Rescue assessments and rescue planning are important fall protection concerns because employers have a very specific legal duty to rescue employees should they fall on the job. OSHA regulations state: "The employer shall provide for prompt rescue of employees in the event of a fall or shall assure that employees are able to rescue themselves." We emphasize the word "prompt" because hanging in a harness is not something the human body can tolerate for very long. Employers must be prepared to retrieve a fallen worker within minutes. In our opinion, there should be a written and well understood rescue plan for every instance when employees use active fall protection methods.
Can Emergency Personnel Respond Promptly?
When designing rescue plans, employers must determine whether they can rely upon emergency service providers like fire departments to perform prompt rescues. This is sometimes feasible in urban and suburban areas, however, fire department personnel sometimes have limited high-angle rescue skills. Often the most significant problem, especially in rural areas, is response time. More and more, employers are realizing that basic rescues must be performed by in-house personnel to be prompt. As a result, more employers are training workers in basic rescue methods that can be employed on-site immediately.
In-House Rescue
If rescues must be performed in-house, the employer faces the challenge of determining how the rescue is best performed. Traditionally, high-angle rescuers are trained to an advanced level in knot tying, pulley design, equalizing anchor systems and descent control methods. Gravitec believes that these traditional skills are often too complicated and inappropriate for most work environments. Training workers and maintaining their skills in these traditional methods can be very time consuming. The good news is that employers are able to predict where a rescue may occur. Since rescue in the work environment is predictable, basic rescue skills can be taught rather than traditional high-angle methods.
Adopting a Planned Approach to Rescue
For clients who want to adopt a planned approach to rescue, Gravitec's consultants strive for techniques that are easily taught and retained. We begin site-specific rescue assessments by examining the tasks required of the worker and the job site. We then generate feasible rescue options and discuss them with the employer's safety and management teams. Next we write rescue plans that are practical and comply with OSHA's requirements for a "prompt" rescue. These plans can be used to train anyone who works at the site. We often train employees to safely use the chosen rescue plan.