How long after a worker has fallen, should a rescue be completed? This is a question I often come across. The answer to which I cannot give. Each situation is unique. How high is the patient from the ground? How are they connected? What path do we need to take to get them to safety?
South African legislation stipulates in the OHS Act CR10(2)(e) that one needs to implement a rescue immediately. Proper training, gear and experience would assist in this process.
Have a look as the September 2019 safety bulletin here to see what happened with an experiment at Gravity’s offices with technicians of varying experience levels to see how fast their rescues were initiated and completed.
