Transcript Technical Rescue Awareness

Rope Rescue
Confined Space Rescue
Trench Rescue
Personal Protective Equipment for
Specialized Rescue Operations

Personal protective equipment – Structural fire
fighting turnout gear worn by most fire fighters is
often not appropriate for most rescue situations.
Personal Protective Equipment

The type of fire fighting personal protective
equipment that is most appropriate for Special
Rescue would be a style that most resembles
wildland fire fighters.
Personal Protective Equipment

Helmet – regular structural fire fighting
helmets are not recommended due to their size
and weight so a hard hat style that resembles a
wildland helmet but have chin straps and are
specifically designed for rescue work.
Personal Protective Equipment

Eye protection – in operations there are
numerous opportunities for flying debris to
enter the rescuers eyes.
Personal Protective Equipment
 Footwear
 Turnout boots are not recommended
 Leather boots which provide a good combination of
function and protection.
 When selecting boots, ensure that is lightweight, has
non-slip tread, provide ankle support, and be
appropriate for the environment they are being used in.
Personal Protective Equipment
 Gloves –
 A medium-weight leather glove with reinforced palms
are the best for rope rescue.
 They combine movement with good dexterity while
giving good protection.
Qualifications of a Rescue Technician
 For certification, the rescue technician shall perform
all of the job performance requirements in Chapter 5
of NFPA 1006 and all job performance requirements
listed in at least one of the specialty areas.
Background


Regulations- NFPA 1983, Standard on fire service
life safety rope, harness, and hardware, is the
primary standard covering the types of
equipment used.
The standard also covers the minimum
performance standards for the life safety rope,
harness, and hardware the rescuers use to
support themselves and victims during actual or
exercise rope rescue operations.
Background
 WAC 296-305-02019 Life Safety ropes, harnesses, and
hardware protection.
 WAC 296-305-05005 Rope rescue operations.
 WAC 296-305-08000 Appendix B- Life safety ropes.
 See Handouts
Rope Rescue Equipment
Rope
Rope falls into two
classifications:
a. Life Safety
b. Utility
Rope Rescue Equipment
 Life safety rope is used to support rescuers and victims
during an actual incident or training.
 Utility rope is used for hoisting tools and equipment.
Rope Rescue Equipment
 The inspection of the rope shall be performed before
the rope is put in to service, also before and after each
use to ensure that the rope has not been compromised.
Rope Rescue Equipment

The following items below should be considered
before the life safety rope is put back in use.
1.
2.
3.
The rope has not been visibly damaged
The rope has not been exposed to heat, direct flame
impingement, or abrasion.
The rope has not been subjected to any impact load
Rope Rescue Equipment
4. The rope has not been exposed to liquids, solids,
gases, mists, or vapors of any chemical or other
material that can deteriorate rope
5. The rope passes inspection when inspected by a
qualified person using the manufactures
specifications
Rope Rescue Equipment
 Life safety rope is generally ½ “ in diameter and of
kernmantle construction. The minimum breaking
strength for two-person rope is 9,000lbs.
 The maximum working load for life safety rope is the
maximum amount of weight that may be supported by
the rope in use.
Rope Rescue Equipment

There has
traditionally been
two types of rope
used in life safety
situations.

Dynamic rope

Static rope
Rope Rescue Equipment
 Dynamic rope is used when long falls are possible like
in a rock climbing situation due to it’s high elasticity
 Dynamic rope is designed to stretch up to 60% of its
length without breaking
Rope Rescue Equipment
 Static rope is the rope of choice for most rescue
incidents.
 It is only designed to stretch 20% of its length before
breaking thus it is better suited for heavy haul
applications
Rope Rescue Equipment
 Life safety rope logs
 The log tracks the use and maintenance of that piece of
rope and will help determine when to retire the rope.
Rope Rescue Equipment
 Webbing
 Flat webbing

Mainly used in rescue work for straps and harnesses.
 Tubular webbing

Most commonly used webbing in the fire service
Rope Rescue Equipment
 Harness
 Class I – fastens around the waist, and is intended for
emergency escape for one person.
 Class II – Fastens around the waist and around the
thighs and may be used in two person rescues
 Class III – Fastens around the waist and thighs and also
over the shoulders. It is designed to support two-person
loads
Rope Rescue Equipment
 Hardware
– Mechanical devices needed to fully and safely utilize
rope rescue and to construct mechanical advantage
systems
The following are types of hardware
Hardware
 Carabiners
Consist of a metal
loop with a hinged
gate to close the
opening
Hardware
 Rescue Ring
Steel ring specifically
designed for rescue
applications
Hardware

