Smarter technical rescue

Over the years, the UK Fire and Rescue Service has greatly improved the skills of firefighters to make sure they have the specialist skills required to perform technical rescues such as working at height and confined spaces.

We know that a ‘trial-by-error’ approach will not cut it – your team needs to be confident that they have technical rescue skills which are well embedded through effective and regular training.

Working at Height – Training to Mitigate the Risk

Did you know that statistically, falls from height account for the highest proportion of workplace fatalities in the UK? Even if employers ensure that staff are well trained in using fall arrest equipment, there is also a significant risk of suspension related injuries and consequent fatality and therefore it is imperative that plans are in place to quickly and efficiently rescue the casualty.

The Work at Height Safety Association provide expert advice on the potential risk to casualties who are left suspended, especially those who are unconscious. Specifically, that the longer a casualty is suspended without moving, the greater the chances are of serious consequences developing.

Therefore, firefighters must be skilled in extricating a casualty from a suspension quickly to make sure that this risk is minimised and training is the best way of achieving this goal.

Training Manikins for Working at Height

Rescue training manufacturer Ruth Lee Ltd needs no introduction to the UK’s Fire Service – and whilst you may know and love their standard duty manikin, the team there have worked with experts in the field of technical rescue to develop manikins to suit specific training scenarios including working at height.

Available in a range of weights, 30, 50 and 70kg, the Working at Height Manikins are designed to be anatomically correct with regards to weighted proportions and due to additional features, will sit comfortably in a rescue harness without slumping, making it the ideal choice for working at height rescue training.

In a Tight Spot… Manikins for Confined Spaces

Another technical rescue skill which is increasingly in focus is confined space extrication. It is a very specialist skill and depending on the environment of the extrication, potentially hazardous for the rescuer and casualty.

Previously, training for confined spaces could be tricky – getting your manikin into the narrow space could be as much of a challenge as extricating it in training. This is why Ruth Lee Ltd designed their Confined Space Manikin, which splits into several components to be constructed once the manikin is in position. None of the individual parts weigh more than 25kg meaning that it is easy to carry the individual pieces into the confined space.

The Ruth Lee Ltd range of technical rescue manikins is well worth investigating if you are looking for a more challenging training scenario for your team. Their expert team are able to talk you though the different manikins to make sure that you choose the right man(ikin) for the job.

Fire Editor

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