For Max Willhammer, tragedy sparked a new idea about safety: create customized fall protection harnesses including some that provide longer protection for dangling construction workers who have fallen and been saved by their harnesses.

Hanging in a harness after a fall for more than five minutes in an upright posture, with legs relaxed straight beneath the body, can cause serious injury or death, according to Occupational Safety and Health magazine.

Wilhammer says that severe injury is possible after eight to 12 minutes. Others have put the time until injury at 14 minutes in a full-body harness.