Rigging plates
Used for attaching
systems or multidirectional loads
Hardware
 Figure 8 plates
consists of a double
ring of steel or
anodized aluminum,
with one ring larger
then the other
Hardware
 Brake Bar Rack
Repelling device
using a U-shaped rod
with six friction bars
between
Hardware

Pulleys
Single-sheave,
Double-sheave
Hardware

Edge rollers
Knots

To use the
equipment just
described in the last
section, rope and
webbing must
usually be tied into
knots
 See Handout
Knots
 Becket bend
Knots
 Figure 8 family
Knots
Knots
 Water Bend
Knots
 Clove Hitch
 Bowline
Systems


Anchor systems – Provides a safe and dependable
means of securing the rescue rope to a “bomb proof”
anchor point.
The most common types of anchor systems used are
single point, and load sharing.
System
 The most common
type of single point
anchor is the
tensionless anchor.
Systems
 Load sharing anchors are used when there is doubt
about the anchor point being able to carry the
expected load.
 Load sharing anchors also distribute the weight
between two different points.
Systems
 A third type of anchor is the self adjusting anchor
point.
 This is used when the load point is expected to change
direction of pull.
 In a multi anchor system the critical angle must be
watched so that it does not exceed 120 degrees. The
optimal angle is 90 degrees.
Systems
 Mechanical advantages – Various types of hauling
systems using rope, pulleys, carabiners, and webbing.
 Mechanical advantage systems are broken into two
groups simple and compound.
Systems
Simple systems
1.

Simple systems are your 4:1, 3:1 systems.
Compound systems
2.


Compound systems are when one simple system is
attached to another to multiply the mechanical
advantage.
One disadvantage to the compound systems are that
they take a lot of rope.
Any Questions About Ropes?
Confined Space Rescue
Awareness
Confined space
 Is large enough and so
configured that an
employee can bodily
enter and perform
assigned work.
 Has limited or restricted
means for entry or exit.
 Is not designated for
continuous occupancy
Confined Space Rescue Awareness
Permit required confined space
 In addition to meeting all the criteria for
a confined space, have one or more of the
following:




Contains or has a potential to contain a
hazardous atmosphere.
Contains a material that has the potential of
engulfing an entrant.
Has an internal configuration such that an
entrant could be trapped or asphyxiated by
inwardly converging walls or by a floor that
slopes downward to a smaller cross section.
Contains any other recognized safety hazard.
Confined Space Rescue Awareness
Permit required confined space
 The written entry permit
must be posted at the entry
point and
 Must list more than a dozen
essential items of information
about the space.


Work to be done in the space
Who will do it
Examples of Confined Spaces:
 Tanks
 Vaults
 Manholes
 Pipes
 Boilers
 Trenches
 Furnaces
 Tunnels
 Sewers
 Ducts
 Silos
 Bins
 Hoppers
 Pits
Confined space hazards
Atmospheric hazards
 Oxygen deficiency (<19%)
 Oxygen enrichment (23%)
 Flammability
 Toxicity
Physical Hazards
 Structural Instability
 Debris
 Engulfment
Confined space hazards
Environmental Hazards
 Darkness
 Temperature extremes
 Noise
 Moisture
 Dust
IDLH
 IMMEDIATELY DANGEROUS TO LIFE OR HEALTH
 Any condition which poses an immediate threat to the health
of life on an entrant, or;
 Would cause irreversible adverse health effects, or;
 Would interfere with an individual’s ability to escape unaided
from a permit space.
CONTAMINANTS: ROUTES OF
ENTRY
lInhalation
lIngestion
lAbsorption
Injection
Always test the
air at various levels
to be sure that the
entire space is safe.
Good Air
Poor Air
Good air near
the opening
does NOT mean
there is good air
at the bottom!
Deadly Air
Confined Space Rescue Awareness
 PPE requirements
How important is your attendant?
Tactical considerations
Phase 1: Assessment on arrival
 Primary assessment (size-up)
 Information gathering
 How many victims- are they injured or
merely trapped?
 How long have they been down?
 Are they conscious and if so can they
communicate?
 Are they all in the same confined space?
 Is there an entry permit available?
Tactical considerations
 Decision Making
 Contact victim
 Interview witnesses
 Examine permits
 Monitor atmosphere within the space
 Identify hazards
 Evaluate what has been done and is being
done
 Weigh risks vs. benefits of available options
 Evaluate adequacy of initial response
 Contact expert assistance from Operations or
Technician level experts
Tactical considerations
 Secondary assessment (size-up)
 Type of space
 Condition of space
 Contents of space
 Mode of operation- rescue vs. body recovery
Tactical Considerations
Phase 2: Pre-Rescue Operations
 Finalizing the incident action plan
 Gathering the necessary resources- both personnel and
equipment
 Monitoring and managing the atmosphere inside the space



