Check out our latest video from Challenge

Check out the video from our 2023 Roco Rescue Challenge which marked our 30th anniversary of the event. Teams from both industrial and municipal sectors participated in the two-day scenario-based event which focused on confined space and high angle rope rescue in industrial settings. Scores are given and trophies awarded, but Rescue Challenge is really a learning event, with skill-building and improving being the ultimate objectives.

If you missed this year’s Rescue Challenge, join us next year on October 16-17, 2024, at the Roco Training Center in Baton Rouge. Every year our instructors devise new “surprise obstacles” to challenge teams with hurdles never before tackled.

Rescue Challenge is an outstanding motivational event for rescue teams – from new rescuers to more seasoned veterans.

Is your team ready for the CHALLENGE 2024? 

(And, if not, our instructors can get them ready!)

A How-To Guide for Selecting a Rescue Service

In the first article in this series, we provided a high-level overview of NFPA 350 Guide for Safe Confined Space Entry and Work. We discussed the expanded roles on a confined space entry team with the inclusion of positions such as the Ventilation Specialist, Gas Tester, Standby Worker, etc. We also delved into the standard’s tiered response time and capability requirements for rescue, based on the hazards of the space.

In this article, we will focus on the rescue section of the standard. It provides broad coverage of the topic and if you have not read the standard, we highly recommend that you do so. It takes the “safe” part of its title very seriously, not only as it pertains to rescue, but across the board in everything related to confined space entry.

This article will focus on what the standard has to say about how an organization should select a rescue services provider if they are not going to perform rescue with in-house personnel. Roco Rescue thinks this of particular importance because there are many companies on the market that offer rescue services for confined space entry, and with any open market, there are vast differences in the quality of services they provide.

For safety managers who determined to ensure that they select a quality rescue provider, NFPA 350 provides an excellent framework for making that decision. If the safety manager rigorously applies the guidelines for auditing rescue programs contained in NFPA 350, they can rest assured that they are making an informed decision when selecting a Confined Space Rescue Service.

The need to evaluate rescue service providers is not new or limited to NFPA 350. OSHA 1910.146 requires employers to “evaluate a prospective rescuer's ability to respond to a rescue summons in a timely manner, considering the hazard(s) identified.” They shall “evaluate a prospective rescue service's ability, in terms of proficiency with rescue-related tasks and equipment, [and] to function appropriately while rescuing entrants from the particular permit space or types of permit spaces identified.” Further, employers shall “select a rescue team or service from those evaluated that has the capability to reach the victim(s) within a time frame that is appropriate for the permit space hazard(s) identified, [and] is equipped for and proficient in performing the needed rescue services.”

The mandate for due diligence is there, but the standard is a bit vague and subject to broad interpretation. NFPA 350 on the other hand, does a really good job of filling in the voids and eliminating gray areas.

The first thing NFPA 350 requires is that the rescue provider ”should meet all requirements of the technician level confined space rescue chapter in NFPA 1670” Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents. Technician level training from a reputable company is a significant investment in both time and money. This will effectively eliminate companies that want to simply have someone standing by at a tripod winch and consider them the “rescuer.”

The mandate for due diligence is there, but the standard is a bit vague and subject to broad interpretation. NFPA 350 on the other hand, does a really good job of filling in the voids and eliminating gray areas.

For those services that meet that first requirement, this is where the standard really gets interesting. The standard then calls for an audit of the prospective rescue provider by a designated person or team. Those conducting the audit should be “persons trained in or familiar with rescue operations and medical provisions at a level commensurate with the recommendations of this guide [NFPA 350] for rescue team members.” What the standard basically says is that the person or team conducting the audit should know what they are looking at from a rescue perspective.

The audit recommended by NFPA 350 is thorough. It should include, but is not limited to, an evaluation of the rescue service’s:

In addition to the audit of plans and records, NFPA 350 recommends that the prospective provider submit to a performance evaluation and declares that it is the “principal means of deciding who is qualified among a group of prospective rescue service providers.”

The performance evaluation suggested by NFPA 350 goes far beyond knot tying and equipment usage. The evaluation should involve simulated rescues with manikins removed from actual representative spaces. Further, the teams being evaluated should be the actual teams that will be on standby in all staffing combinations. The standard acknowledges that “this may require multiple evaluations to ensure that all team member compositions will provide the appropriate capability for confined space rescue.”

