I do not remember the day or the month, in fact, I do not believe I could even say for sure
what year it was. But it was in the late 1970s, and I was in Tampa, Florida doing fall
protection demonstrations for Safety Equipment Company of Florida, one of the premier
safety equipment distributors at that time.
I was with Rose Manufacturing Company, one of true pioneers in fall protection in the
United States. Clarence Rose developed the first shock absorbing lanyard, the first locking
snap hook and many other innovations in safety.
But across the hall I noticed a man periodically climbing up a step ladder and jumping off
from about four feet off the ground. He would stop within a foot and briefly hang in his
harness. Then he would swing back to the ladder, climb up a step, and then come back
down. I had just witnessed a self-retracting lifeline in action, and I knew it was a game
changer. He brought the technology from Great Britain, and shortly after, the Swedish
company Sala introduced comparable products.
And thus began the conversion from safety belts and lanyards to harnesses, shock
absorbing lanyards with locking snap hooks and self-retracting lifelines. Nigel was also
instrumental in the dramatic growth of horizontal lifelines.
Nigel also worked to help introduce ANSI Z359 in 1992, to replace the old ANSI A10.14,
which was the old standard for safety belts and lanyards.
Nigel retired in February 2024, but his contributions will be here for years to come.
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