Oxygen concentration
Flammables
Toxics
 Ventilation through mechanical means
Tactical Consideration
 Making the space structurally stable enough to enter
 Lockout/Tag out procedures
 Internal hazards
 Shoring
 Lighting
Tactical
Considerations
 Ensure that there is adequate
communications capability to allow
the action plan to be carried out
safely
 Voice communication
 Lifeline
 Hard-wired phones
 Portable radios
Tactical Considerations
Phase 3: Rescue Operations
 Personnel should be
prohibited from entering
except to assist trained
rescuers
 Accountability of team
members
 Search
 Victim
treatment/stabilization
 Victim removal
Tactical Considerations
Phase 4: Termination
 Equipment retrieval vs. equipment abandonment
 Investigation- review and critique the operation
 Release of control
 Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
Any questions about confined spaces?
Trench Rescue Awareness
Definition of a trench
A trench according to OSHA
Not a trench
Types of collapses
 Slough-in
 Sidewall-in
 Shear-in
 Spoil-in
Slough-in
Sidewall-in
Shear-in
AKA: Lip-in
Spoil-in
To prevent a spoil-in the
spoil pile is to be at least
2 feet from the lip and
laid back less than 45
degrees
What hazards could you
encounter in this
environment?
OR THIS?
Trench Rescue Awarenes
Trench rescue hazards
 Physical hazards
 Secondary collapse
 Bulges in trench wall
 Horizontal cracks or fissures in trench wall
 Loose chunks falling from trench wall
 Water seeping into trench
 Loose material suddenly falling from the lip of the trench
 Unstable Debris
 Unsupported utilities
Tactical Considerations
Phase 1- Assessment on arrival
 Information gathering
 have all workers been accounted for
 how many victims are there
 is their location known
 are they fully or partially buried
 how much time has elapsed since cave-in
 what has been done so far
Tactical Considerations
Decision making
 Can the units on scene or en route handle the situation?
 Do additional units need to be called?- call them
immediately
 He first-in officer MUST assume command and begin to
form an IAP
Tactical Considerations
Scene control
 Isolate the area of the collapse- establish hot, warm, and
cold zones
 Shut off all vehicles and prevent traffic within 300 feet of
the trench
Tactical Considerations
Secondary Assessment
 Type of soil- may have to rely on workers at the scene
 Condition of trench
 What type of cave-in occurred?
 Did one or both walls collapse?
 What type of shoring will be needed?
 Are there hazards in and around the trench?
 Mode of Operation- rescue or recovery?
Tactical Considerations
Phase 2- Pre-rescue Operations
 Incident action plan-MANDATORY
 Backup plan should be available
 Gathering resources- the sooner they are called, the sooner
they will get there. Call for everything that might be
needed.
 Personnel- specially trained
 Equipment- specialized
Tactical Considerations
 Atmospheric monitoring
 Oxygen
 Flammables
 Toxic gasses
Tactical Considerations
 Ventilation
 Positive- blowing fresh air into the trench
 Negative- draw contaminants out
 Preparing the scene
 Mitigating hazards- such as leaking gas or water pipes and
electrical lines
 Fire protection- hose lines or extinguishers on stand-by
 Shoring
 Ladders- should be placed at both ends of the protection
system, no farther than 25 feet apart
Tactical Considerations
Phase 3- Rescue Operations
 Personnel accountability
 Search/rescue
 Personnel should not enter the trench unless assisting
properly trained rescue personnel
Tactical Considerations
Phase 4- Termination
 Equipment retrieval
 Identifying/collecting
 Dismantling
 Investigation- review and critique
 Release of Control
 Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
The End
Questions?
Quiz?