02 March 2007
Roger H Smith

Planning for rescue and emergencies when employees work at height is a legal and moral responsibility for all employers. Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 obliges employers to ensure all work at height is properly planned, and Regulation 4(2) notes that "planning of work includes planning for emergencies and rescue".

Often we think of rescue as simply a matter of dialing 999, but calling the local fire brigade does not add up to an effective rescue programme. Response times can be too long and not all brigades have the capability to rescue people from height.

Even in the most safety-conscious employers' workplaces accidents happen, so a rescue plan is an essential component of working at height and should be managed via a working at height method statement and risk assessment, and be ingrained through training and practice.

The lack of any form of post-fall rescue plan - relying on employees improvising to rescue a colleague - not only puts the victim at risk, but also puts rescuers in harm's way. Unplanned attempts at rescue often result in secondary and tertiary injuries or fatalities.

Time is tight

The reason planned rescue by trained people is so important is that the danger is far from over when the fall arrest equipment does its job. Anyone hanging in a harness is at risk of suspension trauma; the blood drains from the top half of their body, depriving the brain of oxygen. The critical thing is to get them out of danger as soon as possible  - any more than 10 minutes in suspension and the risk of irreparable damage increases rapidly (see Dying in harness, HSW February 2006).

The safest form of rescue is self rescue by employees who remain conscious after a fall, where their equipment allows them to get to safety. Workers must be trained and practised in self rescue.

But even where a fallen worker appears to be able to help themselves, the plan must require colleagues to act as though they are incapable, since the situation might change rapidly and time is at a premium.

The plan must give clear direction that anyone who witnesses a fall should know who on site at the time is responsible for rescue and to alert them immediately, plus the emergency services where available. This means ensuring every worker has emergency phone numbers to hand, knows the site location to direct third parties and where to find the rescue kit.

The plan must set out the hierarchy of rescue options available on site for getting employees to safety - from dedicated rescue equipment, such as  controlled descent devices or winches, to access using work equipment such as mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) (see page 32) - plus locations of first-aid equipment and any rescue-specific items.

Though speed is of the essence, the plan must make co-workers' responsibilities clear and emphasise the importance of not endangering themselves in the course of the rescue.

Death by rescue

As the casualty is removed from suspension, another critical phase begins. The plan must ensure all staff know that usual first-aid procedures do not apply and the fallen worker must not be laid flat because of the risk of stale blood pooled in the legs rushing back through the body, poisoning their major organs and causing potentially fatal toxic shock syndrome. The plan must ensure all workers know to put the casualty into a sitting "W" position with their legs bent, unless they are suspected of having a spinal injury -where anyone falls more than 2m rescuers should suspect spinal damage.

Other considerations for a plan include how to ensure any wreckage/equipment is set aside to help later investigation; allowing for unusual structural features that might complicate a rescue; and ensuring guidance materials are translated where large numbers of migrant workers are on site.

However well thought out, a rescue plan (like a risk assessment) is useless if it is filed away and forgotten. You need to ensure that everyone who could be involved in a rescue - managers, supervisors and workers - is fully trained in the types of situation that might call for a rescue, what their roles are and how to use the equipment you provide. Rescue operations are carried out under extreme pressure; your employees' training  will determine how they react.

The training should be kept topped up with regular practice sessions or drills, keeping employees on their toes but also checking they can act inside the necessary five-minute window. Just as the plan needs updating with any change of circumstances, personnel or equipment, so does the training.

Leading Edge supplies work-at-height safety equipment and training (www.leadingedgesupplies.com). Leading Edge has published an 82-page hardback book on rescue guidance and equipment, available free of charge (also available on CD). For a copy, tel 01329 827997

Categories:
Construction, Work at height, Article, Work equipment