Even the first Ariane 5 launch, had there been a capsule on its top, with an escape tower, the loss of balance of the rocket would have left a few seconds of reaction time available to theoretically save a crew.

I've always wondered why there wasn't an escape system for the payload especially aboard untested new rockets. Is it because escape systems are very complicated and very expensive? Maybe that and/or there's too much fuel integral to the payload and recovery becomes a serious hazard. I dunno...

If there had been a manned capsule atop the first Ariane 5 launch, I think any tower system would have operated automatically once aerodynamic loading exceeded safe margins. Maybe man-rating might have included a ground and/or capsule manual trigger for the escape system.

So how about this: Man-raing is an integration between men and the machine to increase the probablility of a successful mission. This includes machine-rating the men.

See: This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury. Chapters 7 and 8 talk a little about man-rating the first time America did it.