Firefighters are put in many situations that could lead to injury on a regular basis. You may be surprised by the fact that one of the top injuries for firefighters is strains and sprains. A majority of calls are medical-related, which leads to a lot of lifting of patients and extra weight on muscles and joints.
It’s not always possible for the first responder to use proper lifting techniques when their goal is to move an individual to get them into a safer situation. This can put a lot of strain on their back and injury is more likely to occur.
Firefighter Joe Webster was recovering from such an injury and decided it was time to develop a better solution. After multiple discussions with fellow firefighter, Ivan Klippenstein, together they knew they could come up with the right tool that would help colleagues avoid injury.
They wanted to develop something that would allow first responders to lift with their legs and take some of the load off their backs and lift more efficiently.
This led to the development of KlipWeb, the industry’s first product designed by the end-user to keep both the patient and firefighters safe. Its patented technology was designed using the inventors’ real-world experience.
They have provided a solution that is easy to use and reliable in the field, one that significantly reduces the likelihood of back injuries that occur with improper lifting.
“We used KlipWeb to lift a larger patient from the floor. We placed the webbing under the patient with a log roll method under their shoulders to below their hips. We squatted down and shortened the straps to the lowest length we could use to lift from that position. The cot was placed at the patient’s head. Two firefighters lifted the patient with very little exertion and no strain on our back. The cot was rolled under the patient, and we lowered the patient without incident. We were able to lift with our legs and guide with our arms. If the patient needed further lift, we could then lift with our arms with our backs in the upright position. KlipWeb works great!” said one first responder.
Two firefighters saw a way to help others in their field avoid injury and immediately set out to create KlipWeb. We salute their initiative to foster a safer environment for their peers! To learn more about this product go to their website https://klipweb.net/.