Confines Space Rescue techniquef

[billy]

What technique do you employ for moving victims through horizontal confined spaces?

[lutan1]

This is not a merketing campaign, but check out the link below to Unique Concepts "Side Entry System".

The equipment is manufactured in Canada (I think!).

I've used this side entry system very successfully in Australia for confined space training and "shut down" work for plant operators.

UCL Side Entry System

They've got some great ideas and products for all sorts of fall arrest, entry and rescue work....

[CFD Hazards]

All confined entries are difficult but a horizantal rescue can be really troublesome. First, assuming that you are using a SABA system, the farthest distance you can go is 300 feet. The lines can become tangled or pinched off. In this case, you have about 10 minutes worth of air to either correct the problem or get out of the space. Depending on the size of the space, you may not have enough room to turn yourself around and will be forced to back out the whole way. I can't say there is a best method of extricating someone because every situation will be different. A SKED board may be your best bet. You can sinch the victim inside, attach the retrieval system and proceed out. It has a smooth bottom and should easily glide over most surfaces. As far as a retrieval system, a rope may be best. You can rig a 4 or 5:1 system or perhaps a Z-rig. It may depend on the amount of space you have to haul.

[Fyrechicken]

Originally posted by CFDE3
A SKED board may be your best bet. You can sinch the victim inside, attach the retrieval system and proceed out. It has a smooth bottom and should easily glide over most surfaces. As far as a retrieval system, a rope may be best. You can rig a 4 or 5:1 system or perhaps a Z-rig. It may depend on the amount of space you have to haul.

Make sure you have a longboard between the patient and the SKED, not much protection there he or she is going to feel everything thru the SKED. But you are right, the SKED is one of better ways to go on a Horizantal rescue wrap them up and hook a line to it and pull as for the haul system depending on the distance of the pull you can use a Z-Rig for those short pulls or a 4-1 Piggy back for those long hauls..




Robert B.
CSRT Instructor

[ADSNWFLD]

I also vote for the SKED. Once you get used to working with it, it is OK. Also the OSS 2 plus the sked will immobilize someone fully with out a long back board.

[Litch]

What difficulties have you encountered in getting the Sked unrolled and into a usable position in the confined space? What is the smallest space you have tried to apply the Sked?

[Litch]

I have used both the Sked and the Reeves Sleeve. The Reeves Sleeve works nicely if you have the room to get a long backboard in and maneuver around. It does not hold up well to being dragged over abrasive surfaces. If you have a smooth surface - clean metal or plastic pipe, it works well.

[Fyrechicken]

Originally posted by Litch
What difficulties have you encountered in getting the Sked unrolled and into a usable position in the confined space? What is the smallest space you have tried to apply the Sked?

On the classes I have done, we had a proccess tank 30' x 6' diameter with a 24" manway in the center of one end. The session went like this "man down inside the tank overcome by fumes, two rescuers go in place patient on air with air-pak, SKED is unwrapped outside, rope is threaded thru sked then sked is handed into team where they placed patient on sked and same is hauled close to the manway with a 3 to 1 Z-Rig then the team lift the sked and patient up into the manway and pass it out to the waiting backup team and line tenders...The only problems we ran into was that using the sked alone the patient would feel everything thru the sked (there is a 6" diameter pipe that sticks up out of the floor approx. 6" within 2' of the opening. We had to carefull not to lay the sked down on it). Ok now to answer your question, we have found that by unrolling the sked outside the space and getting it rigged saved alot of time plus if you couldn't get the pre-rigged sked to the patient then even if you got a rolled up sked you would not know if you could get the packaged patient out....24" diameter manway is the smallest we have tried..



Robert B.

[fyrfitr42]

I agree with all of the above comments. When a fall is in the scinerio, we use a KED then the SKED. One question though, why not leave the SKED pre-rigged with the attachment rope? 24" is just about the smallest you can effectivly package a patient. If it is smaller than that you'll have to move the patient to another, larger area. A good way to do this is the "inch worm". This entails using a short z-rig 3:1 anchored to your harness then attached to what ever you can on the patient(hands or feet). Wedging your self in the pipe and haul. Move, haul, move, haul.

John

[Fyrechicken]

Originally posted by fyrfitr42
I agree with all of the above comments. When a fall is in the scinerio, we use a KED then the SKED. One question though, why not leave the SKED pre-rigged with the attachment rope? 24" is just about the smallest you can effectivly package a patient. If it is smaller than that you'll have to move the patient to another, larger area. A good way to do this is the "inch worm". This entails using a short z-rig 3:1 anchored to your harness then attached to what ever you can on the patient(hands or feet). Wedging your self in the pipe and haul. Move, haul, move, haul.

John

It's getting alittle bulky storing the sked in it's bag with the rope pre-rigged, As for the "inch worm" I have a "ROCO" line-transfer set all I have to do is add a gibbs and I have a ratching inch worm.

"ROCO" Line-transfer is a haul-safe double sheeve pulley with built-in cam and a single pulley all pre-rigged. I have about 3' of pull with it.



Robert B.