrugated. Alternatively, if the material is reinforced, it may be reinforced with a combination of partial corrugation combined with another reinforcement, such as reinforcing strips, e.g. plastics strips, increased material thickness, etc. When the reinforced material is a extruded material, the material is preferably an extruded polymer board, e.g. an extruded corrugated polymer board, such as a extruded, e.g. corrugated polypropylene board.

In an especially preferred aspect of the invention, the fall arrest system may be provided with a supporting skeleton. The skeleton may be an exoskeleton or an endoskeleton or a combination of an exo- and endoskeleton. Most preferably the supporting skeleton is an endoskeleton. When the supporting skeleton is an endoskeleton it is preferably in the form of a honeycomb arrangement. The honeycomb may comprise a variety of geometries, however, preferably the honeycomb may comprise a grid of interlocking substantially planar sheets. The honeycomb may comprise a variety of materials, however, preferably the honeycomb material will comprise the same material as the unit material. The dimensions of the honeycomb may vary according to the nature of the impact that the fall arrest system is intended to be subset to. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, for a single unit the honeycomb may comprise, for example, 48 (4 x 12) cells.

The fall arrest system of the invention is advantageous in that, inter alla, the system is more portable and/or more easily erected than conventional systems.

In a further embodiment of the invention the fall arrest system may also be adapted to provide a working platform, e.g. by being provided with a load bearing surface, such that, for example, an individual can stand upon the fall arrest system and be sufficiently supported to continue his work.

Thus according to a further aspect of the invention we provide a fall arrest system according to claim 1 wherein each unit comprises a plurality of external walls and at least one wall of each unit is provided with a load bearing surface.

A fall arrest system according to claim wherein the load bearing surface is adapted to act as a working platform. The load bearing surface may comprise one or more sheets of material, e.g. plywood, attached to an upper surface (in use) of the unit. The unit may be provided with an e.g. plywood sheet already attached or, alternatively, may be adapted to have an e.g. plywood sheet attached once erected and in *itu.

When a plurality of units is placed together to cerate the fall arrest system of the invention, they may be placed together but unfixed. Thus,, in use, the plurality of units may be placed inside enclosing walls of a building which will add to the support for the system. Alternatively, or in addition, the units can be connected together by connecting means, such as, Velcro straps, an external and waterproof tape, clips, etc. In a further aspect of the invention, we provide an impact absorbing unit for use in a fall arrest system as hereinbefore described. Preferably, the impact absorbing unit comprises an unfilled reinforced waterproof/wear resistant material.

According to a yet further aspect of the invention, we also provide a kit comprising a plurality of substantially planar panels of a reinforced waterproof/wear resistant material adapted to be constructed into an impact absorbing unit as hereinbefore described. Preferably the kit is in the form of a constructible "flat pack".

According to a yet further aspect of the invention, we also provide a kit which may optionally be pre-assembled, and is capable of being collapsed for storage and/or transportation purposes but can be easily "pushed/pulled" back to its operating formation when required. Thus the assembly may include one or more, wires, strings, cords, etc which may be fixed onto or into the planar panels and/or the skeleton to enable it to be assembled and/or collapsed.

In an additional aspect of the invention we also provide the use of a reinforced waterproof/wear resistant material in the manufacture of an impact absorbing unit or a kit as hereinbefore described.

We further provide a method of arresting a fall which comprises the use of a fall arrest system which comprises an arrangement of a plurality of impact absorbing units wherein each unit comprises an unfilled reinforced waterproof/wear resistant material.

The invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a schematic perspective drawing of an impact absorbing unit of the invention; and Figures 2a) to d) are schematic cross sections of the unit.

Referring to figures 1 and 2, in its simplest form, the unit of the invention comprises a "tubular" casing (1), which, in use, comprises an upper panel (2), a pair of side panels (3 and 4), a lower panel (5) and a pair of end panels (6 and 7) to create an inner portion (8). The inner portion (8) comprises a honeycomb arrangement (9) which is made up of a plurality of interlocking substantially planar panels (10 and 11).

Variations in how the panels may interlock are illustrated by figure 2a) to d).

Claims

Claims 1. A fall arrest system which comprises an arrangement of a

plurality of impact absorbing units wherein each unit comprises an unfilled reinforced waterproof/wear resistant material.
2. A fall arrest system according to claim 1 wherein each impact absorbing unit will comprise a plurality of substantially planar panels arranged to form a "box" construction.
3. A fall arrest system according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the reinforced material comprises an extruded material.
4. A fall arrest system according to claims 1 or 3 wherein the reinforced material comprises a corrugated material.
5. A fall arrest system according to claim 3 wherein the extruded material is an extruded polymer board.
6. A fall arrest system according to claim 5 wherein the extruded material is an corrugated polymer board.
7. A fall arrest system according to claims 5 or 6 wherein the polymer board is a polypropylene board.
8. A fall arrest system according to claim I wherein the unit is provided with a supporting skeleton.
9. A fall arrest system according to claim 8 wherein the skeleton is an endo skeleton.
10. A fall arrest system according to claim 9 wherein the supporting skeleton is in the form of a honeycomb arrangement.
11. A fall arrest system according to claim 8 wherein the reinforced material is a non-corrugated/extruded material.
12. A fall arrest system according to claim 1 wherein each unit comprises a plurality of external walls and at least one wall of each unit is provided with a load bearing surface.
13. A fall arrest system according to claim 12 wherein the load bearing surface is adapted to act as a working platform.
14. A fall arrest system according to claim 12 wherein the load bearing surface comprises one or more sheets of material, e.g. plywood, on an upper surface of the unit.
15. A fall arrest system according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of units is placed together unfixed to create the fall arrest.
16. A fall arrest system according to claim 15 wherein each of the units can be connected together by connecting means, such as, Velcro straps, an external and waterproof tape, clips, etc.
17. An impact absorbing unit for use in a fall arrest system according to claim 1 comprising an unfilled reinforced waterproof/wear resistant material.
18. A kit comprising a plurality of substantially planar panels of a reinforced waterproof/wear resistant material adapted to be constructed into an impact absorbing unit according to claim 17.
l9. A kit according to claim 18 wherein the kit is in the form of a constructable "flat pack".
20. A kit according to claim 15 wherein the may optionally be preassembled, and is capable of being collapsed for storage and/or transportation purposes but can be easily "pushed/pulled" back to its operating formation when required.
21. A kit according to claim 20 wherein the assembly may include one or more, wires, strings, cords, etc which may be fixed onto or into the planar panels and/or the skeleton to enable it to be assembled and/or collapsed.
22. The use of a reinforced waterproof/wear resistant material in the manufacture of an impact absorbing unit according to claim 17 or a kit according to claim 18.
23. A method of arresting a fall which comprises the use of a fall arrest system which comprises an arrangement of a plurality of impact absorbing units wherein each unit comprises an unfilled reinforced waterproof/wear resistant material.
24. A fall arrest system an impact absorbing unit, a kit, a method or the use substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.