Safety Tip: Rope Rescue Awareness for Critical Response

Creating a rescue plan for workers who work at heights is one of the most overlooked—and most critical—aspects of any fall protection plan. Incorporating rope rescue awareness into that plan is essential to identify and answer the question of how you would get a suspended worker down after a fall occurs.

Here are the top reasons why you should consider making and revamping your organization’s rescue plans for work-at-height employees and contractors:

1. Preparedness
   It’s always better to be prepared and have a rescue plan in place for the unexpected. It protects not only your organization but also the safety of your work-at-height employees and contractors. 

2. Non-fall related injury or Illness
   A worker can become ill or sustain another type of work-related injury not related to a fall while they are working at heights. As a result, it may become critical to be able to get this worker down to ground level to seek appropriate medical attention. By having a rescue plan in place that incorporates rope rescue awareness and considers various scenarios, your work-at-heights team will be able to safely lower the ill and injured individual to the ground to access medical attention promptly.

3. Suspension Trauma
   Suspension trauma can arise when a worker remains dangling for an extended period following a fall. Having a plan in place and promptly executing a rescue plan can significantly mitigate the potentially fatal experience for the worker who has suffered a fall. suspension trauma.

4. Critical Response
   In the event of a fall, other illness, or injury, every moment matters to the worker. Having a rescue plan in place—one that includes rope rescue awareness—can potentially save a worker’s life. Calling 911 and waiting for emergency services isn’t necessarily a suitable response, as emergency responders require the victim(s) to be in a safe and accessible area for medical treatment.