Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ariel 683 on January 25, 2009 at 3:02pm

Wow! you would have to extricate the driver first to be able to reach the passenger....

Permalink Reply by lutan1 on January 25, 2009 at 3:13pm

How? What would you do?

Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on January 25, 2009 at 3:28pm

Heres my take on this scenerio. (life-flight is notified and a request for 2 birds automatic upon arrival on scene) First and foremost, we need to get some airbags under the trailer. While the air bags are being raised (controlled raise) your adding cribbing to carry the load so it doesn't drop and crush the occupants of the bottom trailer further. Once the box is off the first chassis it is time to get to work. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES does ANYONE go under the truck thats raised and on cribbing.

With the trailer being raised and cribbed the first priority is to access the driver. With the top being crushed down, your likely to find a driver whose legs are pinned. After popping the door with spreaders and cutting it free, you need to chock the door and start work with a variety of rams. (using the smallers ones and working your way into the longer ones to provide adequate room. Cutting the steering wheel off will hopefully allow for the safe removal of the driver.
The passangers side being so crushed is going to provide a variety of new challanges. With no purchase points to safely operate the spreaders from inside the cab, it is going to be up to the rams to provide room to remove the patient. (this may be a recovery but I am assuming there is life to save)
Your only other alternative that I can see is to pray you can get a wrecker/crane operator to the scene to lift the box completely off and out of the way to provide 360 degree access to the visable chassis. if this occurs you end up having a variety of other scenerio's which are much more favorable to timely remove both patients.

Permalink Reply by Ariel 683 on January 25, 2009 at 3:33pm

Sounds good!

Permalink Reply by lutan1 on January 25, 2009 at 3:35pm

The passangers side being so crushed is going to provide a variety of new challanges.
For us, that'd be the drivers side which would open a whole world of pain for the rescuers (and the victim!) with the steering wheel, pedals, etc.

Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on January 25, 2009 at 3:38pm

whats your take on how I laid the plan out?

Permalink Reply by lutan1 on January 25, 2009 at 3:59pm

I aggree- the use of the rams is good, if you have a variety of sizes. If not, spreaders can also be used.

I'm not convinced about lifitng the load with a crane or wrecker- only becasue here it could take ages to get one to scene.

The cutting of the steering wheel that you mention seems to be a forgotten thing by many rescuers for some reason- it works fantastic!

Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on January 25, 2009 at 4:16pm

We are fortunate with the interstate to have a haevy wrecker/crane available usually within 20 minutes or less. There is a lot we can do before they get there. (including attempts to go through the drivers side) With our availability to this type of rig, it would be the safest way to operate this incident.

Permalink Reply by Paresh Trivedi on January 25, 2009 at 6:09pm

Hey, I learned something here!

Permalink Reply by Chuck Amason on January 26, 2009 at 11:09am

I heard many good ideas. My experience in dealing with tractor trailers has taught me that conventional equipment is not always the best. Air tools are very useful, sometimes the bolts must be removed before rams will even begin to move the metal. If airbags are used, solid cribbing is a must, this means alot of 6x6 material stacked like a solid cube. Many wrecker companies provide crane trucks and low pressure bags to lift these large rigs. Sometimes the wreckers and winches must be used to pull the dash off the trapped occupant after the rig is pulled out from under the trailer or whatever the object is. If you work in a department that is limited on resources, now is the time to start networking with wrecker companies, lumber yards, heavy equipment contractors, etc. that will be useful when the big one happens.

Permalink Reply by Chief 29 on January 28, 2009 at 3:15pm

Another way to gain access to the passenger could be an entrance through the roof or the side of what appears to be the sleeper part of the cab the cutting of this would be quickest with a sawzall and or even an air chisel. Possibly a combination of the two, use the air chisel for the sheet metal and the sawzall for any tube steel that you may encounter. Remember there is not much to cabs of this type.
This is just an add to your already well laid out plan.

Permalink Reply by Asst Chief Tim Cook on January 28, 2009 at 6:49pm

Back a heavy wrecker up to the trailer just to the left of the tractor(as pictured).Lift the side of the trailer.If you have a good supply of blocking or a couple good jacks you can set on the blocking,do so.Then move the tow truck slightly ahead and slide the front of the tractor out from under the trailer.Then extricate normally. piece of cake. This is a bread and butter job.T.C.

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