Posted By Alison Entwistle I am trying to help our maintenance team with there risk assessment for access into our roller kilns where rescue is VERY difficult. Does anyone have any experience, knowledge or contacts with people in health and safety in ceramics? I wondered if anyone in a similar situation has been through the same process and come up with a satisfactory solution... Your help/suggestions are much appreciated.

Posted By Sally Other people who might be able to help are http://www.minesrescue.com/. Although they are not ceramics experts they have alot of experience of getting people out of awkward spaces in a hurry. I've used them for this in a number of different scenarios.

Posted By Dave Merchant Not to criticize the previous reply per say, but bringing the Fire Service into a training exercise is of no use to you - firstly the regs require you to plan and execute the rescue entirely without their help (so while they may have some ideas, their presence and shiny equipment you can't afford makes the exercise invalid), and secondly despite their '.. And Rescue' branding, only a few Fire Services are trained and equipped to deal with a 'regulated' industrial confined space. A lot of the brigades use techniques that work in an emergency under the FSM but wouldn't be allowed in a workplace training session (I presume you can't "turn off" the confined space nature of the kilns while you practice) and so their risk assessments would prohibit them from getting involved in any practical way. Training has to be zero-risk if the government pays your insurance premiums! Don't take it the wrong way, but if you have people entering these kilns and know there are problems with rescue, then you're already lined up for a prohibition notice and need to get a competent *industrial* confined space expert in the loop to plan a system and train the staff before anyone else pokes a toe into them. Mines Rescue are one option, but there are many other companies providing similar services that may be more flexible around your needs. I remember a phone call a while ago that started "Can you do confined space training? We just killed someone..." - not the best way to start the week.

Posted By Mitch Have you tried these? http://www.ceramfed.co.u...les/Main_files/Main.html