Once a rescue service is selected, the evaluation does not stop there. The standard calls for annual evaluations, or whenever there are changes to operations or regulatory requirements.

In addition to evaluating rescue capabilities, the performance evaluation should also take into account patient care. The prospective service should demonstrate their ability to address both life-threatening and non-life-threatening conditions and maintain effective treatment until the patient is turned over to definitive care providers.

Once a rescue service is selected, the evaluation does not stop there. The standard calls for annual evaluations, or whenever there are changes to operations or regulatory requirements.

Following NFPA 350’s guidelines is the surefire way to select a rescue services provider. Are these requirements rigorous? You bet. To borrow a saying, this method separates the wheat from the chaff. At the end of the day, it ensures that should an emergency occur, your confined space rescue provider will give the injured entrant the best chance possible for a positive outcome.

NFPA 350 serves as a comprehensive guide for safe practices related to confined space entry, work, and rescue. It provides procedures and best practices for safely entering and working in confined spaces. It also includes guidelines for confined space rescue operations, which are critical for the safety of entrants.It provides a dependable template for selecting a qualified rescue service. Everyone involved in confined space operations should consider NFPA 350 a “must-have” resource.

Additional Resources

• To order a copy of the NFPA 350, Guide for Safe Confined Space Entry and Work (2022)
• Roco Confined Space Types Chart
• Read Part 1 of What Does NFPA Have to Say about Confined Spaces?
  
  

Training time is precious; make sure it’s productive for you and your team. Here are a few suggestions:

•  Take care of your gear. Inventory control and routine inspections are a never-ending process. Knowing that your rescue equipment is ready to go at a moment’s notice, not just prior to the training, is the first key to a successful training program. Any equipment that is damaged or out of manufacturer’s recommended life span should have already been replaced.

• Fitness matters, both emotional and physical. We get so much more from our rescue training program when it includes attention to mental and physical health. Confirm that all personnel are medically able to perform the physically strenuous tasks involved in rescue training. Team members should be briefed on the types of activities that will be performed as well as possible effects from participating in the training (i.e., lifting, stretching, pulling, wearing a harness, being suspended in a harness or litter, inverting while suspended, etc.).

•  Get everyone involved. The best leaders know how to get everyone excited and wanting to participate. Stress the importance of each person being actively involved and willing to participate in the training exercise. Each team member must be fully committed to the team’s overall mission; and training is perhaps the most vital component.

• Provide focused training sessions. Identifying team deficiencies is an often-difficult process. Taking a good hard look at your team’s strengths and weaknesses can provide a clear map for your training.

•  Train at new and different locations. While not always convenient, the benefits are endless. New locations offer new challenges. New challenges require new solutions.

Training is the foundational building block that every good rescue team is built upon. Real rescues should be easy… if your training has been realistic and hard. Make sure you make the most of it!   

Additional Resources:

• Service Life Guidelines for Rescue Gear

• Roco Rescue Open Enrollment Training

CALL FOR INSPECTION FOR THE ASTRO AND CANYON GUIDE HARNESSES

This morning, Petzl issued a Call for Inspection on certain models of their Astro and Canyon-Guide harnesses. If your equipment cache includes either of these harnesses, follow this link to determine if you are impacted and how to proceed.

If you need assistance with inspecting your harnesses, Roco Rescue will be happy to help, please call 800-647-7626.

Always remember to inspect your gear before each use. Stay safe!

Confined spaces and excavations continue to present fatal hazards to workers, and OSHA continues to take notice. While OSHA lists fewer confined space accidents in 2021 than in 2020, 100% of them involved fatalities.

Trench collapses are among the most serious dangers in the construction industry. Excavations can collapse in seconds and can potentially bury workers under cubic yards of soil, each weighing as much as 3,000 lbs. In 2022, OSHA reported that at least 39 industry workers died. From 2011 to 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 166 workers died in trench collapses.

The following summaries are from OSHA News Releases (osha.gov). These tragedies serve as reminders to employers and rescuers of the inherent dangers involved in confined space entry and trench work.

Company’s Safety Failures Led 19-Year-Old Worker to Suffer Fatal Injuries Inside Concrete Mixer

CANTONMENT, FL — A Georgia-based concrete pipe manufacturer could have prevented a 19-year-old worker from suffering fatal injuries after a concrete mixer restarted while the teen tried to clean the machine's inside in Cantonment in March 2023.

