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Confined Space Fatalities…a closer look at the numbers

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

(An updated review of more recent data is available at Confined space Fatalities...an updated look at the numbers)

CSFatalities-03

At some point during just about every Roco CSRT Rescue Stand-By job, someone will ask us why we are there. After we tell them that we’re there to make sure all the workers go home safely (and explain some of the basic requirements of OSHA’s 1910.146 regulation), they will normally add, “Well, we’re glad you’re here!”When asked how often we have to do a rescue, we’ll tell them that it’s not often – because our goal is to make sure a rescue never has to happen. With careful pre-planning and proper entry procedures, an entry rescue should not be needed. 

As we all know, however, things go wrong – especially in a confined space. And that’s when a Stand-by Rescue Team can make all the difference in the world – especially to the worker(s) in the hole.

With a facility that plans for confined space entry and routinely follows all safety precautions, employees just might not realize how common these confined space emergencies can be. With that in mind, we decided to do some very basic analyses of statistics from the Department of Labor. In looking at permit-required confined space incidents from 2005 through 2009, we found some of these statistics to be surprising.

Here’s what we found… during the 5-year period (2005-2009), there were a total of 481 fatalities. This averages to about 96.2 fatalities per year (or 1.85 fatalities per week). If you carry this logic forward, it equates to 1 fatality about every 4 days. And keep in mind that this data only covers incidents with at least one fatality or death, so these numbers don’t include all of those incidents that resulted in serious injuries or illnesses. 

CSFatalities-02These fatalities occurred in 28 states…with just about every age group other than the very young and the very old equally represented. Over 61% (or 298) of these incidents occurred during construction, repairing or cleaning activities. For 203 of the fatalities, the victim worked in the construction industry regularly; however, 17% (or 83) of the victims were in management positions.

Over 61% of confined space entry fatalities occurred during construction, repairing or cleaning activities.

One of the most surprising statistics had to do with the causes of these fatalities. Generally, you would assume that the most common cause of confined space emergencies would be atmospheric hazards. However, during this particular period, that was not the case. The largest cause by a significant measure was “Physical Hazards.” This broad term encompasses a lot of territory including, “struck by”; “caught in”; “collapses”; and “falls.” Physical hazards accounted for 294 or 61% of the fatalities. Atmospheric hazards (including fires) accounted for 160 or 33% of the incidents.

These numbers serve to remind us how important proper safety precautions are when it comes to confined spaces. For emergency responders, atmospheric hazards are always on our minds – however, from this, we also must consider the many physical hazards that are often found in confined spaces – especially when construction or maintenance activities are in process.

When should I retire my rescue rope?

Monday, October 24, 2011

When should I retire my rescue rope?Unfortunately, there’s not a reasonably priced “non-destructive” test to determine a particular rope’s strength. Your best bet is to have trained personnel using the rope, keep good rope use logs and inspect the rope after every use. It’s always best to refer to your rope manufacturer for proper care, inspection and replacement, so that’s what we did.

Here’s what Steve Hudson, President of PMI Rope, had to say.
He first referenced the product literature that’s included with PMI rope that states:

RETIRE IMMEDIATELY:
- Any rope whose strength may have been compromised during use.
- Any rope which is subjected to uncontrolled or excessive loading.
- Any rope which is greater than 10 years old, regardless of history and usage.
- Any rope whose history and past usage you are uncertain about.

While these are simple statements, I realize that it is difficult to determine what is “excessive loading” or what is “compromised.” And, if you think it’s hard to look at a rope after an operation and tell if it was compromised or not – think how hard it is for us at the factory to know without being there or having the rope to look at.

Unfortunately, there’s not a reasonably priced “non-destructive” test to determine a particular rope’s strength. Your best bet is to have trained personnel using the rope, keep good rope use logs and inspect the rope after every use. Anytime you have lost faith in what you know about the rope’s condition, for any reason, you should retire it.

A PMI rope, if properly cared for, should last at least 5 years of regular rescue training use and longer than that with intermittent use. By 10 years, it’s simply time to replace it. There are just too many things in the environment that the rope might pick up and are potentially harmful to the yarn.

And, as always, when in doubt, throw it out… CUT RETIRED ROPE into short lengths which will discourage future use – or discard it entirely. A retired rope should not be stored, kept or maintained in such a way that it could inadvertently be used as a lifeline. In some cases, when only a single point or a small area of a rope has been damaged and the remainder of the rope is in good condition, the user may elect to cut that section out of the rope and continue to use the remaining sections. This is a judgment call and such a decision is left to the user’s discretion.

Again, never take chances – if you’re not sure about the integrity of a rope, throw it out!

