Does OSHA Require A Fall Protection Rescue Plan?
You need a plan of action for your team to follow in the event of an emergency. A rapid rescue plan is essential for preventing secondary injuries and even death that can occur in a fall incident. Creating a rescue plan arms workers with the knowledge and processes they need to follow in the event of an emergency to prevent injury or death.
OSHA Requires a Written Rescue Plan
The OSHA standard number for a fall protection rescue plan is 1926.502. The OSHA website states that “an effective fallen worker rescue plan addresses the procedures, equipment, and personnel needed to ensure that a rescue proceeds quickly and efficiently when a fall occurs”. The standard also states that even when a Personal Fall Arrest System works properly, the fallen worker is still in danger. The worker’s body weight places pressure on the harness straps, which can compress the veins, causing blood to pool in the lower extremities and reduce blood return to the worker’s heart. This condition is called suspension trauma, also known as harness hang syndrome. If the pressure is not reduced promptly, the worker can lose consciousness within minutes.
The OSHA website explains the following two rescue techniques. Self-rescue and aided rescue are two techniques for rescuing a suspended worker. Rescuing the worker promptly (i.e., aided rescue) or ensuring the worker can self-rescue is imperative to preventing injury or fatality.
Aided Rescue
A worker who is suspended from a lifeline and cannot perform a self-rescue will need help from trained rescuers using appropriate equipment, including appropriate fall protection. Off-site emergency response personnel may rescue suspended workers, although most 911 responders are not trained in how to do so.
2. Self-Rescue
With proper personal fall protection equipment, training and practice, a fallen worker can take steps to minimize suspension trauma. Self-rescue methods allow a fallen worker to temporarily relieve pressure on the legs or in some cases to even lower himself or herself to the lower level.
Most companies provide a plan for aided rescue. Although there are devices available for self-rescue, it’s difficult to have workers at height with only a self-rescue option. There could be injury during the fall that would prevent a fallen worker from performing a self-rescue. There also could be swing fall hazards and best practices are generally for a worker to have aided rescue.
Since OSHA requires that your company have a written rescue plan, you will need to make sure that it is prompt. You must have your employees trained on this rescue plan as well. You will need to make sure your employees are trained on any equipment that is being used.
For example, if a worker falls, you don’t want to say that the fire department will be there in 45 minutes to an hour. That means he will be hanging there for that amount of time and could have permanent damage or potentially death from hanging.
The opinions vary but no one certainly wants to be suspended in the air after a fall for that length of time. There are certain things that can happen on the way down from a fall even with the best gear. The reality is that you can have injuries on the way down from a fall and/or from the fall itself.
The hierarchies of where an employee should be and “fall arrest” is third or fourth down on the list. The hazard should definitely be taken out before exploring the option of having a fall and having it arrested. There aren’t hazards in every situation but there were in this example.
So, for your plan to be complete, you need to have a rescue involved. Wearing safety gear and experiencing a fall is not enough. The worker must be able to get back to the ground and seek medical attention. That’s why OSHA puts it in a language that allows the employer to determine what it is. You do have to have one ready; your employees should know it and it should be part of your training.
Along with a fall protection rescue plan, there must be a fall protection plan. Falls are among the leading causes of workplace injury and death each year. With more than 7,700 cases in 2018 alone, OSHA consistently cites more companies for fall protection violations than any other issue.
