Harness Saves Workman in Fall

Initial Email Enquiry –

 

A gust of wind sent a workman tumbling off a billboard platform. But a white safety harness prevented him from falling more than 100 feet to the ground and likely saved his life.

The workman was part of a three-man Lamar Advertising crew installing a new billboard tarp at West 20th and Rudolph streets just before 2 p.m., when a gust of wind blew him off the platform.

"We were watching the guys fight the tarp for a couple minutes when it snapped, and he went right over the side," said a witness who works at a nearby car-care business.

The workman's safety harness held tight, preventing him from falling to the ground. Instead, he dangled 15 feet below the platform, tethered to it by a long, thick rope.

His fellow crew members held the rope tightly, keeping him from swaying in the wind. He remained motionless most of the time, except to pull at the top of the harness, as if it was digging into his neck.

Erie firefighters arrived about 2 p.m. and tried rescuing the workman with a ladder truck, but they couldn't reach him from the truck's initial location. As the truck was moved, a Lamar Advertising bucket truck gathered in the workman at 2:15.

"We were fortunate to have the bucket truck right here at the scene," said the general manager of Lamar's Erie branch.

The workman was lowered to the ground and climbed out of the bucket without help. He was taken by ambulance to Hamot Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

Lamar crews can postpone installing tarps, called vinyls, because of high winds, said the general managere. Westerly winds gusted between 20 and 30 mph Monday afternoon.

"If the crew thinks it's too windy, they have the right to refuse to put it up at that time," the general manager said. "They are the ones at the scene."

Reported in Erie Times News - www.goerie.com

1^st Response –

This correspondence is thought provoking.

It does ask the question regarding whether organisations have policies in place, for the rescue of personnel who have fallen and are hanging from restraining harnesses?

Normally HP's and Turntable ladders can on extend to 100ft, so the Rescue Services cannot assist unless the rescue is below this height, or the restraining harness has the facility to be lowered to ground, under an inertia reel type of set up?

Has anyone got such a policy in place?

2^nd Response –

As can be seen from the last response this is something which we all need to be sure of. Do you have SOP's covering recovery of personnel from structures. We have all seen the communication re the length of time it takes and the potential for 'Suspension Trauma'.

Locally we are working towards training our own on site team specialising in rope rescue - however, until our staff are fully competent we rely on the local authority specialist teams.

Do you do something different?

3^rd Response –

We have trained our Auxiliary Plant Fire Brigade in how to do this, and we also have a significant number of CAN (Rope Access) people on site to assist if required.

In addition, I would like to add that the suspended person was fortunate to survive for the 15 + minutes stated. A person suspended from a safety harness must be considered a real medical emergency and must be recovered as soon as possible.

We have informed our contractors of the need to identify means of recovery for anyone using harness, when completing their risk assessments for working at height. It is often one of those things that gets overlooked.

4^th Response –

We have a special trained team for rescuing on heights, special in container cranes etc.

5^th Response –

Here at Ciba we have fire crews who are "Rope Line Rescue Squad trained". This need came about after the confined space regs came in, we then extended the training to include "Rescue From Heights". We had to go down this track due to the fact that the local brigade could not at that time provide a "Rescue from heights service", and due to the restrictions around site it made it difficult to operate HP's and TL's With the information received on Suspension Trauma we have decided to maintain this training due to the possible delay in attendance times from the local brigade, and the fact that we know our own processes and plant areas better than the brigade( as we know every second counts).

The fire crews train on a regular basis and the instructors are retrained every year, the training is certificated and is provided by a rope access training company called NARC (highly recommended) they will come to site or you can go to their training centre. The equipment we have purchased just happens to be the same as the brigades which is good from a compatibility point of view. The brigade also come onto site and train with our crews around site or on our indoor training rig. The system works well and has been put to use several times not only for rescue from heights but is used for all other assess rescues ( culverts, racking collapses, sewers etc). We originally were advised by a member of the Cave and Mountain rescue service but have since enough experience to assess the equipment needs and training needs our selves.

You are quite welcome to come and see our set up if you require.

6^th Response –

Thanks for above report it raises some interesting issues. Here at ConocoPhillips - Teesside Operations our Confined Space Rescue Team are trained in line rescue techniques and have received specific training in dealing with incidents of suspension trauma.

Our target time to rescue or provide support for someone suffering a fall/suspension trauma is within 5 minutes based upon the 'Will your Harness kill you'.

Why 5 minutes?

What happens when some is suspended in a harness is that the legs become immobile in an upright posture. Gravity pulls blood into the lower legs which have a very large storage capacity. Enough blood eventually accumulates so that return blood flow to the right chamber of the heart is reduced. The heart can only pump the blood available, so the hearts output begins to fall. The heart speeds up to maintain sufficient blood flow to the brain, but if the blood supply to the heart is restricted enough, breathing faster is ineffective and the body abruptly slows the heart.

In suspension trauma, several unfortunate things occur that aggravate the problem.

First, the worker is suspended in an upright posture with legs dangling.

Secondly, the safety harness straps exert pressure on leg veins, compressing them and reducing blood flow back to the heart.

Thirdly, the harness keeps the worker in an upright position, regardless of loss of consciousness, that is what kills people.

Rescue must come rapidly to minimise the dangers of suspension trauma - if you would like further guidance or a copy of 'Will your safety harness kill you?' please get in touch.

7^th Response –

We currently use a pole hoist and winch set-up for rescues at heights and would lower the person to the ground. It's not something we really train for and are reliant on the outside service. However, due to the time constraints, we feel it's something we should be capable and competent in performing.

This is something that we are currently looking at, so if there is a procedure out there, we would appreciate any shared leanings. Also, if there is anyone who could recommend a suitable course relating to rescues at height that would be great.

8^th Response –

Thank you for sharing this valuable experience.

While we have no doubt that harness saves lives, they must be used correctly.

Any follow up to the workman's harness that once saves him and the next moment choked him. From the picture, (though not very vivid) it looks like the harness hasn't been worn correctly. As an practitioner in rope rescue and having served as member of the national disaster assistance and rescue team, proper training on equipment and correct attitude when using PPE cannot be compromised.

9^th Response –

Our eight Shift Junior Officers are all fully trained in line rescue at the National Access and Rescue Centre at Kendal in Cumbria. We would be pleased to forward anyone details.

End of email correspondence on Topic to date

Author’s identities are concealed for privacy and security reasons. Further information on the information contained in this topic can be directed to the JOIFF secretariat.