WO2010031087A1

WO2010031087A1 - A safety garment

Info

Publication number: WO2010031087A1
Application number: PCT/ZA2009/000083
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hendrik Petrus Strydom
Original assignee: Hendrik Petrus Strydom
Priority date: 2008-09-12
Filing date: 2009-09-11
Publication date: 2010-03-18
Also published as: ZA201007776B

Abstract

A safety device which includes a one-piece garment, an anchor means attached to the garment for securing a wearer of the garment to a fall arrest device and a load distributing arrangement which includes a strap of a high tensile strength material which is exteriorly attached to, or integrally formed with, the garment and which comprises a first strap segment and a second strap segment, each of which is arranged on the garment to provide a crotch loop and a shoulder loop, wherein the first strap segment and the second strap segment meet at a juncture point centrally located on a back or front side of a torso portion of the garment, and wherein the anchor means is attached to garment at the juncture point.

Description

A SAFETY GARMENT

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to safety garments and safety harnesses for use by persons working at elevated positions relatively to the ground.

[0002] Workers, such as construction workers, painters, cleaners and maintenance workers by the nature of their jobs, need to work elevated above the ground, often precariously suspended at these elevated positions. The occupational hazard occasioned by this type of work is evident. Legislators across the globe have taken notice and have legislated and regulated in their respective countries that it is obligatory for such workers to wear safety harnesses. Such a harness, worn by the worker and attached to a safety or life line as part of a fall arrest mechanism, will arrest the worker's fall preventing serious injury or death.

[0003] Safety harnesses are generally worn on top of an item of protective clothing and, of necessity, are size adjustable. Size adjustment is enabled by pulling or feeding an end portion of an appropriate harness strap through a buckle or clasp, and in so doing, shortening the effective length of the harness strap. However, by doing so, a strap loop or loose end is created. This loop or loose end creates a potential safety hazard in that the loop or end can snag on construction equipment or scaffolding, causing the worker, wearing the harness, to lose his footing and fall. [0004] Another aspect is that the worker must ensure that size adjustment is correctly done each time the harness is worn. This can be time consuming. On the other hand if the adjustment is not done effectively the capability of the harness to arrest a fall is reduced.

[0005] Conventional safety harnesses need to loop around each limb of a wearer to secure the wearer to the harness to ensure that the wearer cannot slip from the harness. A problem arises when the wearer is an amputee and therefore does not have the benefit of a full complement of limbs to ensure that the harness is maximally secured.

[0006] Another aspect is that the harness, during a fall, produces significant localized loading forces on the body of the wearer which, in themselves, can injure the wearer.

[0007] The present invention at least partially addresses the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0008] The invention provides a safety device for use by a person working at an elevated position relatively to the ground which includes at least one garment to be worn by the person and a harness arrangement comprising a strap of relatively high tensile strength material attached to or formed integrally with the garment.

[0009] The strap may include a first and a second strap segment which are arranged on the garment to define a crotch loop and a shoulder loop. [0010] The first and the second strap segments may meet, in crossed relationship, at a juncture region.

[0011] The harness arrangement may include an anchor means, for coupling a wearer of the garment to a life line or a fall arrest device.

[0012] The anchor means may be located at the juncture region.

[0013] The anchor means may include a loop made of any suitable high tensile strength material. Preferably the loop is made from the same material as that of the strap.

[0014] The juncture region may be located at a front or a back of the garment thereby to locate the anchor means at the chest or upper back respectively of the wearer.

[0015] The strap may be a continuous unitary strap wherein the first and second strap segments meet in continuity at the juncture region.

[0016] Alternatively, the strap may be discontinuous wherein the first and second strap segments are discrete portions with ends that meet at the juncture region.

[0017] The strap portion ends may be reinforced with additional constituent material or another suitable material. [0018] The strap may be made from suitable webbing e.g. a polyester woven web material capable of withstanding a tensile load of up to 600 Kilograms.

[001S] The strap may be stitched to the garment. Preferably the strap is triple stitched to the garment with a thread material of a high tensile strength to prevent the strap from detaching from the garment whiist still maintaining tensile capacity along the lines of stitching to provide for elongation of certain segments of the strap when the strap is placed under load.

[0020] The garment may include an adjustable torso strap, attached to or formed integrally with the garment, to aid in tightening the garment about the torso of the wearer thus ensuring a tighter, safer fit.

