3M has expanded its personal safety portfolio with a new controlled descent device for escape and rescue at height and a high-altitude upgrade for its popular 3M™ Adflo™ Powered Air Purifying Respirator system. The 3M™ and DEUS™ Escape and Rescue System enables workers to steadily descend from heights up to 590 feet, while the 3M™  Adflo™ Turbo Assembly with High Altitude Upgrade can provide continuous filtered air to welders working at altitudes of up to 10,000 ft.

Fall Protection

“When people think of those working at extreme heights, they think of the risk of falling. They don’t think about the risk of people getting stranded, but we know that’s just as real of a concern,” said Andrew Johnson, Fall Protection Product Marketer, 3M Personal Safety Division. “The 3M™ and DEUS™ Escape and Rescue System helps provide security for workers in industries like oil and gas, electrical distribution, utilities, wind energy, and general industry and manufacturing by putting a quick, simple way to help workers get down safely right at their fingertips. The addition of DEUS products extends the 3M portfolio of fall-arrest equipment, including harnesses, connecting and anchorage devices and horizontal and vertical lifelines and confined space equipment.”

The new escape and rescue system is available with two controlled descent device options – the 3300 device and the 3700 device. The 3300 device allows for rescue from heights up to 350 feet, at a descent rate of 3 meters/second (9.8  feet/second), making it ideally suited for situations where time is of the essence. The 3700 device has been third-party tested and certified to the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard and offers users a descent rate of 2 meters/second (6.6 feet/second) from heights up to 590 feet.

Respiratory Protection for Welders

Reliable protection and comfort for welders comes standard with the 3M™ Adflo™ Powered Air Purifying Respirator System (PAPR). The 3M welding PAPR now features a lithium ion battery – reducing the overall weight of the respiratory system by approximately 20 percent - and has an optional high-altitude upgrade for welders working at altitudes of up to 10,000 ft.

About 3M

3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $31 billion in sales, 3M employs 89,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

About 3M Personal Safety Division

3M offers a comprehensive, diverse portfolio of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) solutions providing respiratory protection, hearing protection, fall protection, reflective materials for high-visibility apparel, protective clothing, protective eyewear, head and face protection, welding helmets, and other adjacent products and solutions such as tactical safety equipment, detection, monitoring equipment, active communications equipment and compliance management. In 2012, 3M celebrated 40 years of occupational health and safety leadership – recognizing the company’s respiratory and hearing protection solutions introduced in 1972. Visit www.3M.com/PPESafety or http://m.3m.com/PPESafety.