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803 Scaffold Safety Program Management
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Emergency Action Plan

In the company's Emergency Action Plan (EAP) the employer should establish procedures to ensure a worker who falls from a scaffold receives immediate attention. Emergency procedures should be fully documented before workers begin work or use fall-arrest or restraint systems.

Emergency procedures within the EAP should identify key rescue and medical personnel, equipment available for rescue, communications procedures, retrieval methods, and first-aid requirements. The following lists identify safe practice guidelines for developing emergency response planning procedures, responding to emergencies, and investigating accidents.

EAP Actions

Before on-site work begins

  • Make the fire department or emergency responders aware of the job specifications at the site and any factors that may slow response time.
  • Create one or more joint training sessions between key on-site personnel and emergency responders.
  • Document the rescue plan and make sure it is posted at the worksite.
  • Mark the job site with signs and note the easiest access routes into and out of the site.

As on-site work progresses

  • Identify on-site equipment (examples: boomlifts, ladders, and forklifts) that can be used for rescue and retrieval.
  • Maintain a current emergency equipment inventory at the site. Equipment may change frequently as the job progresses.
  • Re-evaluate and update the emergency-response plan if on-site work tasks change.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

2-9. Which of the following is an important EAP action to take AFTER on-site work begins?