Step Smart to improve ladder safety
Balco Lifestyle has created a device which will detect if a ladder becomes unstable when in use. Step Smart alerts the user to danger at the earliest opportunity with red lights and an alarm.
Kathryn Trivella, a spokesperson from Balco Lifestyle said, according to the Injury Journal, 3.3% of all trauma presentations to emergency departments in Victoria are for ladder fall injuries.
“On average three Victorians will die every year from injuries sustained in the fall; primarily those who die will be men aged over 55 who are doing odd jobs around the home. With Step Smart, this figure will hopefully be reduced by encouraging more cautious ladder use,” Kristin said.
“Step Smart helps in setting up a ladder to a level position before using it. When the ladder is set and stable, Step Smart will flash green and the user is free to use the ladder. Should the angle of the ladder change from its original set position at any point, Step Smart will flash red and emit an alarm. The user then is aware the ladder is at an unsafe level and they should proceed with caution or an accident could occur.
“Step Smart will take the guesswork out of knowing if your ladder is stable while you are using it,” Kathryn said.
“Like the reversing beep on a truck or a heart rate monitor, Step Smart will provide early warning of danger to prevent something serious from occurring.”
Step Smart is a good fit to most ladders when set up, it is attached to the ladder between rungs where it sits safety and securely courtesy of a telescopic pole and bracket, which locks into place.
Like a spirit level, Step Smart indicates whether the ladder is level and safe to use (green light) and not yet level (red light).
When the ladder is level, the user sets Step Smart to Alarm Mode before using the ladder.
Any change in the ladder’s angle, however slight, will cause an alarm to sound and the LED lights to flash.
A red flashing light and slow beep indicate the ladder is at a dangerous angle.
Solid red lights and a rapid beep mean the ladder is extremely dangerous and is likely to tip over.
Step Smart has 70 hours of battery life.
Balco Lifestyle has found a gap in the market. There are products that will address the problem of uneven ground, for example when a ladder is used on stairs or sloping ground, however there are no products currently in the market that will monitor ladder stability while in use, Kristin said.
Balco Lifestyle is launching Step Smart on Kickstarter to raise funds to cover the final software and hardware development costs. Customers can find out more and secure an early bird deal by visiting the Kickstarter page at: www.kickstarter.com/projects/963229215/592359243?token=95c20dee
Located in Melbourne, Australia, Balco Lifestyle is an experienced product development company with close to 20 years’ experience bringing products to market. Step Smart has been created by a small R&D team that focus on innovative solutions, particularly in tech products in range of areas from sports to safety.
Visit: www.balcolifestyle.com
