Suspension Trauma and Prompt Rescue questions for the ASP
ASP Domain 2: Safety Programs and Concepts (2.8.b Working at heights (prompt rescue after a fall arrest)). 3 free questions below. Every answer quotes and links the regulation or document it comes from.
Regulations and guidance covered
- 29 CFR 1926.502 Fall protection systems criteria and practices.How this section is tested
- OSHA SHIB 03-24-2004 (updated 2011), Suspension Trauma/Orthostatic Intolerance Suspension Trauma/Orthostatic Intolerance
Regulation text pulled from the eCFR, current as of 2026-10-14. Guidance documents are quoted from the published edition linked above; they are recommendations, not regulations.
Question 1
A safety manager is writing a fall protection plan for a bridge repair crew that wears personal fall arrest systems. A supervisor proposes a plan that covers only how to prevent falls and how to complete a rescue, and says that recognizing medical symptoms is a job for hospital staff. Which addition does the OSHA bulletin say the plan needs?
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Answer: D. Procedures for identifying orthostatic intolerance signs and symptoms
OSHA's bulletin says employers should have a plan with procedures for preventing prolonged suspension, identifying orthostatic intolerance signs and symptoms, and performing rescue and treatment as quickly as possible. The other choices delay rescue, invent a safe waiting period, or wrongly limit coverage to some workers.
Answer D comes from
OSHA SHIB 03-24-2004 (updated 2011), Suspension Trauma/Orthostatic Intolerance, PDF p. 3(opens govinfo.gov in a new tab)“The plan should include procedures for: preventing prolonged suspension, identifying orthostatic intolerance signs and symptoms, and performing rescue and treatment as quickly as possible.”
Question 2
A hole watcher sits motionless on a stool for three hours beside an excavation. When the shift ends, the worker stands up quickly and feels light-headed and weak. A coworker says this cannot be orthostatic intolerance because the worker never wore a harness or fell. Which statement is correct?
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Answer: A. It can be orthostatic intolerance, because sudden movement after a long sedentary period can cause it.
OSHA's bulletin on suspension trauma says orthostatic intolerance can occur when a person moves suddenly after being sedentary a long time, such as standing up quickly after sitting still. A harness is not required, so the claim that only suspended workers are affected is wrong. The bulletin does not tie it to lying down. Fainting is only an occasional symptom, so it is not required.
On the job
An EHS manager at a water treatment plant hears that an operator monitoring a chlorine panel felt faint on standing after a long shift seated at the console. A supervisor dismisses it because the operator was not working at height. The manager points out that orthostatic intolerance can also occur when someone moves suddenly after being sedentary for a long time, and she arranges for operators to rise and shift position at intervals.
Study aid, not site-specific safety advice. The official rule controls.
Answer A comes from
OSHA SHIB 03-24-2004 (updated 2011), Suspension Trauma/Orthostatic Intolerance, PDF p. 1(opens govinfo.gov in a new tab)“Orthostatic intolerance also can occur when an individual moves suddenly after being sedentary for a long time.”
Question 3
A tower climber falls and hangs motionless in a harness. Before rescue, a safety trainer explains that blood is collecting in the veins of the climber's legs. According to OSHA's bulletin, what is this condition called, and what can it cause?
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Answer: C. Venous pooling, which can cause orthostatic intolerance
OSHA's bulletin says that in a sedentary position blood can accumulate in the veins, called venous pooling, and cause orthostatic intolerance. The harmless-numbness choice contradicts that link. Reversing the terms is wrong because orthostatic intolerance is the result, not the cause. Palpitations are only a possible symptom, and the bulletin does not define a condition caused by loose fit.
On the job
A safety coordinator at a water tank painting job trains crews on harness use before they climb. She explains that a worker hanging still after a fall can have blood accumulate in the leg veins, which is called venous pooling, and that it can cause orthostatic intolerance. That is why the rescue plan sets a fast retrieval method instead of leaving a worker suspended.
Study aid, not site-specific safety advice. The official rule controls.
Answer C comes from
OSHA SHIB 03-24-2004 (updated 2011), Suspension Trauma/Orthostatic Intolerance, PDF p. 1(opens govinfo.gov in a new tab)“While in a sedentary position, blood can accumulate in the veins, which is commonly called “venous pooling,” and cause orthostatic intolerance [3].”