Confined Rescue – A Timeline to Rescue

1. Confined Rescue – A Timeline to Rescue and Rescue Systems By Michael Lafreniere Ohio University-Chillicothe Environmental Training and Research Center (ETRC) www.ohiou.edu/chillicothe/etrc/

2. Defining Response Time • Reaction Time • Contact Time • Response Time • Assessment Time • Preparation Time • Rescue Time

3. Reaction Time • Time between the entrant having a problem requiring rescue and the safety attendant’s recognition that the entrant has problem

4. Contact Time • The time taken by the attendant to contact the rescue team.

5. Response Time • The time taken by the rescuers to arrive at the scene of the rescue after contact.

6. Assessment Time • The time taken by a rescue team to size up the problem and determine the strategy to perform a safe, efficient rescue

7. Preparation Time • The time take by a rescue team to set up for the rescue.

8. Rescue Time • The time taken for the team to reach, treat, package, and evacuate the victim from the confined space.

9. Untimely Rescue Response • CPR Emergency – Goal: 4 minutes • OSHA Preamble • Golden Hour • Patient delivery within an hour of the injury • Example • Falls off a ladder • Broken Bones

10. Rescue Response Time Goals • On-Site Team • Almost impossible to respond to a rescue summons and reach a victim within OSHA’s goal of 4 minutes • Unless using Rescue-Standby (team is already set up) • Appropriate Goal • Initiate patient transport to the hospital within 30-40 minutes of the incident

11. Rescue Response Time Goal • 0 – 3 minutes • Permit-Required Confined Space incident occurs and rescue team is called • 3 – 13 minutes (10 min. duration) • Rescue Team Arrives at the Scene • 13 – 23 minutes (10 min. duration) • Rescue Team Sizes up and Prepares to initiate rescue • 23 – 38 minutes (15 min. duration) • Rescue team reaches and rescues patient. • 38 – 53 minutes (15 min. duration) • Patient is transported and arrives at emergency room

12. Rescue Response Decision-Making Criteria • Rescue Standby (RS) • Requires team to be present and able to enter the space immediately and reach the patient in 2 to 4 minutes • Rescue Available (RA) • Requires the team to be able to respond to the entry site in about 10 minutes and reach the patient approximately 5 minutes later. • Can Catergorize PRCS – PrePlan • Best to assign on an entry by entry basis

13. Rescue Response Categories • Rescue Available • Do not require entrants to wear fresh air breathing equipment • Do not expose the entrant to any obvious IDLH or potential IDLH hazard • Do not warrant rescue personnel standing by during the entry, and • Do not require the entrant to have assistance to exit the space, under normal circumstances

14. Rescue Response Categories • Space in which entrants are required to use fresh air breathing equipment • Spaces in which an obvious IDLH hazard exists or potentially exists, and/or • Spaces from which an entrant would be expected to have difficulty exiting without help

15. Determining Rescue Response • Entry Supervisor must decide for each entry • Three questions should be asked • Is the hazard or potential hazard immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH)? • Is breathing air required for entry? • Would the entrant have difficulty exiting the space unassisted? • Any “yes” – then Rescue Standby (RS)

16. References • Confined Space and Structural Rope Rescue, Michael Roop, Thomas Vines, and Richard Wright, Published by Mosby, Inc., 1998. • Confined Space: Entry and Rescue – A Training Manual, Published by CMC Rescue, Inc., 1996.

17. Rescue Systems and Equipment

18. Standards and Regulations • NFPA • Consensus standards – voluntary compliance • ANSI • U.S. & international standards • Consensus standards – voluntary compliance. • Mandatory when referenced by OSHA in regulations • ASTM • Currently writing standards on Search and Rescue • Consensus Standards – voluntary compliance • OSHA • None on rope rescue

19. Equipment Description and Capabilities – Ropes • Used for • Primary tool in technical rescue • Vary in construction, material and size • Most common in C.S. • ½ inch, strength 9,000 lbs. • Static kernmantle (low stretch) • Dynamic kernmantle (high stretch)

20. Equipment Description and Capabilities – Webbing • Used for • Tying anchors • Lashing victims into a litter • Tying personal harness • Vary in construction, material and size • Most common in C.S. • 1 inch, spiral weave, tubular, nylon • Strength 4,500 lbs.