OSHA found that two workers had climbed inside the mixer initially to use a hammer and chisel to chip away hardened concrete. As one of the workers left the mixer, the machine restarted with the other inside.

OSHA inspectors cited the company for willfully exposing workers to crushed-by hazards by allowing them to enter the mixer without making sure to first follow energy-control procedures. The agency also found the company exposed workers to confined spaces hazards by not making sure a safe atmosphere existed inside the mixer before the workers entered and by failing to have an attendant ready to retrieve workers safely.

“Failure to implement well-known safeguards cost the life of a worker just beginning their adulthood,” said OSHA Area Office Director Jose A. Gonzalez in Mobile, Alabama. “This preventable tragedy should serve as a reminder of the importance of complying with safety and health standards, as required by law.”

Project Manager’s Death in Trench Collapse

OKLAHOMA CITY – A U.S. Department of Labor workplace safety investigation found that a contractor could have prevented a trench collapse that fatally injured a project manager at a work site in May 2023.

Investigators learned that the project manager and other workers were putting gravel rock around a newly replaced 24-inch sewer line in a 10-foot-deep excavation when the trench collapsed. OSHA determined that — by not following federal safety standards for trenching and excavation work — the company exposed its employees to trench hazards.

OSHA cited the company for one willful violation for not using protective systems in a trench deeper than five feet. The agency also identified serious violations for:

• Failing to secure obstacles on the surface area near the trench.
• Not providing safe entry into or exit from the trench.
• Allowing standing water in the trench.
• Failing to perform daily inspections.

“A worker has lost their life because the company disregarded its responsibility to ensure the safety of its employees,” said OSHA Area Director Steven Kirby in Oklahoma City. “Employers are required by law to follow safety and health procedures that are put in place to prevent tragedies like this from occurring.”

Grain Silo Operator Failed to Provide Required Safety Procedures in Deadly Engulfment

COLQUITT, GA — A federal investigation into how a 59-year-old worker at a grain silo became engulfed and suffocated in April 2023 found the operator could have prevented the fatality by following required grain-handling safety regulations.

An employee entered a half-full bin to unclog clumps of grain as the bin's auger turned below. As they stood atop the grain, the pile shifted and quickly engulfed them. One other worker onsite rushed over and saw a rope that was tied to the worker disappearing into the grain but could not rescue their co-worker.  

OSHA cited the company for nine serious violations for exposing employees to engulfment hazards and failing to do the following:

• Train workers on how to safely enter a grain bin.
• Issue a permit and adequately evaluate hazards before employees enter a bin.
• Require augers and other equipment components to be de-energized and effectively locked out.
• Keep employees from performing tasks that require them to walk on moving grain inside a bin.
• Make sure body harnesses and lifelines were adequate to avoid engulfment hazards.
• Employ adequate communication methods, including communication with an observer to support workers inside a bin.
• Provide rescue equipment for employees entering a bin.

“Our investigation found that following required federal safety standards might have saved this worker's life,” said OSHA Acting Area Director Heather Sanders in Savannah, Georgia.

OSHA investigators also found the company exposed employees to caught-in hazards related to the powered auger system by not following required lockout and tagout procedures to shut down the system and prevent the auger from moving. Additionally, they failed to test oxygen levels inside the bin to protect workers before they entered.

Contractor Endangered Employees in Trench, Despite Knowing the Risks…  

GUAM — Two weeks after federal workplace safety inspectors warned a construction company of hazardous conditions facing employees working in an excavation, they returned to find the company again exposing workers to potentially deadly trench hazards as they installed a sewer line.

Following a May 2023 OSHA inspection, two serious violations were issued related to the company's failures to provide adequate means to enter and exit the trench within 25 feet of the workers and test oxygen levels in the trench before employees entered.

"Working in a trench is demanding and dangerous work that requires specific precautions and protections to keep workers safe," explained OSHA Area Office Director Roger Forstner in Honolulu. “By running soil compactors and excavators within 20 feet of workers in the trench and failing to provide accessible ladders, the company chose to put production before safety, endangering the lives of its employees.”

Additional Resources

• Attendant Safety Requirements Poster (pictured here)
• Confined Space Entry Checklist
• OSHA Campaign for Safe Trench Operations