Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Fall Protection Harness Safety

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
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Fall Protection Harness Safety
Real quick post.

I have been meaning to mention this, and try to get pictures, but I don't have the items I need for a demonstration. With the fall hunting season in full throttle, I should have posted this much earlier!

As you should know, falls are the number one killer of outdoorsmen. Falls from tree stands account for the largest percentage of injuries and deaths in hunters. As it so happens, falls also account for the largest percent of injuries in all industries!

A fall protection harness will protect you from the associated injuries from stopping abruptly against the ground. But you can also die from having the circulation cut off to your lower extremities, and serious injuries can occur from the pressure of the leg straps.

There is a simple solution that will at least keep you from perishing from the aforementioned.

Get some 550 cord. (Parachute cord.)
Don your harness.
Double up your 550 cord and thread it through the belt portion of your harness.
What you want to create, is a loop that is long enough for you to put your foot in and lift yourself off the seat of the harness.
Cut your 550, melt the ends, and tie a square knot to secure the loop. I would strongly recommend that you also half hitch the ends and pull the knots tight.
Create another loop for the other side.

Carefully fold your loops into a nice neat package, and secure them to the harness with some tape, making sure they don't interfere with your hunting.

Should you fall from a stand, and find your self dangleing by the nape of your neck, take a moment to compose yourself. You will more than likely have had the wind knocked out of you, and possible have suffered getting banged up. Check yourself carefully, so as to prevent further injury.

Next undo your loops, and carefully slip your foot in one. Do the same with the other. Now step up into your loops carefully, and adjust your leg straps. Undoubtedly they were dug into your crotch, and if you were truly unlucky, your voice may have changed substantially. Alternate taking the weight off of your legs every few minutes, contemplating how exactly you got into this perdicament. It is a worthwhile mental excercise.

DO NOT attempt to get out of your harness! You should have assistance to get down. It would be just great if the harness saves your life, and then you just either fall out of it, or get your neck all twisted up in it, and end up hanging your self.

I don't know if I will be able to get pictures until I get back home in order to explain this better. But I would greatly appreciate it if someone who has a harness would put some loops together and write a post with pictures explaining what I am trying to get across.

Please feel free to copy this post in its entirety and share it with all our friends on your blogs! If you are going to use safety equipment, let's be SAFE useing it!


Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Shindand Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...


The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nobody wants to have an accident like that so this post was a very good reminder, thanks.

Whitetail Woods Blog / Deer Hunting and Blackpowder Shooting at it’s best.

Jesses Hunting And Outdoors said...

Oh man does your post bring back a painful memory. Not of a fall from a treestand but of using a 1/2 inch rope to make a Swiss Seat to Stabo with under a helo. Good god did it ever cut the circulation off and crush the twins, I could have used your loop idea then Al.

My roomie for some reason didn't have the same discomfort and was having the time of his life playing Superman next to me while I tried to lift my entire weight off the twins by pulling up with my arms while screaming at the helo crewman to put us the hell down.

That's all I can remember, I'm about to pass out from that memory being repressed all these years and now coming back. LOL.