Chris Still demonstrates his safety sling with a canvas bag insert.
Product carries water, tools
A SAFETY SLING designed by Local 374 (Hammond, Ind.) member Chris Still could soon begin appearing at construction sites across the country, that is if the journeyman’s invention takes off.
Still hopes the industry will see the value of a product that can safely carry water coolers, work buckets, and other items to elevated work areas. He said he got the idea one day while retrieving a water cooler that was hoisted by its handle 80 feet into the air to his position atop a duct. He considered that should the handle break, the load could hurtle to the ground, causing a serious injury or fatality.
After a year of research and experimentation, Still purchased an industrial sewing machine and assembled the sling from lifting straps. Its flexible basket shape can securely hold a five-gallon water cooler, he said. He later added a fitted canvas bag to carry loose items like tools and welding rods.
Still said he is excited that Vernon Corporation (www.VernonCorp.com) has picked up his patent-pending product and will soon begin marketing it. The Boonville, Ind., company is an established supplier of slings, hoist clamps, and lifting devices.
Different size slings can be fabricated to lift a variety of personal items or equipment, Still added, and a tag line loop is included for stability and control. Camouflage versions will also be available for hunters using tree stands, he said.
