Safety Meeting: Suspension Trauma Rescue

When an employee is suspended in a fall arrest harness, they are at risk of suspension trauma and need to be rescued right away. While the harness stopped the fall, it’s holding the worker in a vertical position with the legs dangling. Suspension trauma occurs as the blood pools in the legs, reducing blood circulation and depriving the brain of oxygen. This can result in serious injury to the worker. Death can occur in less than 30 minutes.

Suspension trauma includes these symptoms:

Losing consciousness within three to five minutes.
Dizziness, nausea, paleness, or narrowing of vision.

Do your employees know what to do if they are suspended in a fall arrest harness? Do your employees know how to rescue a coworker that's suspended in a fall arrest harness?

What your employees need to know about being suspended in a fall arrest harness

Fall protection harness with foot straps. Photo courtesy of Honeywell Safety Products.

While coworkers immediately begin the emergency response, the trapped worker can actually help in their rescue by keeping their blood circulating.

One way to do this is to deploy the foot straps. Once deployed, workers stand on the foot straps to keep the harness from cutting off blood flow to and from their legs. The improved circulation provides more time for rescue procedures.

Other things workers should know when suspended in a fall arrest harness are:

Continuously pumping the legs activates the muscles and keeps the blood circulating.
Pushing off against a hard object, like a nearby building, helps keep the muscles active. As the worker swings away from the building, they will eventually swing back toward it, and can push off again.

IMPORTANT INFO

Not all fall arrest harnesses come with foot straps, but foot straps can be purchased separately.

What your employees need to do to help rescue a coworker suspended in a fall arrest harness

When a fall occurs, call 9-1-1 right away. One person makes the call while the other workers immediately begin rescue procedures according to your fall protection plan.

Remember, the rescue must be quick to prevent the suspended worker from losing consciousness. Maintain regular communication and encourage the worker to continue moving the legs. Ask if they're experiencing any symptoms such as faintness, dizziness, nausea, paleness, or narrowing of vision.

Depending on the height of the building, you can use stepladders as long as they extend from the ground to the roof of the building. If someone falls and is suspended in the harness, coworkers can move the ladder to a position where the worker can access it and make their way to safety. For taller buildings, an aerial lift can be used to retrieve a worker. You can also mount a flexible safety ladder to the top of the building and throw it to a suspended worker, who can then grab hold of it and climb to safety.

After completing the rescue, follow these steps until emergency crews arrive:

Stay with your injured colleague and keep them in a seated position with legs out in front.
Do not lay the injured worker flat in a horizontal position.
Keep them calm and quiet.
If the worker is unconscious, keep their air passages open.
Follow any instructions given by the 9-1-1 operator.

What to cover at your safety meeting about suspension trauma

Talk to your employees about suspension trauma, and address any concerns they might have about working from heights:

Do they know how to recognize the symptoms of suspension trauma?
Do they understand how the harness is supposed to fit?
Do they know how to adjust the harness for the particular job to minimize the fall height and the swing?
Do they know how to deploy the foot straps?
Do they know how to use the stepladder or safety ladder?
Do they understand your rescue plan?
If you have an aerial lift on site, do your employees know how to use it?
Have you practiced your rescue plan?

Reinforce that time is of the essence and how regular movement and use of the foot straps can provide more time for the rescue operation. You might also consider holding a safety demonstration at your worksite and practice your emergency response plan.

When working at heights, employees are at a greater risk for serious or fatal injury. The additional steps you take to prepare for a fall can literally be the difference between life and death.

Investing in a quality harness and the foot straps along with the time to conduct safety demonstrations, makes a statement to your employees that you are serious about their safety.