Work at height rescue plan template

A rescue plan names the credible incident, how someone will notice it, who can respond during the actual shift, which equipment and safe access method they will use, how the casualty will reach a safe place, and what happens if the first method fails. The plan must be specific to the work position, access system, site and people. A form saying only “call 999” does not provide the immediate arrangement needed when a worker is suspended or trapped. Copy the worksheet below, fill it with a competent person, then brief and test the arrangement before anyone is exposed.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 4 require work at height to be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out safely; planning includes emergencies and rescue. Regulation 5 addresses competence for work at height activities, including planning and supervision. The Health and Safety Executive's work at height introduction and step-by-step guide put avoidance and fall prevention ahead of measures that only limit the consequences of a fall. Rescue planning supports, but never replaces, the safer work method.

This page provides a blank control form, distinct from the live Complys guide to making a work at height rescue plan, which explains the planning principles. Do not create a generic rope-rescue instruction from this form. A competent person must choose and validate any technical recovery method, anchor, equipment and sequence for the particular system.

Part 1: site, work and approval

Name the physical area accurately. “Roof” may include a fragile zone, edge protection, plant, hatches, skylights and different levels. An emergency plan for the western bay may fail on the eastern roof if access is blocked. Record the actual system: work restraint should prevent reaching the fall hazard, while fall arrest allows a fall to occur but arrests it. Those systems create different recovery scenarios.

Part 2: decide what incident the plan covers

List only credible scenarios from this task, but include the ones with serious consequences. Use a separate line for each scenario if the response differs.

Ask where the casualty could actually hang, rest or be trapped. Can a rescuer reach that point without entering an unprotected edge, fragile surface or falling-object zone? Can the recovery method work if the normal operator is the casualty? Is there room to operate equipment and land the casualty? A mechanism that depends on the casualty helping is insufficient for an unconscious-person scenario. If no workable method is available, change the work method or equipment before starting.

Part 3: people and coverage

Coverage includes breaks, overtime, night work, setup and dismantling. Two workers on site do not necessarily mean two rescuers: one may be the casualty. If a named person leaves, falls ill or is reassigned, stop the affected work until the replacement arrangement is checked and briefed. Verify the team can perform the method, not just that names appear on a certificate. HSE's emergency-procedures guidance emphasises understood, practised and current arrangements.

Part 4: equipment and route readiness

Do not assume the fall-arrest device is also a rescue device. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and applicable inspection regime. For a MEWP, confirm the actual make and model and how a trained person at ground level will use its emergency controls. A generic downloaded lowering procedure may be dangerous if the machine differs. For rope systems or technically complex retrieval, obtain a competent method statement and practical validation; this form should reference it, not reproduce unverified manoeuvres.

Part 5: response sequence and stop conditions

Write a short response sequence in plain language for each scenario. It should tell the team what to do without improvising a technical rescue:

1. Recognise and raise the alarm: [How the event is detected, first call, backup channel].
2. Stop and isolate: [Who stops work, secures energy/plant and controls people below].
3. Assess without increasing exposure: [Rescue lead checks casualty position, system condition, new hazards and whether approved method remains valid].
4. Initiate the approved method: [Exact separate rescue-method reference and qualified team; no generic techniques inserted here].
5. Call emergency services as indicated: [Who calls, information given, location and meeting point]. Calling them is part of the plan, not the sole recovery measure for a time-critical foreseeable scenario.
6. Transfer and first aid: [Safe landing point, first aider and medical handover; avoid untrained medical instructions].
7. Preserve and report: [Incident response, equipment quarantine, notification and investigation owner].

Stop work before exposure if the plan lacks trained people, inspected and compatible equipment, an accessible route, a viable secondary option where needed, working communications or an approved method for a credible scenario. Stop again if weather, plant movement, edge protection, anchors, crew or access routes change materially. The work team must not assume a plan written for another site automatically applies.

Part 6: briefing, practice and change record

Ask workers to explain the first actions in their own words. A signature alone does not prove they know which radio channel works or where the rescue kit is. Practice should be proportionate to the method and risk, with competent supervision and without putting people in danger merely to test a plan. Keep a change log so the crew does not rely on an obsolete layout or machine procedure.

Worked example: MEWP maintenance shift

A two-person team is replacing lights from a boom-type MEWP inside a warehouse. The main platform controls work, but the plan considers a basket operator who becomes unwell and cannot lower it. The job-specific plan identifies the exact MEWP model, confirms the ground emergency control instructions and trained ground person, checks that the controls are accessible from the planned position, and marks a safe exclusion and ambulance access route. A second named person can call for help and direct responders. Before the shift, the supervisor checks the battery/fuel, ground controls and communications under the manufacturer and site instructions. If the ground person is reassigned, the lift stops until coverage is restored. If moving the machine to a narrow aisle would obstruct the controls or landing area, the method is reviewed before work there.

This example is not a procedure for operating any particular MEWP. A competent person must select the actual recovery method and verify it for the equipment and position. The Complys work at height rescue-plan guide gives the planning context, while this page supplies the fillable record.

Frequent errors this form is designed to catch

A plan may fail because the named rescuer is on another shift, the rescue kit is locked in an unavailable van, the mobile signal is absent, a roof hatch has been boarded over, the wrong MEWP model is listed, the anchor suitability was assumed, the casualty could be unconscious, or the access route crosses the very fragile surface that caused the incident. These are site and operational failures, not problems solved by longer text. A credible plan must be checked where and when the work is done.

The HSE work at height introduction says to consider emergency evacuation and rescue. The HSE's hierarchy guide prioritises avoiding height and preventing falls before relying on consequence reduction. Do not let a rescue plan become a reason to use a weaker primary control. A sound plan is one part of a safe system; risk assessment, equipment selection, competence, supervision and inspections remain necessary.

Complys connection and next action

The Complys working-at-height software page is the relevant money-page route. It markets records for assessments, inspections and rescue plans, but this draft makes no claim that a dedicated live rescue-plan generator, equipment compatibility checker, approved rescue method or emergency service exists. Verify the current implementation before connecting the template to a product workflow or CTA. A system can store the plan and its revisions; competent people must establish whether the method, kit and team can actually rescue someone at the site.

Next step: complete the worksheet for one real task with a competent rescue lead. If any critical field is unknown or an approved method cannot be demonstrated, choose safer work equipment or delay the work until the gap is resolved. The completed form should be linked to the task RAMS and available to everyone expected to act on it.

Source, claim and writer-side QA register

Owner/cannibalisation: The live guide explains rescue-plan principles but does not offer a copyable form. The proposed template route owns a blank completion task and should link to the live explanation, subject to repository canonical recheck. Internal links: Both mandatory manifest destinations are observed .co.uk routes; avoid any unverified site-wide product claims. Writer-side QA: Direct answer, usable form, incident/coverage/equipment/change controls, worked example, technical non-authorisation, GB terminology, source dates, metadata and product boundary checked. READY is writer-side only; competent rescue validation, current implementation and whole-page review remain publication gates.