CS Articles

The safest form of confined space rescue is performed by never having rescuers enter the space. OSHA states that the entrant in a permit required confined space should be wearing a chest, full body harness or wristlets with an attached lifeline "to facilitate a non-entry rescue" from the space. Equipment manufacturers have been quick to supply tripods and winches to help the cause, but many customers have been led to believe that they are completely prepared for rescue after they have purchased a tripod and winch. An assumption exists that the winch is connected to the confined space entrant’s harness and will be used to extricate them if needed. Ask your equipment salesperson what you should do if there are more than one entrants in the same vertical space. While they would be very happy to sell you a winch for each entrant, this may not be practical if there are several entrants.

To illustrate the problem, let’s walk through a potential situation. There are three workers in a manhole accessed vault, 25’ down a vertical ladder way. They each have a full body harness with a lifeline attached to the rear D-ring and running up to the surface. The attendant has a tripod and winch available. The winch is attached to the last worker’s harness D-ring. The monitor they are wearing goes into the alarm mode, the workers each gasp for oxygen as they react to a nitrogen leak that occurred instantly in a connected vault. The attendant reacts quickly and with a trembling voice calls his dispatcher for help. He immediately starts winching up the attached worker, and since there are no obstacles, rescues the worker. The fire department is responding and will arrive in about 10 minutes. Now the attendant faces a problem. He cannot lift the workers alone by using the lifeline. How does he attach the winch snaphook to the next worker’s harness or lifeline without entering the space? If he does not know how, the only other means of rescue requires an entry into the space in a rescue attempt which he is not allowed to do until backup arrives.

There are several forms of non-entry rescue techniques. This one uses the tripod/winch combination to essentially create a ratchet system that can remove any number of patients without requiring a rescuer to enter the space if there are no obstacles to the removal. The missing link is between the winch system and the lifeline. The attendant could remove as much lifeline slack between him and the next worker as possible, tie a knot low in the lifeline, and connect the winch snaphook to it. However, that will only pull the worker up a few feet until the winch snaphook reaches the winch body. A simple ratchet system will handle the problem.

Please follow the example below. The terminology used in the example is normal for industrial applications. The term rope grab is a generic term that could be one of several types of devices that will grip a lifeline when load is applied, and slip on a lifeline when unloaded.

There are many variations to this technique. It will work with several man-rated manual winches, lifeline sizes, and rope grabs. The technique does not require a tripod, simply an overhead anchorage, fixed or mobile. If there are multiple subjects to be removed, practice has shown that it is most efficient to remove subjects one at a time, and prerig grabs onto the next subjects lifeline.

By not being aware of such simple and fast non-entry techniques, a well intentioned would-be rescuer may believe they must make a dangerous entry in a confined space rescue attempt.

1. Connect a subjects lifeline to an overhead anchorage via a system that can temporarily hold the subjects weight (figure 8 ring, rope grab, Prusik, pipe/boom wrap, etc.). This is called the ratchet grab.

2. Attach a rope grab or Prusik to the subjects lifeline. This is connected to the winch snap hook and called the winch grab.

3. Push the winch grab as low as safely possible down the tight lifeline. Winch up as far as possible, while pulling all new lifeline slack through the ratchet grab.

4. While holding the subject with the ratchet grab or figure 8 ring, slide the winch grab down the lifeline for new grip. Repeat the winching process, transferring the subjects weight from one grab to the other.

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John Peleaux - Innovative Access, Inc.  719-783-3530  Innovative.access@juno.com  -  www.innovative-access.com

Confined Space Rescue Training

Compliance vs. Competency

By John R. Peleaux

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to help prevent the needless loss of rescue personnel lives who would respond to a confined space accident (even while in full compliance with OSHA's new 1910.146 (k) regulation). Many companies believe they are prepared for a rescue attempt if they have the basic retrieval system equipment such as a tripod, winch, harnesses and lifelines.

Imagine you are a trained confined space attendant sitting outside a permit-required space. The annual confined space rescue scenario is still fresh in your mind. You feel confident that you understand and will follow all of the correct procedures. Suddenly you hear your friend inside call out your name. Jim has been your friend and coworker for the past 7 years. Something is very wrong. You run over and look down into the vault's small opening and see him laying face down only 12 feet away from you. Your confined space training states not to jump in until you call for help, wait for the monitor, wait for the SCBA's, and wait for another trained attendant. Wait? Every human emotion is screaming for you to jump in and try to help your friend. Which will prevail; training and logic, or adrenaline and emotion? Unfortunately for the attendant, case histories show an overpowering drive to enter the confined space to help immediately without regard for training or personal safety.

