ABS Trauma Strap
Safety harness foot sling - designed to prevent suspension trauma

The most serious threat to health after a fall has been arrested is suspension trauma which can even be fatal. Even if you do not sustain any injury when your personal fall protection equipment (PPE) kicks in, as long as you remain in a hanging position there is a danger of your blood sinking into those parts of your body that are dangling down. This happens automatically as your leg muscles are not active, as they are when standing or walking. When you are stuck in a hanging position, your blood is no longer naturally pumped through your body. In addition, the leg straps of your safety harness prevent the blood from flowing back through your body. However, the use of a foot sling can actively combat suspension trauma and keep your blood circulation going.

If you have just fallen, you can place your feet on our ABS Trauma Strap sling and push yourself upwards, thus activating your body's own muscular pump system. This is a way of actively postponing suspension trauma until you have been rescued - and of avoiding damage to your organs through lack of oxygen.

Our practical ABS Safety Trauma Strap comes rolled up in a small, compact package and is simply attached to your safety harness - where it is not really noticeable but still easy to reach. Attach the two small bags containing our ABS Trauma Strap between the shoulder and thigh straps on each side of your harness (left and right). If you fall, all you have to do is to connect the ABS Trauma Strap to the hooks and adjust it to the right length. The resulting foot sling can then be used to restore blood circulation in the area around the leg straps by taking the weight of your body off them, thus reducing the danger of suspension trauma to a minimum.

More information on suspension trauma and how to prevent it can be found in our online manual - just look for "Suspension trauma".