With a fall protection rescue plan, procedures are put in place to rescue workers when a fall accident has occurred. While a basic fall protection plan or guide covers the outlines of safe working at height in order to prevent fall accidents, a fall protection rescue plan is aimed at rescueing workers after a fall.
On this page, we will share some practical tips and guidelines in drafting an effective and safe fall protection rescue plan.
Comparing a rescue plan to a fall protection plan/guide
As described already, a basic fall protection plan or guide only covers the guidelines for safe working at height to prevent fall accidents. A fall protection rescue plan is something completely different. This plan is a guideline for rescuing workers after they have fallen and rescue is needed.
A fall protection rescue plan describes the procedures to rescue the victim of a fall accident.
How will a rescue plan help?
When a fall arrest system saves a user from serious injuries or worse, there is a relief amongst co-workers that their colleague is safe, at first sight.
The next step is to bring the fallen worker down safely and quickly. There will be some form of panic after the fall and guidelines are needed to effectively run through certain steps to execute the rescue operation.
Emergency services don’t always have the right equipment to save someone that is suspended at height. A fall protection rescue plan will provide guidance in what is needed to save a person.
Want to know about the rules and regulations concerning a fall protection rescue plan? Read this article about OSHA and ANSI.