Harnesses can become deadly whenever a worker is suspended for durations over five minutes in an upright posture, with the legs relaxed straight beneath the body. After five minutes they will likely be unconscious, by 10 minutes there is a strong possibility that their brain and other organs will begin to fail or even death occur due to lack of oxygen as blood is prevented from circulating. The cause of this problem is called 'suspension trauma'.
It is now a legal requirement to have a rescue plan
In general, whether it is construction or general industry, employers are not really prepared for rescue, though they probably would say they are. The best rescue strategy is to take every possible precaution to prevent operatives from falling in the first place.
But the reality is that falls happen, even on the work sites of the most safety conscious employers, and a rescue plan is an essential component of a company’s overall fall protection method statement and risk assessment. The lack of any form of a pre-conceived post-fall rescue plan, not only puts the fall victim at risk, but also puts rescuers in harms way. Whenever you have unplanned attempts to rescue, second or third injuries or fatalities are not uncommon.
It is with these issues in mind that the HSE introduced The Work at Height Regulations: 2005
Are you breaking the law on your sites without knowing it?
Before any work at height can commence on site the following provisions must be in place as a minimum legal requirement:
· There must be a rescue plan and procedure
· The operatives are trained and competent in use of rescue equipment
· Sufficient number of trained and competent personnel on site
· The rescue procedure in place is practiced on a regular basis and competence is maintained on record
· The selection of rescue equipment needs to be appropriate for the nature of work
3 Things You Must Do To Comply With Legislation and Discharge Your Legal Responsibilities.
1. Plan For Rescue - You need to prepare a well thought out plan. It doesn’t need to be complex but it does need to be detailed. This should be done following a risk assessment and embodied in a Method Statement.
The HSE says” If a person falls while using a fall arrest system, it is not acceptable just to rely on the emergency services, it needs to be covered in the risk assessment and planned prior to the work activity being carried out.” Often we think of the word 'rescue' as calling 999, but calling the local fire brigade does not constitute an effective rescue plan. Response times can be too slow, and not all fire brigades have the capability to rescue from height. Equally ‘crane man baskets’ and ‘MEWPS’ are too restrictive to be considered adequate for rescue.
2. Provide Rescue Equipment - The rescue equipment selection should have been an integral part of planning. It’s important that the equipment is easy to use and fast to deploy as time is a critical element and it goes without saying that the equipment must be there, on site, ready for use.
3. Training and Practice - Legislation requires that those working at height must be competently trained to rescue. Safety of the casualty and the rescuers is paramount and training for all eventualities is essential as is the need to practice and keep records of competence.
Rescue occurs in an environment of tension, pressure and stress, what would happen on your site following a fall? Would rescue be carried out in an orderly way, with the correct response, or would there be a degree of panic and chaos.
Ultimately legislation is there to provide the correct framework and guidance to ensure the adequate care and wellbeing of operatives on site.
For more information visit: http://www.leadingedgesafety.co.uk/at-height-rescue-gs.php
Author: Drew Beardmore
Managing Director Leading Edge Safety
Leading Edge Supplies are providers of Working at Height Rescue Training and Equipment. Training courses are available for operatives and management levels. Leading edge guarantees operatives trained on their equipment will be able to carry out a rescue on both conscious and unconscious casualties in less than five minutes.
For more information visit: http://www.leadingedgesafety.co.uk/at-height-rescue-gs.php
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