There is no need to risk prolonged suspension after a fall arrest when it is possible to use an automatic controlled-descent system. Rather than using equipment that arrests a fall but also could create a need for a difficult and costly high-level rescue, workers should use a lifeline system that automatically lowers them at a constant rate following a fall – either immediately or under rescur control, whichever is appropriate. This is especially adventageous for external applications without obstructions below and for large confined spaces with a lower (bottom) means of egress, such as a generating or recovery boiler. Postfall analysis is essential to solving such problems completely; often it indicates the need to substitute controlled descent systems.
See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 212.
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