Fall Protection Rescue Plan: Guide + Template

Last updated: March 2026

Your ironworker clips in, steps onto a beam 12 metres up, and his foot slips. The harness catches him. He's alive, dangling, conscious. Your crew stares. Nobody moves. Nobody knows the procedure. Within 15 minutes, blood pooling in his legs could trigger cardiac arrest.

That scenario happens on Canadian job sites more often than most contractors admit. The harness did its job. The question is whether your team knows what happens next. When we review contractor safety programs, we often find rescue plans where the entire procedure is "call 911."

A fall protection rescue plan is a written set of site-specific procedures for retrieving a worker who has fallen and is suspended by a personal fall arrest system, stranded at height, or otherwise unable to reach safety. It is a required component of your fall protection plan under Canadian provincial regulations. It is not optional, and "call 911" is not a rescue plan.

Why Rescue Plans Save Lives: Suspension Trauma

Most contractors understand that a harness prevents a fatal fall. Fewer understand that the harness itself becomes a medical emergency if the worker stays suspended.

Suspension trauma (also called harness hang syndrome or orthostatic intolerance) occurs when a motionless worker hangs upright in a full body harness. The leg straps compress the femoral arteries, restricting blood flow back to the heart. Blood pools in the lower extremities. Oxygen delivery to the brain and vital organs drops.

Here is the timeline, based on data from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) and clinical research:

• 0 to 5 minutes: Tingling and numbness in the legs. The worker may still be able to self-rescue if trained and equipped.
• 5 to 15 minutes: Dizziness, nausea, elevated heart rate, vision changes. The worker may lose the ability to assist in their own rescue.
• 15 to 30 minutes: Loss of consciousness, kidney damage, cardiac arrhythmia. CCOHS states death can occur in less than 30 minutes.

This is not theoretical. The CCOHS explicitly recommends rescue within 10 minutes of a fall. Every minute beyond that increases the risk of permanent injury or death.

Even a properly fitted, CSA Z259.10-compliant harness causes this. The harness saved the worker's life on impact. Now the rescue plan saves it again.

What Canadian Provinces Require

Every province in Canada requires some form of rescue planning when workers use fall arrest systems. The specifics vary, but the core obligation is the same: you must have a written plan for getting a suspended worker down before work at heights begins.

Alberta

The Alberta OHS Code, Part 9, is explicit. Section 140(2)(f) requires every fall protection plan to include:

"the rescue procedures to be used if a worker falls and is suspended by a personal fall arrest system or safety net and needs to be rescued."

This is not optional. If your crew works above 3 metres without guardrails, you need a written fall protection plan, and that plan must include rescue procedures. Section 141(2)(i) and (j) go further: worker training must include emergency response procedures and practice inspecting, fitting, and using fall protection systems including emergency response drills.

British Columbia

In BC, WorkSafeBC's OHS Regulation addresses rescue through two pathways:

• Part 11, Section 11.3: Requires a written fall protection plan when work occurs at 7.5 metres (25 ft) or more without permanent guardrails, or when s.11.2(5) applies (alternative work procedures).
• Part 4, Section 4.14(2): If a risk assessment shows a need for evacuation or rescue, "appropriate written procedures must be developed and implemented, and a worker assigned to coordinate their implementation."

All fall protection equipment in BC must meet CSA Z259 standards (BC also accepts ANSI per OHSR s.11.5). The BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) publishes a Fall Protection Rescue Guide specifically for employers developing rescue procedures as an addendum to WorkSafeBC's fall protection plan template.

Ontario

Ontario's Construction Projects regulation (O. Reg. 213/91), section 26.1, requires employers to develop fall rescue procedures for rescuing a worker after their fall has been arrested, before any use of a fall arrest system or safety net at a project. This applies to all construction projects where fall arrest is used.

Self-Rescue vs. Assisted Rescue

Most contractors assume rescue means a team of coworkers pulling someone up. That is one option. But a well-built rescue plan covers two distinct approaches, because the situation on site determines which one works.

Self-Rescue

In a self-rescue, the suspended worker descends to a safe surface independently using pre-rigged equipment. This is the fastest option and the first line of defence against suspension trauma.

Self-rescue requires:

• The worker is conscious and physically able to act
• A descent control device rated to CSA Z259.2.3 is pre-rigged or immediately accessible
• The worker has been trained on the descent procedure and has practised it
• Suspension trauma relief straps are part of the harness setup (these let the worker stand in a loop to restore leg circulation while waiting)

Self-rescue is not always possible. If the worker is unconscious, injured, or panicking, you need the second approach.

Assisted Rescue

Assisted rescue means trained coworkers or a dedicated rescue team retrieves the suspended worker. Methods include:

• Mechanical advantage systems: Pulley-based systems that let one or two rescuers raise or lower a worker
• Aerial lifts: A boom lift or scissor lift positioned to reach the worker (only if ground conditions and equipment allow)
• Ladder rescue: Where the worker is accessible from a fixed or extension ladder
• Rope rescue: A rescuer descends to the worker and lowers them together (requires advanced training)

Your rescue plan must account for both scenarios. You do not choose one or the other. You plan for both and execute whichever the situation demands.

What Your Rescue Plan Must Contain

Below are the 10 sections every fall protection rescue plan needs. This template aligns with Alberta OHS Code s.140, BC OHSR s.4.14, Ontario Reg 213/91 s.26.1, and CCOHS guidelines. Adapt each section to your specific work site.