This is a sharing of information acquired from several years of humbling experiences while teaching basic and advanced confined space (CS) rescue. Even the most basic CS rescue plan learned in the classroom to the point of boredom can look like a three stooges movie when practiced in the field. Tripods tip, patients are caught in ladder rungs during raising, rescuers risk falling into manholes, etc. What would happen when real emotions and adrenaline are present during a real emergency? Panic, lack of communications, and assumptions are common even for trained rescuers.

Compliance OSHA 1910.146 (effective April 15, 1993)

OSHA's 1910.146 was written to help prevent an estimated 54 fatalities, 5,041 lost-workday, and 5,908 non-lost-workday cases annually due to confined space accidents. The agency estimates that compliance with all requirements in the standard will result in an 85% reduction in baseline fatalities, injuries, and illnesses associated with permit spaces.

OSHA was faced with creating a generic document that would include many types and sizes of facilities, each with their own specific Confined Space problems. While this standard is a great step forward in reducing CS accidents, fire fighters in my opinion are going to be in even greater risk of being called during a confined space rescue than ever. We keep hearing the statistic that 60% of would be rescuers in a CS die. That means there are more rescuer fatalities in a CS rescue attempt than the amount of original victims!

Employee training (k )( 1)(ii)

Training employees in hazard awareness may be one of the most important parts of the ruling since most victims (including rescuers) in a CS had no awareness of the hazards they faced. One of the main causes of would be rescuer deaths involve a very powerful human emotion that may drive a person to disregard all safety training to help a fellow human in an emergency. Until we approach the mechanics of this response, people will continue to jump into confined spaces without regarding their training or personal safety.

Training sessions per year (k )( 1)(iii)

The rescue training requirement that includes one practice scenario annually in an actual or representative confined space is a minimum for compliance. One CS rescue practice scenario per year in a company's only manhole, a 10' deep, 15' by 15' sump pit may be completely sufficient. As safety professionals, please ask yourselves if the same amount of training time is sufficient if you have multiple confined spaces (sometimes hundreds) at your facility, each with their own set of unique problems. How many types of CS rescue situations should the responding fire department be trained for?

In most basic rescue scenarios even without the pressure of adrenaline it is amazing how common it is to have a pretend fatality during a pretend rescue. Competency equates with survivability of both victims and rescuers. To be able to help the victim without making the situation worse, most rescue services follow a safety priority system.

Off-site rescue service (k )(2 )

OSHA states that a company with permit required confined spaces must have either an on-site or off-site rescue service. While the off-site service may be convenient and cost effective for a company, the people that may suffer are the fire fighters that are typically designated as the off-site rescue service. Fire departments generally have small budgets and minimal time for more training, but are at the highest risk for a CS rescue accident.

OSHA states wisely that if you designate an off-site rescue service, you must contact them, inform them of the hazards they may be confronted with, and provide access to all permit spaces for planning and training. How many of these host companies simply fill out the paperwork stating that the local fire department is their designated off-site team without contacting them? The responding fire department personnel may not be aware of the hazards and techniques required to attempt a safe CS rescue.

Oxygen deficiency is statistically the main cause of CS accidents. Considering the brain has only 4-6 minutes to survive without oxygen, an off-site service may not be able to respond fast enough to prevent a body recovery.

Risk to fire fighters

If there is a emergency call, the fire department will respond with the best of intentions. If they are not trained for the hazards of CS rescue, more firefighters may be called to their deaths. Due to the possible increase in CS rescue calls, fire department personnel are at a greater risk than ever. One goal of rescue training is rescuer survivability.

A common background of several Fire department CS rescue trainers is a 8-40 hour course that they had attended. They come back home and become the trainer for their department. Additional dilution of trainer skills can occur if a student of the original trainer takes over the training. While this may be a very cost effective method, even the best intentioned trainer forgets things, and is rarely updated with current techniques or equipment.

Proposed updates to 1910.146 (k)

On March 15, 1993 the United Steelworkers of America petitioned the US Court of Appeals for judicial review of the final permit space standard. In particular, the USWA contended that 1910.146 (k)(2) which addresses the rescue of permit space entrants by outside (off-site) rescue services, was vague and ineffective. Other proposed changes would add compliance flexibility to the "point-of-retrieval line attachment" requirement, and would give employees the opportunity to observe atmospheric testing and monitoring of confined spaces, and have access to evaluation results.

