F.A. Wilhelm Construction, SpanSet and Importance of Worker Safety – Putting Workers First

Wilhelm Safety Director, Doug Taylor, collaborated with SpanSet to develop a new, innovative construction safety harness design.

Doug Taylor drove this project from the beginning. There are 100 different harness manufacturers out there, and they all make the same thing. But Doug took it a step further and didn’t want a “me too” item. He considered the employees who wear this every day. He considered their safety, comfort and ease of use when wearing a harness. “It was this forward thinking that created what we think is one of the best construction harnesses on the market today.” – Mike Mulgrew, SpanSet, Inc.

Doug was not only interested in fall protection, but more importantly, how he can provide his construction team with the best possible equipment to do the job safely and efficiently. As such, he made the following suggestions to the WORKA harness:

1. Fixed in Place Waist Belt – This would keep the tool belt and pouches from dragging the harness down and pulling on the back of the worker.

2. Extend the Leg Webbing – This allowed the worker to connect the leg buckles easily and not be hidden under the tool pouch. Reaching under a tool pouch could be frustrating. That was avoided by extending the leg webbing.

3. Adding a Sewn Web Dorsal Loop – By adding the Sewn Web Dorsal Loop below the fixed steel Dorsal D Ring, the harness had a place to keep twin leg SRL on the back of the harness without interfering with the fixed D Dorsal used for fall protection connection.

4. Low cut Shoulder Pad – Doug asked that the back of the shoulder pad be cut in the neck area by 1.5 inches. This helped to keep the neck from rubbing against the padded material without losing the support of the shoulder pad.

5. Radio Straps – Doug wanted Radio straps on both chest straps of the harness. Doug emphasized the importance of communication and quick response was very important. Doug also pointed out the safety of having the radio attached to the harness so it would not be an issue of loose radio mics becoming an entanglement on the job site.

6. Black Webbing Harness – Doug spoke about the harsh environment these harnesses will be in. The bright orange harness (Original Version) was not going to hold up well. By changing the color to black the harness would hold up to the dirt, mud, etc. and would be easier to remove and clean.

SpanSet made Doug’s suggested changes to the Harness. Then Doug put the updated WORKA through a one month wear trail with Zach Martin. After a month, Zach provided feedback and Doug was pleased with the improvements. Overall, this was a 2-year process of dedication and hard work.

“F.A Wilhelm Construction and Safety Director, Doug Taylor, are on the forefront of taking care of their most important asset – their employees.” – Mike Mulgrew, SpanSet, Inc.