1. Site Identification and Scope

Document the project name, site address, prime contractor, employer, and the specific areas or tasks where fall arrest systems are in use. Specify the date the plan was created and the date of last review.

2. Fall Hazard Identification

List every location on the work site where a fall could result in a worker being suspended by a fall arrest system. Include heights, surfaces below, potential swing fall zones, and environmental hazards (power lines, open water, extreme temperatures).

3. Rescue Personnel and Roles

Name the trained rescue team members on each shift. Industry best practice: at least two trained rescuers per shift. Assign roles: rescue lead, communication coordinator, first aid provider, equipment handler. Include contact information for each person.

4. Communication Protocols

Specify how a fallen worker signals for help (voice, radio, personal alert device). Define the communication chain: worker to supervisor, supervisor to rescue team, rescue team to emergency services. Identify primary and backup communication methods (e.g., two-way radios with cell phone backup).

5. Rescue Methods by Scenario

For each fall hazard location, document the rescue method:

• Self-rescue: What equipment is pre-rigged, where it is stored, and the descent procedure
• Assisted rescue from above: Mechanical advantage system procedure, anchor points for rescue
• Assisted rescue from below: Aerial lift or ladder procedure
• Rope rescue: If required, the specific rope rescue technique and anchor configuration

6. Equipment Inventory and Storage

List every piece of rescue equipment on site, its storage location, and the inspection schedule. Equipment must be immediately accessible when needed, not locked in a trailer on the other end of the site.

7. Suspension Trauma Response

Document the signs and symptoms of suspension trauma. Include specific instructions: do not lay a rescued worker flat immediately (this can trigger "rescue death" by flooding the heart with pooled, toxin-laden blood). Instead, keep them in a seated or semi-reclined position and transport to medical care immediately.

8. First Aid and Medical Transport

Identify on-site first aid personnel and their certification levels. Document the route to the nearest hospital (address and estimated travel time). For remote sites, include air ambulance contact information and landing zone locations.

9. Training Requirements and Drill Schedule

Document required training for rescue team members and all workers using fall arrest systems. Schedule rescue drills: at minimum annually, plus whenever the site layout changes significantly. Alberta OHS Code s.141(2)(j) specifically requires practice in emergency response procedures.

10. Plan Review and Update Triggers

The plan must be reviewed and updated when: the work site layout changes, new fall hazards are introduced, rescue equipment changes, personnel change, or after any rescue or near-miss incident. (Use an incident investigation kit to identify what failed in your primary fall protection system). Alberta requires the plan to be available at the work site and reviewed with workers before work begins (s.140(3)).

Rescue Equipment Checklist

Your rescue kit must be on site, inspected, and immediately accessible. Here is what it should contain, with the applicable CSA standards:

Inspect all rescue equipment before each shift. Any equipment that has arrested a fall must be removed from service and inspected per manufacturer specifications before reuse (Alberta OHS Code s.150.1, BC OHSR s.11.10).

How to Train Your Crew on the Rescue Plan

A rescue plan that nobody has practised is just paper. Alberta OHS Code s.141(2)(j) requires workers to practise emergency response procedures. Here is what effective rescue training looks like:

• Annual rescue drills: Full-scale practice with actual equipment at the work site. Time the drill. If your team cannot execute a rescue within 10 minutes, the plan needs work.
• Tabletop exercises & safety meetings: Walk through each scenario in the plan: conscious self-rescue, unconscious worker assisted rescue, worker suspended over an obstruction. Talk through the steps, identify gaps. Keep procedures fresh by reviewing them regularly using your toolbox talk package.
• Suspension trauma recognition: Train ALL workers (not just the rescue team) to recognise the signs: pale skin, weak pulse, nausea, loss of consciousness. Every worker on a fall arrest system needs to know what suspension trauma looks like. Incorporate this into your site orientation package.
• First aid and CPR: Rescue team members should hold current first aid and CPR certification. The rescued worker may need immediate medical intervention.
• Documentation: Record every training session: date, participants, scenarios covered, time to complete rescue, deficiencies identified, corrective actions taken. This documentation supports your COR audit and demonstrates due diligence.

If your crew completes fall protection training but has never practised a rescue drill, you have a compliance gap. The regulation requires practice, not just classroom instruction.

Common Rescue Plan Mistakes

We review rescue plans as part of our safety consulting work. These are the five most common failures we see:

"Call 911" is not a rescue plan. Average emergency response time in urban Alberta is 8 to 12 minutes. In rural areas, it can exceed 30 minutes. A worker suspended in a harness may not have 30 minutes. Your plan must include on-site rescue capability as the first response, with EMS as backup.

Generic templates without site-specific detail. A rescue plan that says "lower the worker to the ground" without specifying which anchor points, which equipment, and which personnel is useless during an actual emergency. Every scenario on your site needs a specific procedure.

The plan has never been practised. If your rescue team has never executed the plan with real equipment under realistic conditions, you do not know if the plan works. Alberta OHS Code s.141(2)(j) requires practice for a reason.

Self-rescue equipment is not on site. Descent devices and trauma relief straps are only useful if they are rigged or immediately accessible at the work position. If they are in a gang box 200 metres away, they might as well not exist.

Only one trained rescuer per shift. What happens if your one rescuer is the person who fell? Or if they are on break? The CCOHS recommends at least two trained rescuers per shift. Build redundancy into your rescue team.

If any of these sound familiar, your rescue plan needs revision. For a deeper look at the full fall protection system, read our complete fall protection guide.