The Rescue Plan

Let us now consider the rescue plan. There are, suggested, three types of rescue we could employ. The first one is self-rescue attached. Now what we mean by self-rescue attached is, we are connected to some means of rescue equipment, for example, a tripod or winch. We still need one safety attendant. So imagine, in event of an emergency, your rescue attendant, using the winch, can get you out, because you are attached to it. With self-rescue, you do that yourselves. The second potential scenario is self-rescue unattached. Why would I be unattached? That is because some confined spaces, there is a risk of entanglement. There may be the need to move away from the point of entry, and being attached just does not work. On these occasions, it is recommended there are two entrants and your one safety. The idea of having two entrants is they are a rescuer for each other. In the event of something going wrong, your colleague can hopefully drag you out to a point of safety, maybe just to the opening, where then we can attach you and then wind you out. But that does raise some additional questions, particularly, on capability, on the size of the workers involved, the layout of the confined space. Can one person only, rescue another?

With that in mind, the third potential scenario of the rescue plan is known as planned rescue. That is when we do have that dedicated team on the outside. They are usually a minimum of two, with normally three persons. So in event of something going wrong, they have the ability, the training, the competency to enter the confined space and rescue a person using the vast array of equipment that they would carry. So this is down to a risk assessment. You need to look carefully at all aspects of this confined space entry. What level of rescue plan do I need? The first level, self-rescue attached. The second level, self-rescue unattached. Or do I need a planned, dedicated rescue team on the outside?