[0021] The torso strap may have adjacent free end portions, located in the front of the garment, which are coupled by means of a clasp or buckle.

[0022] The torso strap may include a pair of shouider strap segments.

[0023] The garment may be a boiler-suit or a pair of overalls, coveralls, shortalls or a like protective garment such as that worn by a construction worker, painter or cleaner when working at an elevated position to the ground.

[0024] The benefit of such garments is that they are one-piece garments which envelope, at least, the torso of the wearer, from the shoulders to the crotch, to prevent the wearer from slipping from the garment, and thus from the harness arrangement. [0025] The safety device inclusive of such garments also allows limb amputees to take advantage of the safety aspects conferred by the harness arrangement without fear of disengaging therefrom.

[0026] Preferably the garment is a pair of overalls.

[0027] The garment may include a plurality of Velcro™ fastened pockets.

[0028] The invention provides, from another respect, a safety device which includes a one-piece garment, an anchor means attached to the garment for securing a wearer of the garment to a fall arrest device and a load distributing arrangement which includes a strap of a high tensile strength material which is exteriorly attached to, or integrally formed with, the garment and which comprises a first strap segment and a second strap segment, each of which is arranged on the garment to provide a crotch loop and a shoulder loop, wherein the first strap segment and the second strap segment meet at a juncture point centrally located on a back or front side of a torso portion of the garment, and wherein the anchor means is attached to garment at the juncture point.

[0029] Preferably the juncture point is centrally located at the back side of the torso portion of the garment.

[0030] The safety device may include a girth adjustable chest strap of the high tensile strength material which is attached to, and encircles, the torso portion of the garment to provide the benefit of a single-sized garment fitting a variety of differently sized wearers without the need to make adjustments to the load distributing arrangement and not compromising on safety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a worker, wearing a safety garment which accords with the invention; and

Figure 2 is a view, from behind and is a rear side of the worker, wearing the safety garment.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0031] Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a safety garment 10 worn, in this example, by a construction worker. The safety garment, which in this example is a pair of overalls, includes a harness arrangement 12 (see Figure 2) which is attached, exteriorly, to the garment, by suitable means, for example by triple stitching the arrangement 12 to the garment.

[0032] The garment 10 also includes a tightening arrangement 14, which is stitched, in much the same manner as the harness arrangement 12, to the garment's exterior surface.

[0033] The arrangement 14 includes a chest strap 16, which encircles the upper chest of a worker wearing the garment. The strap 16 has a "snap lock" clip 18 located at a chest front of the garment for easy adjustment by the wearer. When the worker requires a tighter fit of the garment, the wearer merely has to pull one end of the strap through a relevant loop of the clip 18, before fastening the clip, to reduce the girth of the strap, ensuring a tighter fit.

[0034] The tightening arrangement 14 has a pair of shoulder braces, respectively designated 20 and 22, the respective ends of which are secured at frontal and rear portions of the strap 16.

[0035] With particular reference to Figure 2, the harness arrangement 12 includes a first strap segment 24 and a second strap segment 26. The free ends of each segment 24 and 26 meet at a juncture region 28, which is exteriorly located at the rear to be located at the wearer's upper back, between the shoulders.

[0036] Each of the strap segments, 24 and 26, is arranged on the garment to define a shoulder loop 32A and 32B and a crotch loop 3OA and 3OB.

[0037] Each shoulder loop (32A and 32B) and each crotch loop (3OA and 30B) meet in a crossed over continuous manner, at a respective hip side of the garment. Each crotch ioop thereby encircles a respective upper portion of the wearer's leg, and each shoulder loop, a respective shoulder and chest region of the wearer's upper torso. In doing so, the strap segments (24, 26) secure and provide support to the wearer when the wearer is working at an elevated position, relatively to the ground, appropriately attached, to a lifeline (not shown), by the harness arrangement 12. [0038] This particular arrangement of the strap segments, in accordance with the invention, provides effective distribution of the worker's load, should the worker fall from this position, uniformly over the entire garment thus reducing the possibility of the fabric of the garment tearing and alleviating any pressure induced bruising or abrasion on the worker's skin in the vicinity of the strap segments.

[0039] At the juncture region 28, the respective free ends of the first and second strap segments (24 and 26), meet in a discontinuous crossed over arrangement, by attaching to a juncture ring 34 (see insert to Figure 2). Each end, respectively designated 36A, 36B, 36C and 36D, is appropriately reinforced, with extra constituent material, where the end is secured to the juncture ring 34.

