Why do workers suspended in a full body harness often lose consciousness after a fall?

Why do workers suspended in a full body harness often lose consciousness after a fall?

• A. Normal reaction after fall
• B. Restrictions in blood flow to extremities caused by the harness
• C. Enhanced blood circulation
• D. No effect

Answer: (B)

When a person is suspended in a full-body harness after a fall, the straps can tighten around the thighs and torso and compress major blood vessels. This constriction hinders venous return from the legs and abdomen to the heart, causing blood to pool in the lower body. With less blood returning to the heart, cardiac output drops and brain perfusion decreases, which can lead to dizziness or loss of consciousness. The other options don’t fit because the harness doesn’t cause a normal post-fall reaction, it doesn’t enhance circulation, and it does have an effect on circulation in suspension.

When a person is suspended in a full-body harness after a fall, the straps can tighten around the thighs and torso and compress major blood vessels. This constriction hinders venous return from the legs and abdomen to the heart, causing blood to pool in the lower body. With less blood returning to the heart, cardiac output drops and brain perfusion decreases, which can lead to dizziness or loss of consciousness. The other options don’t fit because the harness doesn’t cause a normal post-fall reaction, it doesn’t enhance circulation, and it does have an effect on circulation in suspension.