I know the Olympics are fast approaching, but can they throw a life line 25 to 30 metres ? To get to the centre (while running down the river bank to keep up with the person).

How may goes do they get before the person drowns ?

what happens if the person is unconscious are they intending to lasso the person, like cowboys do with cattle.

Don’t think I should continue on that theme.

When working over or adjacent to water the operatives should wear a life jacket. It is the only occasion I know where they would not be required to be clipped onto the basket, for obvious reasons. Like all things in this industry, the risks need to be assessed in order to come up with the most sensible and practical controls.

Tidal river.
Winter.
Water temp around 5 degrees C or lower.
Loss of consciousness in around 15-30 minutes preceded by confusion (a few minutes) and exhaustion.
If immersed for over a few minutes then hospitalisation will probably be needed anyway.
I do not suppose immersion suits will be provided ?

If the '50 to 60 metre wide' tidal river drops at low tide to a 2m wide 10cm deep muddy trickle, then the use of a safety boat will be impractical and floatlines are probably a better option.

It 'may' be unwise to clip on to the MEWP if there is a risk of the MEWP falling over the side into deep water. But falling onto the intertidal mud (or rock) ??? Each case on its merits and 'work over water' on a tidal river is very much a case of time and position.

For one of our bridge inspections recently in a similar situation, we agreed that two floating lines across the river downstream of the bridge would satisfy the need for self rescue if the individual was afloat or floundering in the mud and conscious. Unconscious / dead fallers - well we couldn't allow for it, and - frankly - we didn't see the need. On reflection and after the fact - the amount of floating debris that caught in the lines suggests that any unconscious or semi-conscious faller would probably have been brought to a halt until rescue could be effected.

Lifejackets were specified by the contractor as being mandatory for anyone 'working over the side'. For my own mind, the biggest risk was fall to the rocks - and an auto-inflating 'airbag' type suit might have made as much sense as the lifejacket. Nets and airbags would have been impractical for various reasons at this location.

Not all the work could be done from the MEWP. and specialist rope access equipment was installed. Two lines attached at all times and a third when physically working. This gave a great deal of security to the guys - there was no question they would be tied on, the floatlines and lifejackets were very much a belt and braces suggested by the contractor and included in his risk assessment and method statement alongside the resources and manpower to retrieve men in an emergency for any reason.

But hey ho the contractors RA and MS were suitable - and the work was completed safely and without incident (albeit with largely unnecessary amounts of sweat due to lifejacket encumbrance!)

Steve