Fall prevention equipment the F.A.S.T. way – every hospital bed should have one. About 18 months ago we had the privilege of meeting Bob Burling for the first time.  Bob had been referred to us so that we could help him prepare the design of his F.A.S.T. product ready for the market.

Bob worked with our team in the midst of the rubble, plastic sheeting and plaster dust of our office fit out as together we transformed his unique device into a product that could be manufactured to serve a real need in our community.

Bob’s passion and commitment to his task is infectious as he busts his gut to create a safe environment for those that need assistance undertaking everyday tasks.

Bob’s F.A.S.T. system monitors the space above a person lying in a bed and sends a signal over the nurse call system in a hospital ward to alert nursing staff when a person is restless and likely to sit up or attempt to leave their bed.  Restlessness is generally the first sign that a person is waking and involves rolling over, stretching and other movement that is detected by F.A.S.T.  On signs of restlessness an alert is raised.  The alert escalates as the restlessness continues or increases to a point where the person is upright in their bed and provides nursing staff time to be in attendance during the most dangerous phase as a person leaves their bed.

It is a recognised need that some people require assistance to move from their beds safely.  Other sensor mat type systems will detect when a person leaves their bed, but they alert staff too late and once the major danger has passed.  The F.A.S.T. system is superior because it does not come into physical contact with the person, is robust and reliable, and does not require regular cleaning / changing like the mat based systems. 

The new design needed to match the robustness of the aluminium construction of his earlier models, providing a secure and integrated housing for the sensors, electronics and switches.  The performance of the system is significantly affected by the mounting and positioning of the sensors in the housing and their subsequent position relative to the bed.

The F.A.S.T. system has been designed to be mounted to the large range of beds and bed heads used in hospitals and hospices and needed to be protected from impacts and damage as beds are moved around the wards.

The new design successfully reduces the manufacturing cost for the equipment and suits the hospital and care environments in which it will operate.

Bob has long been involved in helping people with disabilities and his inspiration for F.A.S.T. comes from his terrible personal experiences with the effects that falls have the health and safety of people.

He has more clinical trials of the F.A.S.T. starting soon and he has hundreds of older units in various facilities around the country.

Bob’s greatest regret is that people continue to fall and suffer life shortening and painful effects from falls.  The number of falls can be reduced by using the F.A.S.T. system in combination with appropriate staffing and training.

Today, Bob continues his search for people, organisations and governments willing to help reduce the number of falls and we have been privileged to have worked with him on his quest.

Thinking you’d like to help Bob, then he’d love to hear from you.

Contact Bob Burling on 03 9844 3936.