Progressive Rescue

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Comment by Mike Donahue on June 22, 2010 at 7:22pm

Please email me if your interested in a free pass for Firehouse Expo.
Mike Donahue
Progressive Rescue

Comment by Mike Donahue on June 20, 2010 at 12:11pm

I was conducting a Confined Space Rescue class the other day on the industry side of the coin and every time I do this I am presented with the same challenge, getting them to think like us. Most companies I've trained utilize cable winches to lower and raise their employees. My first mission for that program is to steer them away from that and teach them to use rope and rope hardware. Is this easy? Easier than you think. My favorite scenario to present to them is this.....
You lower an employee down into a vessel and half way down (10') the winch jams and the employee is left stranded in mid air, possibly in an IDLH atmosphere. I then ask "Now What" i usually get a lot of blank stares. This is understandable though because they don't think like us and have limited rope training if any. I then explain to them that had they been using rope instead of a wire cable they or us could simply piggyback a MAS onto the employees belay or main line (most wont have a belay line on) and pull them out. A very simple and quick operation. If we are faced with that situation and no rope was used a rescuer would need to be lowered down and connect a new main line to the employee. I briefly touch on compartment syndrome and how hanging in a harness (especially the fall harnesses they use) can cause serious medical conditions.
Long story short....How do you handle the industrial side of things or do you work in industry and have I shined some light on this for you?
Mike Donahue
Progressive Rescue