SAFE DESCENT SYSTEMS

Originally designed for oil rig stairways and then later adapted for general commercial and residential use, this friction based design was developed to make the act of climbing stairs much safer if someone were to stumble.   It incorporated a large handle for a person’s hand, bare or gloved, and was to be mounted above the stair case, parallel with the angle of the stairs.  If someone were to trip while ascending or descending the stairway, the device would instantly react to the sudden pull of a falling person holding the handle and impart a very high frictional drag on the internal handle mechanism and thereby catching the person before they could fall.