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Rescue plans don’t have to be complex.

Employers must implement a rescue plan that includes procedures to:

• Prevention of prolonged suspension
• Carry out rescue and treatment as quickly as possible.
• Identification of signs and symptoms of suspension trauma

Management’s responsibility for safety must carefully consider the methodology for rescuing a downed operative. Such considerations may include:

Dialing 999 (911). – We often think of the word ‘rescue’ as calling 999 (911), but calling your local fire department is not an effective rescue plan. Response times can be too slow and not all fire brigades have the ability to rescue from above.

Crane Man Basket – This option has serious limitations, the main one being time. The target time from ‘Man Down’ to recovery should not exceed five to ten minutes maximum. Other restrictions and shortcomings that make this a less than ideal solution are: the crane is out of service for some reason, for example it may be:

• breathless

• the driver may be far from the crane

• Crane rescue is limited to building facades and often cannot provide access and rescue within the structure.

• the crane man’s basket may be in the wrong location.

Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP) – This rescue option may have its limitations, such as available access and height restriction, since the victim may be at a height greater than the reach of the PEMP.

Rope access rescue – Rope rescue requires technical competence that requires a high level of training and retraining to acquire and retain this skill set. Given the limited time to complete a rescue, trained rope rescue personnel should be on standby and close to any incident. Donning the necessary equipment to perform a rope rescue can also be time consuming, as every minute the victim is hanging is critical. Perhaps the biggest restriction is that it is a skill that only a few would be or could be trained for.

Third-party rescue systems – There are a number of considerations to take into account when considering third-party rescue systems. In every consideration, TIME is the critical factor. The speed with which the system can be deployed and rescue performed is of vital importance, as is the SIMPLICITY and EASE of use so that a typical operative can deploy and perform a rescue after being trained. Remember, whatever methodology you choose, the target time should be to rescue the casualty in less than ten minutes.

Fall protection planning should include rescue: Having a rescue plan is just as important as having a fall protection plan. No site should have one without the other. Just putting together a no-rescue fall protection program only gets half the job done. The employer has the responsibility to ensure that the suspended operation is rescued quickly. That means making sure that for anyone working at height, there is a rescue plan.

Fall protection must include an emergency rescue plan: How will you rescue an operative who has fallen and is suspended in a fall arrest system? Answering a few basic questions can help you develop a rescue plan.

Develop a rescue plan – A rescue plan requires answers to the following questions.

If an operator’s fall is arrested, can he be rescued in less than ten minutes?

How will you know that someone has fallen?

• Will anyone see it happen?

• Coworkers

• Other trades

• Personal plant

• Members of the public

What communication systems will be used between the suspended operation and the rescue team?

• Voice

• Whistle

• Mobile phone

Who will the coworker call?

• Closest coworkers

• Supervisor

• Site management

• 999 (911) Fire / ambulance where available

Is information available? Who and how will it be communicated?

• Emergency phone numbers

• Site address

• Directions and access for ambulance / fire engine or other emergency services

• What floor / how high
• Operational condition after fall

How will the safety of the rescuers be guaranteed, as well as that of the suspended operation?

• Are the operators trained and competent in the use of rescue equipment?

• Are there enough trained personnel on site?

• Are rescue training records kept up to date, including reevaluations?

• Is the rescue equipment selected appropriate for the nature of the work?

• What obstructions are in the way to get to the suspended operation?

• Have anchor point assessments been carried out?

• Has the method of attachment to the victim been taken into account?

How will rescuers reach the victim?

• Rescue ladder system

• Rescue Winch / Tow System

• Keys to the building and the roof.

• Lift

• Take the victim out the window or balcony

• Victim up to floor / slab / ceiling sweater

• Lower the victim to ground level

• Climb / rappel down the building / structure

• Aerial equipment from the ground

• Suspended access equipment

• Crane Man Basket

How will rescue be secured within five minutes of a fall to minimize the risk of further injury or death from suspension trauma? And what rescue equipment is needed?

• Rescue ladder

• Rescue Winch / Tow System

• Suspended access equipment

• Strings

• Aerial Ladder Truck

• MEWP or scissor lift

• Rope climbing / rescue equipment

• Crane Man Basket

• First aid box

• Stretcher available in case of seriously injured person

What happens if the operative is injured?

• Can the injured person be rescued within five to ten minutes?

• Is there a qualified first aid service that understands suspension trauma and knows how to treat it?

• Who and how will emergency services and the hospital be alerted?

How will the public be protected?

• Assign someone to direct traffic

• Establish barriers

How will the accident scene be protected?

• Avoid further injury or damage

• Establish barriers

• Preserve the remains

• Help the investigation later

Are there other considerations?

• Working alone

• Language barrier

• Unusual building / structure features.

• Wind

• Other dangers

• No emergency services nearby

• Distance from rescue teams

WARNING! An operative who has suffered a fall and is hanging from his harness is a true medical emergency. Just because they’re hanging from a harness doesn’t mean you have all day to perform the rescue. Rescue must be planned, practiced and carried out quickly and efficiently or the victim may die before rescue finally occurs.

If you are not going to give your employees the skills to perform a rescue, then you better not even put them in the harness.

Practice can save lives Perhaps just as important as having a rescue plan in place is practicing the plan before a fall occurs in real life.

How will the operation call for help?