Rescue plans don't have to be complex.
Employers should implement a recovery plan that includes procedures for:
Putting Aids
- Preventing continued suspension
- Performing recovery and treatment as swiftly as possible
- Identifying suspension trauma signs and symptoms
Management accountability for safety needs to give right consideration to the methodology of rescuing a fallen operative. Such considerations might include:
Dialing 999(911). - Often we think of the word 'rescue' as calling 999(911), but calling the local fire brigade does not constitute an productive recovery plan. Response times can be too slow, and not all fire brigades have the quality to recovery from height.
Crane Man Basket - This choice has severe limitations, the main one being time. Target time from 'Man Down' to being recovered needs to be no more than five to ten minutes maximum. Other restrictions and shortcomings that make this a less than ideal clarification are - the crane is out of action for some reason, e.g. It may be:
- winded-off
- the driver may be away from the crane
- recovery by crane is exiguous to building facades and often is not able to provide access and recovery internal to the structure
- the crane man basket may be in the wrong location.
Mobile Elevated Working Platforms (M.E.W.P.'s) - This choice for recovery can have its limitations such as ready access and height restriction as the casualty may be at a height greater than the reach of the M.E.W.P.
Rope access Rescue - Rope recovery requires a technical competency which demands a high level of training and re-training to derive and reserve this skill set. Given the exiguous time to complete a rescue, trained rope recovery personnel would need to be on stand-by and within close presence to any incident. Donning the important kit to carry out a rope recovery can also be time exciting given that every exiguous the casualty is hanging is critical. Perhaps the most restriction is that it is a skill to which only a few would, or could be trained.
Third Party recovery Systems - There are a estimate of considerations to take into catalogue when considering third part recovery systems. In every consideration Time is the important factor. The speed with which the theory can be deployed and the recovery carried out is vitally important, as is the Simplicity and Ease of use so that a typical operative can deploy and carry out a recovery after being trained. Remember, whichever methodology you choose, the target time should be to recovery the casualty in under ten minutes.
Planning for Fall safety must comprise recovery - Having a recovery plan is just as prominent as having a fall safety plan. No site should have one without the other. Just putting together a fall safety schedule without recovery is only doing half the job. The onus is on the boss to ensure that the suspended operative is rescued quickly. That means ensuring that for whatever who works at height, there is a recovery plan.
Fall safety must comprise an accident recovery plan - How will you recovery an operative who has fallen and is suspended in a fall-arrest system? Answering some basic questions can help in developing a recovery plan.
Developing a recovery Plan - A recovery plan requires answers to the following questions.
If an operatives fall is arrested, can they be rescued in under ten minutes?
How will you know that man has fallen?
- Will man see it happen?
- Co-workers
- Other trades
- Plant personnel
- Members of the public
What communication systems will be used in the middle of the suspended operative and the recovery team?
- Voice
- Whistle
- movable Phone
Who will the Co-worker call?
- Nearest co-workers
- Supervisor
- Site Management
- 999(911) Fire /ambulance where available
Is facts available? Who and how will it be communicated?
- accident phone numbers
- Site address
- Directions and access for ambulance/fire vehicle or other accident services
- Which floor/how high up
- Operatives condition after fall
How will the safety of the rescuers be assured, as well as that of the suspended operative?
- Are operatives trained and competent in the use of recovery equipment?
- Is there sufficient estimate of trained personnel on-site?
- Are rescue-training records kept up-to-date together with any re-assessments?
- Is the recovery tool excellent thorough for the nature of the work?
- What obstructions are in the way reaching the suspended operative?
- Have assessments been made of anchor points?
- Has consideration been given to the formula of attaching to the casualty?
How will recovery workers get to the casualty?
- recovery Ladder System
- recovery Haul / Winch System
- Keys to building and roof
- Elevator
- Pull casualty in through window or balcony
- Pull casualty up to floor/slab/roof
- Lower casualty to ground level
- Climb / rappel down the building/structure
- Aerial tool from ground
- Suspended access equipment
- Crane Man Basket
How will recovery be assured within five minutes of the occurrence of a fall to minimize the risk of added injury or death due to suspension trauma? And, what recovery tool is needed?
- recovery Ladder
- recovery Haul / Winch System
- Suspended access equipment
- Ropes
- Aerial ladder truck
- M.E.W.P. Or scissor lift
- Climbing / rope recovery equipment
- Crane Man Basket
- First aid kit
- Stretcher ready should casualty be seriously injured
What if the operative is injured?
- Can the casualty still be rescued within five to ten minutes?
- Is there a superior first-aid er who understands suspension trauma and knows how to treat it?
- Who and how will the accident services and hospital be alerted?
How will the collective be protected?
- Assign man to direct traffic
- Set up barriers
How will the accident scene be protected?
- preclude added injury or damage
- Set up barriers
- reserve wreckage
- Aid investigation later
Are there other considerations?
- Working alone
- Language barrier
- Unusual features of building/structure
- Wind
- Other hazards
- No accident services nearby
- distance from recovery teams
Warning! An operative who has suffered a fall and is suspended in his harness is a true curative emergency. Just because they are hanging in a harness doesn't mean you have all day to accomplish the rescue. recovery has to be planned, practiced and performed swiftly and effectively or the victim may very well die before the recovery ultimately occurs.
If you're not going to give your employees the skills to accomplish rescue, then you might as well not even put them in the harness at all.
Practice can save lives Perhaps just as prominent as having a recovery plan in place is practicing the plan before a real-life fall occurs.
How will the operative call for help?
Working at Height - How to produce a salvage Plan