People who work on wind, electrical, utility or other high towers, on bridges, platforms, commercial scaffolding and the like all have one thing in common – a risk of falling every day on the job. Safety professionals recognize the value of fall protection gear and rescue plans to minimize the risk and provide an appropriate response when falls occur. But are current processes and gear sufficient?

In this brief series we’ll review the situation, and consider alternatives. In this first entry, let’s look at how significant the risk is for those who work at height.

The US Department of Labor reported in 2009 that 7 falls per 10,000 full time workers resulted in an average of 14 days away from work for those employees. In 2009, 538 falls were fatal, about the same fatality rate as highway vehicle accidents.

Workers at height are typically supported with fall protection equipment, usually a shock-absorbing lanyard or self-retracting lanyard (SRL) connected to the worker’s harness. But a fall can leave workers suspended by that same lanyard and harness until they are able to get down to the ground. The longer the wait, the longer the risk of serious injury, particularly from suspension trauma.

Formally known as “orthostatic intolerance”, suspension trauma occurs when blood that would normally be moved by muscular contractions ceases moving, pools in the veins and ultimately reduces the level of oxygen reaching the brain. OSHA reported in 2004 that suspension in a fall-arrest device can result in unconsciousness, followed by death, in less than 30 minutes.

Protecting workers from falls is only half the equation. Workers at heights must also be given the tools for rescue after a fall. Given this, which approach is better: enabling each worker to self-rescue, or supporting the team to provide assisted rescue?

We’ll take a look at these alternatives in our next entry.