Work Health and Safety (Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces) Code of Practice 2015
Preventing suspension intolerancePreventing suspension intolerance
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Preventing suspension intolerance
To prevent suspension intolerance occurring as a result of an arrested fall, you should ensure that:
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workers never work alone when using a harness as fall protection
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workers use a harness, which allows legs to be kept horizontal
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the time a worker spends in suspension after a fall is limited to less than five minutes. When
a suspension is longer than five minutes, foothold straps or a way of placing weight on the
legs should be provided. -
workers are trained to do the following when they are hanging in their harness after a fall:
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move their legs in the harness and push against any footholds, where these movements are possible. In some instances, the harness design and/or any injuries received may prevent this movement
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move their legs as high as possible and the head as horizontal as possible, where these movements are possible.