Vendor Spotlight: Harken Industrial

Vendor Spotlight: Harken Industrial

Harken Industrial

You may have read our blog post recently featuring our own Brian Bourquin and his victory in the SPRAT Olympic Rescue competition. he was also featured on the Harken Industrial website with a blog post of their own, See here.

At the time, I was not too aware of Harken or their equipment. 

Harken Industrial, a division of Harken Inc., has a 45-year history of load-management experience, designing and manufacturing a broad range of high-end, material-handling apparatus. Strong, lightweight products include low-friction winches, pulleys, linear motion cars, track, and roller furling equipment in aluminium, stainless steel, or titanium, depending on the product. Harken equipment is tested in some of the toughest environments in the world from state-of-the art test labs to the harsh seas of the southern ocean. 

We have become more fond of some of their equipment from the few samples they have provided. We look forward to more coming our way and the opportunity to test more of their equipment. Here is their banner hanging in our training area:

Harken Industrial

To quote Brian:

“When I was choosing a set of blocks for my personal rescue kit, I had a few criteria that were not met by the set-ups advertised to at-height industries. The problem with many of the pre-rigged kits was that they are heavy and cumbersome. I found sailing pulleys that were astonishingly light, strong, and compact. Because I was not lifting a long distance and not relying on the pulleys to be life-support rated, I was able to create a setup that was fast to use. I didn’t use a capture progress because I only needed to lift about five inches, which was enough to release the victim without cutting, then set them down on my rescue system.

I was also able to use wire gate karabiners to save weight and expedite the rescue. If someone’s life is on the line, every second counts. Because of the compact design, I created a 4:1 purchase that fits in the bottom of a bolt bag but does not weigh down your harness. I keep this set-up on me at all times, without hindering my day-to-day productivity. With this set-up, I was able to complete the fastest rescue in the SPRAT Olympics.

I trust Harken with my life and the lives of my coworkers,” Brian Bourquin

Be Safe!

Kevin Carter

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