OSHA's measurement of a host employer's compliance with proposed paragraphs (k)(2) and (k)(2)(ii) "will not be based solely upon a rescue service's actual performance during any single instance, but instead upon the host employer's total effort prior to arranging for an outside rescue service to ensure that the prospective rescue service is indeed capable, in terms of overall timeliness, training and equipment, of performing an effective rescue at the host employer's workplace."

The proposed revisions to 1910.146 would read as follows:

(k) Rescue and emergency services.

(2) When an employer (host employer) arranges to have persons other than the host employer's employee's (outside rescuer) perform permit space rescue, the host employer shall ensure that:

(i) The outside rescuer can respond in a timely manner to a rescue summons.

(ii) The outside rescuer is equipped, trained and capable of functioning appropriately to perform permit space rescues at the host employer's facility.

(iii) The outside rescuer is aware of the hazards they may confront when called on to perform rescue at the host employer's facility.

(iv) The outside rescuer is provided with access to all permit spaces from which rescue may be necessary so that the outside rescuer can develop appropriate rescue plans and practice rescue operations.

(3)(i) Each authorized entrant shall use a chest or full body harness, with a retrieval line attached at the center of the entrant's back near shoulder level, above the entrant's head or other point which the employer can establish will ensure that the entrant will present the smallest possible profile during removal.

Competency? (examples of hazards even when in compliance)

Unauthorized entry for rescue One weak spot in a CS rescue response is the potential for non rescue service employees to enter the space in a rescue attempt after the designated rescue service has been called, but before they arrive on scene. The rescue service may be busy gathering all of the equipment required for the rescue, but others may enter the space before the team arrives on scene. This again is a normal human response of trying to help.

Assumptions are another weak point. Who is getting what equipment? Should I go directly to the scene, or get some gear? Typically the atmospheric monitor is the last item that arrives when it should be the first. During one practice scenario, a team member went to get a monitor and discovered they were all checked out or in repair. We must train for reality, not just theory.

Occasionally start your drills from normal work stations with all rescue equipment stored as usual. Even when team members know that it is a drill, assumptions run wild. Try to find and cure the weak spots in the initial response.

Human Emotions Human Emotion or Trained response - which will prevail?

While teaching the mechanics of a CS rescue can be demanding, they are easier than teaching the human emotional aspects that cast all logic's and safety training aside during a real rescue attempt. Hazard awareness coupled with humility and respect for human frailty may be the most important part of the workers CS training.

Training without the adrenaline

We are used to typical training techniques. We believe if steps 1 -10 have been discussed and tested in the classroom and a practical field exercise backs up the classroom steps, we are trained. We are asking non-emergency response personnel (mechanics, electricians, plumbers) to train in step by step procedures for a rescue, but rarely are they prepared for the total destruction of logic's once a powerful emergency emotional load hits their brain. Emotion tends to win out over logics.

We are humans that not only make logical mistakes, but when under great stress, logics go out the door, and our brains turn to mush. This is one of the main causes for the 60% statistic. Awareness of how this works helps, as does watching out for other team members. Everyone works differently under such pressure. Hindsight may be too late for the workers in a confined space. How many rescue services are trained in their practice scenarios for potential failure such as losing a fellow rescuer during a rescue attempt?

Hope (rescuing fatalities)

A goal during every rescue is to prevent additional injury or death to the people they are trying to help. During training sessions, students may be calmly taught to leave the dead in a multi-victim scenario and try to rescue the living. A common reaction of rescue team students facing this choice during a training scenario is to continue to rescue a dead body. Why? The physical work of doing this even when the rescuer knows it is only a training, and after the incident commander has ordered the body to be left behind is an indicator of a powerful force.

Even if all information (logics) points to an impossibility of the victims survivability (knowing the level of hazard and exposure), we hope (emotion) they are still viable. Sub-conciously maybe we don't want to question for the rest of our lives whether we could have helped the victim or not. No one wants to be in the position to make such tough decisions, but rescuers in confined spaces are in that position.

Fall hazards for rescuers

A rescuer loaded down with air tank, face mask, adrenaline and rescue equipment may be at a greater risk of falling than a worker doing his/her regular job. The lifeline already on the rescuers harness should be used as a belay system for fall protection whenever possible. A belay system is a rope fall protection safety system which should be used only by trained rescue personnel.

Rescuers rigging a tripod directly over a open hole tend to concentrate on the rigging while stretching over a major fall hazard. Rescuers aware of the fall potential practice rigging the tripod to the side of the hole then carrying the complete system over to the hole.

