What is the role of a standby rescuer in permit-required confined space entries?

• A. To perform the rescue silently in case of emergency.
• B. To supervise the operation from the outside with no rescue capability.
• C. To be prepared to perform an emergency extraction from outside the space.
• D. To enter the space only after the entrant has exited.

Answer: (C)

Standby rescuer stays outside the confined space, ready to perform an emergency extraction if something goes wrong. The key is being prepared with the right equipment, communication, and authority to act quickly to remove the entrant from danger without delay. This role supports a fast, trained rescue as soon as alarms or symptoms of hazard appear, rather than simply supervising or waiting to enter after the entrant has exited. That readiness to perform an outside rescue is what makes this option the best description of the standby rescuer’s purpose.