Quick Reference for Rope Retirement:

  •     Extensive Use (e.g. Roco’s training rope) – replace every two (2) years or as needed.
  •     Occasional Use (e.g. once a month) – replace every five (5) years or as needed.
  •     Regardless of Use – replace every ten (10) years.

Can I use my training rope for rescue?

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Can I use my training rope for rescue?We're often asked about using training rope for rescue purposes, so here's what we discovered...

The short answer is yes. However, NFPA 1500 provides some additional guidelines.

NFPA 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program (2007 Edition)
7.16.3* Life safety rope used for rescue at fires or other emergency incidents or for training shall be permitted to be reused if inspected before and after each such use in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions and provided that the following criteria are met:

(1) The rope has not been visually damaged by exposure to heat, direct flame impingement, chemical exposure or abrasion.

(2) The rope has not been subjected to any impact load.

(3) The rope has not been exposed to chemical liquids, solids, gases, mists or vapors of any material known to deteriorate rope.

7.16.3.1 If the rope used for rescue at fires or other emergency incidents or for training does not meet the criteria set forth in 7.16.3(1), 7.16.3(2), or 7.16.3(3) or fails the visual inspection, it shall be destroyed.

7.16.3.2 If there is any question regarding the serviceability of the rope after consideration of the criteria listed in 7.16.3, the rope shall be taken out of service.

(*) Asterisk indicates that explanatory material is included in Annex A. While Annex A is not a part of the requirements of the NFPA document, it is included for informational purposes only.
Annex A (NFPA 1500)

A.7.16.3 Life safety rope can be significantly weakened by abrasion, misuse, contamination, wear, and stresses approaching its breaking strength, particularly impact loading. Because there is no approved method to service test a rope without compromising
its strength, rope rescue and training operations should be carefully observed and monitored for conditions that could cause immediate failure or result in undetectable damage to the rope. If a rope has been used in a situation that could not be supervised or where potential damage could have occurred, it should be removed from service and destroyed.

It is important that ropes be inspected for signs of wear by qualified individuals after each use. If indications of wear or damage are noted, or if the rope has been stressed in
excess of the manufacturers’ recommendations or has been impact loaded, it should be destroyed. The destruction of the rope means that it should be removed from service and altered in such a manner that it could not be mistakenly used as a life safety rope. This alteration could include disposal or removal of identifying labels and attachments and cutting the rope into short lengths that could be used for utility purposes.

The assignment of disposable life safety ropes to members or to vehicles has proven to be an effective system to manage ropes that are provided for emergency use and are used
infrequently.

Special rescue teams, which train frequently and use large quantities of rope, should include members who are qualified to manage and evaluate the condition of their ropes and determine the limitations upon their reuse.

Trench Warning from OSHA

Monday, October 10, 2011

Two workers are killed every month in trench collapses. Unprotected trenches are among the deadliest hazards in the construction industry and the loss of life is devastating.Since 2003, more than 200 workers have died in trench cave-ins and hundreds more have been seriously injured. OSHA has three new guidance products to educate employers and workers about the hazards in trenching operations.

The new products include a fact sheet, QuickCard and a poster that warns, “An Unprotected Trench is an Early Grave.”

The three documents may be ordered in English- and Spanish-language versions from the Publications page of OSHA’s web site. See the news release for more information.
Trench Warning from OSHA

Roco Techniques Right at your Fingertips!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Roco Techniques Right at your Fingertips!The newly revised Roco Pocket Guide features fifty-eight pages of color illustrations of the actual techniques and systems taught in our classes.

Made from a synthetic paper impervious to moisture, this pocket-sized field guide will hold up in the most unfavorable environments.The newly revised Roco Pocket Guide features fifty-eight pages of color illustrations of the actual techniques and systems taught in our classes. Made from a synthetic paper impervious to moisture, this pocket-sized field guide will hold up in the most unfavorable environments.
Tabbed sections offer a quick reference in the following topics: knot tying techniques, rope care tips, anchoring, belaying, patient packaging, litter rigging, lowering systems and a confined space types chart.

Roco's New Pocket Guide is the perfect reference when working in the field. Retail price: $ 35.00

You can purchase a copy of Roco’s NEW Pocket Guide (Model # R910C) for $35.00 by visiting our online shop, or order by phone at 800-647-7626.

Register to WIN a Roco Pocket Guide.

RescueTalk™ (RocoRescue.com) has been created as a free resource for sharing insightful information, news, views and commentary for our students and others who are interested in technical rope rescue. Therefore, we make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any information and are not liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. Users and readers are 100% responsible for their own actions in every situation. Information presented on this website in no way replaces proper training!