The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
Construction Site Post-Fall Incidents
I'd like to know of anyone who has responded to a construction worker post-fall incident where the worker was suspended from a fall protection harness. I have read that there is a general intolerance to being hung from a fall protection harness (see attached article) with great risk associated with being hung for more than 30 minutes. It may sometimes be fatal.
Anyone run an incident like this? Did suspension intolerance become an issue? How did the incident go? What kind of issues were there accessing the victim? Were there any lessons learned worth sharing and has anyone done any pre-planning or training for post-fall incidents?
Thanks in advance for your replies..
Anyone run an incident like this? Did suspension intolerance become an issue? How did the incident go? What kind of issues were there accessing the victim? Were there any lessons learned worth sharing and has anyone done any pre-planning or training for post-fall incidents?
Thanks in advance for your replies..
- Attachments:
-
-
Post-fall-rescue.pdf, 20 KB
-
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by David Clark on
-
Hey thanks Ralph. You're right, great article. I am still looking to gain insight from anyone who has responded to a post fall protection incident. I would like to learn more about the details of an actual access and retrieval.
Even the JEMS article sort of glossed over the mechanics of the rescue. They did say it was through a window but no other details. I work in bridge construction and am trying to put together a presentation regarding post-fall rescue for local responders as a pre-planning for potential construction accidents. I will present the rescue literature available, such as the JEMS article but would like to reinforce it with lessons learned on actual incidents.
My thought is that it is not an easy task to gain access to a victim hanging from a steel beam at height. The process of disconnecting a 200 lb victem from the harness and lowering them to the ground is something that deserves some serious thought.
-
Permalink Reply by David Dionne on
-
I thought these might help you. I have not been involved with a rescue of a post fall incident. I have responded to a recovery from an electrical tower. The worker touched the outer cable and was electrocuted. The electricity sent him hanging on his harness. His fellow workers pulled him back to the tower and lashed him in with no way to get him down. If he had survived the electric shock he would have been hanging for more then 3 hours over 200 feet in the air. This includes getting rescuers on sight, having electric turned off and climbing to workers location.
- Attachments:
-
-
Suspension__13.pdf, 83 KB
-
Suspension__17.pdf, 3 MB
-
Suspension__18.pdf, 61 KB
-
-
-
Thank you David. This exactly what I am looking for. The articles are excellent.
Do you know, if the power had not been an issue, did his coworkers have any means to lift his weight from his lanyard long enough to get it unhooked and transfer him to another safety line, or did they have some other means to get him to the ground?
-
-
His co-workers did not have any way to get him to the ground. Rescuers had to move worker horizontally to the center of the tower where no electric wires were. Using 2 ma's one would pull tight as the other was loosened. Worker lowered via pulley and rappel rack.
- Attachments:
-
-
com ed.jpg, 44 KB
-
-
-
A few more pictures. I am in the middle of the tower and lowered the worker.
- Attachments:
-
-
comed5.jpg, 39 KB
-
comed6.jpg, 34 KB
-
comed7.jpg, 45 KB
-
-
-
Thank you David. Great pictures. Do you mind if I use them in my presentation?
-
-
It sounds to me like even if you took the electriicity out of the equation and the responders were on site right when it happened, the victim would be suspended long enough to developp symptoms before getting to the ground. For instance, how long did it take to climb the tower after getting into your gear? How long did it take to set rigging and hook up the victim before lowering, and how long did it take to lower?
I have no doubt that you and your crew are most likely proficient however I guess I am questioning the whole fall protection system in general. In your case you were doing a recovery but what if you had a viable patient? If the fall protection harness only buys you ten minutes what good is it unless rescue resources are on site and ready to go?
I guess addressing that will be part of my presentation.
I have Miller Relief Steps built into my fall protection harness...
http://www.millerfallprotection.com/fall-protection-products/access...
...but have never used them. They are a one time use; sort of like a fire shelter. I think I'll sacrafice a set so that we can train with them.
Thanks again for your input.
-
-
Thanks Ralph. I appreciate the input and the JEMS article is informative.
-
-
Go ahead and use the pictures. Climbing the tower took at least a half hour for first rescuer. Lead climb performed as no safety cable on the tower. Getting enough rescuers up the tower to move worker took a little more time. Total amount of time from when we started to climb until last person off of the tower was 3 hours.
The fall protection gives someone a chance to survive. Without it sudden stop at ground level ends any chance of survival. - Attachments:
-
-
comed3.jpg, 38 KB
-
comed4.jpg, 38 KB
-
comed8.jpg, 38 KB
-
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