[0040] The juncture region 28, also includes an anchoring loop (see insert to Figure 2), made of a suitable high tensile strength material, which projects outwardly from the juncture region to present a means to which an end of the lifeline (not shown), can be attached thereby effectively connecting the wearer to the lifeline. In this manner, the lifeline, included as part of a fall-arrest mechanism (not shown), will arrest the fall of the wearer should he be unfortunate enough to fall from his elevated position.

[0041] The strapping, making up the harness arrangement 12 and the tightening arrangement 14, is made from a polyester woven web material of a high tensile strength. Suitable fluorescent material can also be in or on the strapping thus providing increased visibility to the wearer. [0042] The safety garment 10 provides a plurality of pockets, respectively designated 4OA, 4OB, ... 4ON, which are appropriately exteriorly located on the garment for carrying light tools needed by the wearing workman. An opening of each of the pockets is closed by a respective flap and closed by Velcro. The protective garment 10 is also provided with an convenience zip 42, appropriately located at the crotch of the garment to allow the wearing workman to relieve himself without the necessity of disrobing. A pair of lower leg zips, respectively designated 44A and 44B, are included for extending a respective lower leg opening, thus allowing the workman, when donning the garment wearing boots, to pull the garment legs over the boots.

Claims

1. A safety device for use by a person working at an elevated position relatively to the ground which includes at ieast one garment to be worn by the person and a harness arrangement comprising a strap of relatively high tensile strength material attached to or formed integrally with the garment.

2. A safety device according to claim 1 wherein the strap includes a first and a second strap segment, each of which are arranged on the garment to define a crotch loop and a shoulder loop.

3. A safety device according to claim 2 wherein the first strap segment and the second strap segment meet, in crossed relationship, at a juncture region.

4. A safety device according to claim 3 wherein the harness arrangement includes an anchor means, for coupling a wearer of the garment to a life line or a fall arrest device.

5. A safety device according to claim 4 wherein the anchor means is located at the juncture region.

6. A safety device according to claim 5 wherein the anchor means includes a loop made of a high tensile strength material. n

7. A safety device according to claim 3 wherein the juncture region is located at a front or a back of the garment thereby to locate the anchor means at the chest or upper back respectively of the wearer.

8. A safety device according to claim 3 wherein the strap is a continuous unitary strap and wherein the first strap segment and the second strap segment meet in continuity at the juncture region.

9. A safety device according to claim 3 wherein the strap is discontinuous and wherein the first strap segment and the second strap segment are discrete portions with ends that meet at the juncture region.

10. A safety device according to claim 9 wherein the strap segment ends are reinforced with additional constituent material or another suitable material.

11. A safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the strap is made from a polyester woven web material capable of withstanding a tensiie load of up to 600 Kilograms.

12. A safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the strap is stitched to the garment.

13. A safety device according to claim 12 wherein the strap is triple stitched to the garment with a thread material of a high tensile strength.

14. A safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the device includes an adjustable torso strap, attached to or formed integrally with the garment, to aid in tightening the garment about the torso of the wearer thus ensuring a tighter, safer fit.

15. A safety device according to claim 14 wherein the torso strap includes, at adjacent free end portions located in the front of the garment, a clasp or buckle.

16. A safety device according to claim 14 or 15 wherein the torso strap includes a pair of shoulder strap segments.

17. A safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 16 wherein the garment is any one of the following: a boiler-suit, a pair of overalls, a pair of coveralls and a pair of shortalls.

18. A safety device which includes a one-piece garment, an anchor means attached to the garment for securing a wearer of the garment to a fall arrest device and a load distributing arrangement which includes a strap of a high tensile strength material which is exteriorly attached to, or integrally formed with, the garment and which comprises a first strap segment and a second strap segment, each of which is arranged on the garment to provide a crotch loop and a shoulder loop, wherein the first strap segment and the second strap segment meet at a juncture point centrally located on a back or front side of a torso portion of the garment, and wherein the anchor means is attached to garment at the juncture point.

19. A safety device according to claim 18 wherein the juncture point is centrally located at the back side of the torso portion of the garment.

20. A safety device according to claim 18 or 19 wherein the safety device includes a girth adjustable chest strap of the high tensile strength material which is attached to, and encircles, the torso portion of the garment.