Working at height is a very high risk job, so when a fall is stopped by a harness and the worker is suspended, a physiological process called Suspension Syndrome begins.
In short, the employee’s inability to move, and the pressure exerted by the harness straps against his body, generate a serious circulatory problem that can lead to death within minutes.
This type of emergency requires the worker to have a fall emergency response plan in place whenever he is or will be working at height.
The thing is, a worker can fall when losing consciousness or lose it by falling. In both cases, if he is equipped with a fall protection system, he will remain suspended by the harness until rescue time. This period in which the worker remains suspended without consciousness is called Inert Suspension.
The main signs and symptoms related to inert suspension in safety hrnesses can start immediately after the second minute of suspension:
Tingling and damping;
Dizziness, nausea, hyperthermia and unconsciousness;
Restriction of circulatory volume in the lower limbs, resulting in various complications (circulatory shock, physiological reactions, among others);
Irreversible trauma and even death.
RISK OF INERT SUSPENSION
Recent scientific studies prove that suspension syndrome, even for short periods of time, can trigger severe physiological disorders due to compression of the arteries and consequent blood circulation problems. These disorders can lead to serious injuries or even death – if rescue is not performed quickly and efficiently.
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