Binder Lift Wraps Torso in Handles

Like it or not, a big component of EMS is picking people up from simple falls. They’re often uninjured, but they’re also often large or stuck in cramped, twisted or inconvenient places. Lifting them while you’re wrenched to unnatural contours is a recipe for pain.

The Binder Lift is designed to reduce that risk. Basically a torso wrap with handles, it goes around the patient to permit easier lifting by up to six personnel. It is compact and portable, weighing just 3 lbs., and adjustable for chests from 34–62 inches (the MX model) and 58–82 inches (XLT). Other features include a quick side release and web strap adjustment, water-resistant nylon fabric, and tough polypropylene straps.

The devices have some believers in Delaware, where members of the Ellendale Volunteer Fire Co. used them more than 20 times during a successful trial period. EMS Supervisor James Furbush described one experience in an e-mail to Binder Lift: He and his partner, both good-size males, responded to a regular caller in his 70s who weighed more than 300 lbs. “He was lying on his back in the bathroom after sliding down the wall while moving from the shower to his motorized wheelchair,” Furbush related. “He was not complaining of any injuries, so we got him into a sitting position on the floor. With my partner bracing him from behind, we placed the device on the gentleman, and with just the two of us [we lifted him] from the floor and off his feet and moved him 4 feet to his chair.” The grateful patient said he found the lift much more comfortable than previous lifts where he was grasped under the arms or in other ways.

Ellendale’s other crews have had similarly positive experiences, and Furbush has sung the Binder Lift’s praises to public safety colleagues.

“I cannot give you any negative feedback at this time because I just haven't been able to find anything that needs to be changed,” he added in his comments to Binder Lift. “This is without a doubt the best product that has come to this field in the patient lifting and moving category.”

Visit www.BinderLIFT.com.