Planning for fall protection plays an important role in safety in any industry where workers are at height. While companies may understand the importance of having a plan and equipment in place, many fail to fully address the issue of escape from heights and/or rescue after a fall has occurred.
When things go wrong when working at height, no matter if it is 10 or even 300 feet in the air, it’s too late to fine-tune your rescue plan. You have just minutes to rescue a worker before suspension trauma can occur. Research indicates that suspension in a fall arrest device can result in unconsciousness, followed by death, in less than 30 minutes.1