Post Fall Rescue Plan

[Capt790]

I figure most of you that are industrial firefighters also do emergency response/rescue for your facilities so this would be a good place to post this.

My full time job is a construction safety technician. I have to write a rescue plan for my company for workers who have fallen and are suspended in their fall protection harness. (This is specifically for iron workers involved in structural steel erection.)

We have a verbal plan pretty well worked out: Myself and our jobsite medic have some training in rope rescue and we have equipment to use (MSA Suretyman 4 to 1 pulley rescue setups http://www.msanorthamerica.com/catalog/product1217.html).

Our main method of rescue will be using an articulated boom lift or a crane-suspended man basket with ropes as an additional option should those two not be feasible.

The trouble I'm having is creating a concise written version of our verbal plans. I'm wondering if any of you have a written rescue plan that I can use to format ours after. (Feel free to send me a PM if it's something you can't post on an open forum.)

Thanks in advance Brothers.

[Bigft357]

Capt790, the MSA system is awesome. We have three setups on our Rescue/Haz Mat truck. I will see if my EH&S guys have written anything up yet, and I will get back to you.

[SWLAFireDawg]

You should also educate your workers on Suspension Trauma/Orthostatic Intolerance if you have not already. See the link below.


http://www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib032404.html


We have added a device to the safety harness to allow the user to take the pressure off the leg straps while suspended and a rescue is being attempted. See the following link:

http://www.dbisala.com/english/catalog/brochures/TraumaStrap_Brochure.pdf

[Capt790]

You should also educate your workers on Suspension Trauma/Orthostatic Intolerance if you have not already.

Yep, we've got that covered too.

Here's another site that has some great info: http://www.suspensiontrauma.info

[LosAzzell]

We have similar situations here, though we cannot count on a JLG or other boom truck to be quickly available. Our plan, in short, calls for us to assign one person as pt. care leader and another as rescue leader. Pt. Care guy focuses on assessment and having a care plan ready when we get him/her to ground. The rescue guy job is to (1) select an anchor point, (2) decide to either raise or lower pt. to safety, (3) call for the specific people and equip. for the job, (4) direct all rigging and (5) check all knots before a live load goes on it, and (6) call out commands as needed to move pt. Hope it helps some, and Hpe you never need it too! JPB, ECC F&R

[Halligan84]

We have 2 primary methods. One is an extendable reach hook that we made in house. Uses a large self locking hook from a fall protection harness connected to 20' of life line. The pole extends about 15' and allows us to snag the D ring without rigging to send people over. We can then attach him to our primary haul system (4:1 with a gibbs for piggybacking) and either bring him up or lower him. 2nd method involves going over the side and doing a line transfer.