21. Equipment Description and Capabilities – Prusik Loop • Used for • Tie friction knots around rescue rope • Ratchets • Point of attachments • Most common in C.S. • 8 mm, nylon

22. Equipment Description and Capabilities – Anchor Straps • Used for • Quick, strong anchors for attaching ropes and systems • Most common in C.S. • 1 ¾ inch, flat nylon webbing • Strength 8,000 lbs.

23. Equipment Description and Capabilities – Harness • Used for • Fall protection • Confined space rescue • Most common in C.S. • Flat nylon webbing • Full body • Point of attachment in the center of the back at shoulder level

24. Equipment Description and Capabilities – Carabiners • Used for • Attach equipment together in rescue systems • Vary in construction, shape, material and size • Most common in C.S. • Large • Locking

25. Equipment Description – Figure Eight Descender • Used for • Rappelling • Lowering • Belay systems

26. (Minimum Strength) (Maximum Strength) Equipment Description and Capabilities – Brake Bar Rack • Used for • Control a rescue load • Add or subtract friction

27. Equipment Description and Capabilities – Edge Protection • Used for • Protects rope and anchors • Increases efficiency on rope hauling systems

28. Equipment Description and Capabilities – Pulleys • Used for • Change the direction of moving ropes • Build mechanical advantage into rope hauling systems

29. Equipment Description and Capabilities – Pulleys • First Class Lever • R (resistance) • F (fulcrum) • E (effort) • Fixed Pulley • Second Class Lever • F (fulcrum) • R (resistance) • E (effort) • Moving Pulley

30. Equipment Description and Capabilities – Tripod • Used for • Access to vertical entry • Most common in C.S. • 9-foot height or greater

31. Equipment Description and Capabilities – Winch • Used for • Assist with tripods • Most common in C.S. • Retractable designated for non-entry rescue • Certified as a primary lowering device

32. Equipment Description –Full Body Splint / Sked Stretcher • Used for • Confined Space Rescue • Protection for victim • Most common in C.S. • Together supply most support

33. Static System Safety Factor (SSSF) • Safety factor • Ratio between minimum breaking strength of a piece of equipment and the greatest force it is expected to experience during a rescue. • Standard • No standard mandating what the SSSF should be. • Mountain rescue teams use 4:1 • Rescue organizations use 10:1 • Fire service teams use 15:1 • (NFPA Standard 1983 specified the strength of a life support line to be 15 times the load.)

34. Knots • Knot efficiency • Knots rated for strength by the percentage of rope strength that remain when a knot is tied in the rope. • Knots should always be tied off.

35. (Step 1) (Step 2) (Step 3) Knot – Figure Eight • Used to tie other knots • Used as a stopper knot

36. (Step 1) (Step 3) (Step 2) Knot - Figure Eight on a Bight • Used to make a loop in a rope • Knot efficiency = 80%

37. (Step 5) (Step 1) (Step 2) (Step 3) (Step 4) Knots – Water Knot • Used to tie webbing together • Knot efficiency = 64%

38. Front (Step 3) (Step 1) (Step 2) (Step 4) (Step 5) Back Knots – Double Fisherman • (a.k.a.) double overhand bend • Used to tie prusik loops • Knot efficiency = 79%

39. (Step 5) (Step 2) (Step 4) (Step 3) (Step 1) Knot – Prusik Loop • Friction Knot

40. Anchors • Foundations that all rope systems are built on • Experience and Judgment

41. Backed Up Anchor • Anchor with another anchor of equal strength • Load increases as the interior angle increases

42. Load Distributing Anchors (Self Equalizing) • Allows the load to be distributed to each anchor point by permitting the point of attachment to shift within the anchor • Solves the problem caused by a load shift • Problem: • One anchor point fails, the shift to the remaining anchor points will cause a drop in the system • Solution: • Keep the anchor legs as short as possible

43. Rescue Systems • Starts with an anchor • Next, hardware and rope to complete the system • Be prepared to modify the system during the rescue

44. Rescue Systems – Simple Pulley Systems • All moving pulleys moving at the same speed as the load

45. Rescue Systems – Compound Pulley Systems • Pulley systems pulling on other pulley systems

46. Rescue Systems – Complex Pulley Systems • Moving Pulleys that move at different speeds

47. Rescue Systems – Belay Systems • Backup systems for primary rope systems. • OSHA mandates fall protection.

48. For assistance/more information: Contact: Michael LafreniereOhio University-ChillicotheEnvironmental Training and Research Center101 University DriveChillicothe, OH 45601Phone: (740) 774-7278 Email: lafrenie@ohio.edu Web: www.ohiou.edu/chillicothe/etrc/