Suspension Trauma

[Ike]

As for your first point I think you may very well be correct. The report I was thinking of is quite old and was looking at the possibility of using full body harnesses in a recreational environment.

 

 

I have been climbing as a hobby since I was about 14 and ended up doing it as a job while at sixth form. I started off maintaining the indoor climbing wall at oldham sports centre and helping out with classes then moved onto instruction. Unfortunately I had an accident (rock fall not falling from height) and found it more difficult to teach as I couldn't demonstrate moves etc as well as I would have liked. Although the resultant injury is now no longer a problem I never really got back into it.

 

I found it helpful as it gave me the basic skills needed to work at height and most importantly I got to know my own limits. There are however a lot of major differences in the type of risks involved. When climbing you are normally surrounded by lots of other climbers, most of which have good ropework and climbing skills, therefore hanging for extended periods of time is rarely a risk. In recreational climbing there is a bigger risk of failing anchors and large falls-albeit onto long lengths of dynamic rope.

 

To be honest I do not think there is enough training for many people in the industry. As long as someone is wearing a harness which is in turn connected to something solid nobody seems to bothered about rescue.

 

EDIT:

As for DVT I can't see this being a problem as suspension trauma is likely to kick in way before it does.

[Spider_senses]

We have implemented as part of our Heath and Safety requirements a practice

rescue once a month with all members of full time technical staff present and

having a turn at each of the jobs involved in an industrial rescue. We invite

some of our freelance/part time technicians to join us.

from walking into the theatre, not knowing where the fall has taken place we

have been able to perform a conscious victim rescue in 10min, and an unconscious

victim rescue in 15min.

 

We have a specific rescue kit set aside and ready for whatever comes along.

 

Any work place that has a need for Fall Protection/Fall Arrest should have the

same.

[Chris Higgs]

I found it helpful as it gave me the basic skills needed to work at height and most importantly I got to know my own limits. There are however a lot of major differences in the type of risks involved. When climbing you are normally surrounded by lots of other climbers, most of which have good ropework and climbing skills, therefore hanging for extended periods of time is rarely a risk. In recreational climbing there is a bigger risk of failing anchors and large falls-albeit onto long lengths of dynamic rope. 

 

To be honest I do not think there is enough training for many people in the industry. As long as someone is wearing a harness which is in turn connected to something solid nobody seems to bothered about rescue.

Your point about climbing is interesting, and one I often hear in training riggers.

As someone who ended up rigging because of being an active climber I would argue the point about the similarities with work at height. Being at height, yes. Related, but not similar.

A climbing wall is a bit different from being on Cloggy at 5pm on a Sunday in March. (Climbing indoors is nice, though) Although painting pylons is not similar to working in the roof of an arena, either.

Industrial climbing is, in my view, completely distinct from voluntary climbing in methodology, technique and mind-set. Industrial climbing as part of rigging activity in this industry is even more separate.

In order to get the basic skills of any job, it is necessary to do the job, not to apply (or misapply) the techniques from another discipline believeing them to be the same because they look to be.

Would you want your broken arm re-set by a vet?

I appreciate that Blue Roomers are not all full time riggers of course, for whom the risk thus mind-set changes through frequency.

 

The point about being connected to something 'solid' is also a moot point.

What do the majority of people understand as 'safe' (not keen on the word, myself) for an anchorage for work positioning, let alone fall arrest?

Do they appreciate the forces that may be created?

A large number of people in the industry use equipment and PPE they have no training in. Even putting on harnesses (as distinct from using them) incorrectly is a common sight - particularly the Petzl Complet.

 

The best thing we can (should?) do is to promote the use of access equipment and get away from harness use for fall arrest altogether. That means that the people who do continue to use it are more likely to need to, rather than simply choose to.

Reducing the numbers, thus the likelihood of falls.

 

interestingly, I have spent today with a recently retired paramedic of some repute. He has no knowledge of 'harness trauma' whatever.

He agreed completely with everything I explained to him about the phenomenon (as I understand it) from his undeniable experience of how the human body works.

[trussmonkey]

I quite agree chris.