Top Award for Welsh Company

Mid Wales based Promove UK Ltd won a top award at last week’s International Exhibition of Invention in Geneva.

The company won a Bronze Medal for its pioneering solution to moving and handling needs within the emergency, healthcare and disability sectors.

The sling, called Promove, is designed for moving and handling incapacitated or disabled individuals in confined spaces where a hoist cannot be used.

The sling allows an individual to be moved without being manhandled and with the least risk to the operator, and has been independently tested to carry a range of different sized individuals, from children to large adults weighing up to 45 stone.

Due to its slippery material, Promove is easily placed behind and beneath an incapacitated person whether on the ground, seated in a chair or stuck in a tight corner. It provides good support, forming a bucket shaped seat, giving a sense of security for sliding or lifting.

Dr Huw Thomas, creator of Promove said: “I am delighted with the bronze medal for the sling, I think the judges recognised how such a simple device will enhance the work of the emergency services while reducing the risk of further injury to victims.”

With the use of strategically placed grasping handles to the front and rear, moving and handling immediately becomes controlled. The innovative design of the handles allows the sling to be used by two or more operatives, making moving individuals in tricky situations an easier and safer task.

The sling can be used on its own for lifting or in combination with a glide sheet for sliding. To move a very large individual it is recommended that a minimum of four operatives is needed, and as many as eight operatives can be employed if space permits, distributing the load between as many individuals as possible.

Promove was designed with input from moving and handling specialists in Fire and Rescue, Ambulance and Nursing services and with support and guidance from the Wales Innovators Network.

For further information and a free trial, please contact Dr Huw Thomas or Dana Thomas by telephone on 01970 820893 or by e-mail huw@promove.uk.com / dana@promove.uk.com.