Posted: 10 Jul '16

Does Your Confined Space Rescue Plan Include 911?

Having a rescue plan in place is mandatory, but do you know if your rescuers are prepared and properly equipped? If you are planning to include 911 as part of your rescue plan you should be ensuring the responders are aware of what they may encounter. The time it takes to complete a rescue is critical. Without proper pre-planning you may lose hours while Emergency Responders assemble the properly trained personnel and equipment.

Know Who Will Be Doing the Rescuing

The first step is to determine where the rescuers originate from in relation to your confined space. Avoid making the mistake of planning with a city Emergency Response team where your office is located when your work is going to be carried out in a remote location.

The following are all things to consider when pre-planning with Emergency Services:

• What are the potential hazards the rescue team may encounter? Ensure you are including environmental hazards and hazards your work would have introduced to the site, such as chemicals or dangerous equipment.
• Does the rescue team have the appropriate equipment, such as tri-pods, gas detection equipment, equipment for confined space rescues at height, etc?
• If you are working in a remote location, does the rescue team know EXACTLY how to reach your confined space?
• Does the rescue team have the ability to reach your confined space? For example, will they have to travel through restricted areas, such as gates with locks on them or will specialized equipment, such as ATVs, be required to reach the location?
• Is there going to be any particular times when sufficient rescue personnel or equipment will not be available? An example could include a volunteer fire department who gets called out to a different emergency.
• Can the rescue team be contacted readily? If the confined space is in a large industrial plant or deep in the wilderness is typical communication methods assured of working?
• Can the rescue team properly contact your company? Do they have the proper numbers to the proper people and know which people to call for particular issues?
• Does the Emergency Services in the area have sufficiently trained personnel? Volunteer Fire Departments may have certain limitations or time constraints when having to conduct specialized rescues for example.
• Should a practice be conducted?

Emergency Services Aren’t Always the Best Choice

We hear of amazing rescues conducted by Alberta’s Emergency Services, but we cannot just assume they are prepared to deal with our specific needs in the time frame that would be required in an emergency. If, after talking to the local Emergency Services it is determined that they could not be a proper rescue team, consider hiring a Safety company on a case by case basis. This ensures the best chance possible for your employee should a rescue need to occur.

MI Safety has trained personnel and the equipment for most rescue needs and is available for hire as your specialized rescue team. Contact us today for more information.