Examples of Errors

Good basic idea: Supply patient with 5 min. temporary air.

What can go wrong: Sense of elapsed time is impaired. If the air supply is not monitored and runs out, you have put a plastic bag or mask over your patients face and they may suffocate. If not visually monitored at all times (which sounds simple but is difficult when so many other things are going on at the same time) your patient may vomit in the face piece or bag and suffocate.

Good basic idea: Perfect text book rescue of one subject.

What can go wrong: While packing the rescue gear, closing the manhole cover and treating your patient, he asks how Fred is. You realize that nobody searched the small space for others. Other potential rescuers may have entered the space without anyone being aware of their entry.

Good basic idea: Use the overhead crane for hauling the subject vertically out of a tank. It is faster than rigging a manual haul system.

What can go wrong: His head or tool belt gets caught in a ladder rung while raising. There is no feel for resistance if mechanical hoists are used.

Good basic idea: A rescuer uses a SAR (supplied air respirator) with a 5 minute escape bottle in a long, tight horizontal pipe.

What can go wrong: Deep inside the pipe his air supply is interrupted (kink, empty bottles, compressor failure?) and both arms are in front of him. The tight fit in the pipe prevents him from reaching his emergency air supply.

Good basic idea: Use forced ventilation to improve air quality while performing a rescue in an confined space with atmospheric problems.

What can go wrong: Carbon monoxide from exhaust (truck, ambulance, gas powered fan) can easily enter into the supply side of the ventilation system, possibly making the atmosphere even worse! Introduction of oxygen into the space can change an atmospheric condition from being to lean to burn into the explosive range.

Good basic idea: Using a tripod to lift a victim vertically out of a confined space, then dragging them to the side of the hole.

What can go wrong: Tripods and quadrupeds are only stable when the forces of a haul are shared equally by all legs of the device. When the victim is hauled to the side after extraction, but still attached to the haul system, the tripod can tip over very quickly injuring the rescue personnel or even the patient.

Tie backs, or even holding onto the tripod while changing the direction of pull on the tripod can prevent these problems.

Good basic idea: Negating the need to enter a space by using a winch attached to the entrants harness to rescue the entrant.

What can go wrong: If there are more than one victims in the space, each with their own retrieval line attached to a harness, most rescuers do not know how to attach the winch cable onto each lifeline to remove the victims without entering. One of the main purposes of the retrieval line is the possibility of rescuing the victim from outside of the space -- the safest form of confined space rescue.

Good basic idea: Send down a rescuer after taking all precautions, and haul the victim out - simple!

What can go wrong: If the victim does not have a harness on, rescuers may spend an incredible amount of time rigging some form of untested attachment that may fail during the haul. (Example: knots fail, victim slips through slings) Consider outfitting your team with a rescue full body harness (quickly clips together) or wristlets to help the rescuer and victim.

Summary:

The best of intentions are not going to protect firefighters from the hazards of confined space rescue attempts. Rural and volunteer departments are not immune to confined space rescue calls. Silos, manure pits, wells, and rail cars have each claimed several lives. Awareness of confined space hazards is the first step in rescuer survivability.

The complexities and hazards of confined space rescues are usually apparent only after a few practice scenarios. Humility is quickly rediscovered even by the professional who believed their past rescue experience would be sufficient for confined space rescue.

Practice for potential worst case problems. Try interrupting a training rescue attempt with a rescuer falling or experiencing claustrophobia or SCBA difficulty. You want to be surprised and humbled during training sessions, not during a real rescue attempt.

In order for a group to effect a safe entry into a confined space to rescue someone else, they should first know everything about potential confined space hazards themselves. It is the willingness of well intentioned, but untrained would-be rescuers to leap into confined spaces to help someone else that has generated the need for the 1910.146 regulations.

Compliance may mean that the paperwork only is covered. Competency in confined space rescue training protects workers, would-be rescuers, and company assets by preventing additional injuries or deaths.

BIO - (Suggested only)

John R. Peleaux, is the CEO of Innovative Access, Inc. in Denver, Colorado. His background with gravity includes 27 years of mountaineering, 22 years of volunteer mountain rescue work, and 18 years of construction safety and rescue team training. He is a founder member of the International Society for Fall Protection, a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, and founder of the Rope Rescue Educational Alliance. If interested in sharing information or experiences, please contact him at (303) 674-2027.

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John Peleaux - Innovative Access, Inc.  719-783-3530  Innovative.access@juno.com  -  www.innovative-access.com