Rethinking 911 as Your Rescue Plan

Do you have a rescue plan for when your employees enter an enclosed space? Is that plan to write “call 9-1-1” on the spreadsheet? Did you know that for every victim who dies in a confined space, three would-be-rescuers die trying to save that victim? We here at Safety Solutions and Supply have put together some different options to consider.   
 

  • Develop a specially equipped technical rescue team: These teams should be able to handle confined space incidents. Other teams have conducted assessments and made the conscious decision not to perform confined space rescue operations because of demand, equipment costs and training requirements. Develop teams who can handle these emergencies on site.
  • Be honest with your employees: Make sure they know the dangers of the job and how to properly handle themselves before ever entering a confined space. An educated employee has a higher rate of being a safer employee. Start with The United States Department of Labor website. It is easy to use and has explanations of all the confined space standards.
  • Be aware of your emergency personnel capabilities: They must drive there, navigate through the site or plant, and assemble gear to attempt a rescue. This could take up to 10 minutes or longer, and a lot can happen during that time. So, if you have “Call 9-1-1″ as your rescue plan, you may want to think differently.
  • Industrial Rescue Teams: Facilities can pay to have industrial rescue teams train their employees. These teams do the work every day in mills, refineries, and manufacturing, and they often are unencumbered by politics, certifications, and lowest-common-denominator training. Find out if your local steel mill or industrial complex has training scheduled. This could be your free pass to drill your crew with seasoned instructors.

At the very minimum, every employer should train your crews in confined space awareness, basic atmospheric monitoring, and non-entry rescue. It’s worth the extra time and money if it saves a life. If you need assistance in training programs for your employees, we here at Safety Solutions and Supply  are proud to offer different training services. For more information or if you have any questions give us a call today at 866-537-2262.
 
Safety Solutions & Supply
314 E. Canal St. (State Road 60)
Mulberry, Florida 33860
E-mail: in**@so***************.com