Posted By nheathsiae
Agree with all previous posters suspension trauma, as we believe the experts is very real, so our response is, Working at Heights Rescue.
The "Suspension Trauma" website is very well known, but the biggest issue is RESCUE.
As for the First Aid aspect, can only repeat, treat as crush injury. It is what all the major UK WAH and Rescue companies are currently teaching.
OK, real life, you have a guy in "suspension", hanging in his harness from a fixed structure. You are told in all the training "we" have 20 mins to get him down!!!
OK, there is a second person above the suspendee, WITH a rescue kit , I mean above the suspendee, of course there is. All rescue is DOWN to the ground.
You now deploy a single rope descending device, nobody is allowed to use rope access without a backup rope (two ropes) but we now commit two people to a single rope, but this is an emergency.
Now the FUN part, you commit yourself or another fully trained person, to descend to the "suspendee", YOU HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE MAIN ATTACHMENT POINTS, I HOPE FOR YOUR RESCUE KIT!!, on a single rope, attach yourself to them, cut their suspension ropes/lanyards away, now with their "dead" weight fully on you, descend to the ground. Sounds easy, try it on a mobile phone mast with lots of "sticking" out metal work.
Forgot to add while doing all of this you have phoned 999!!!
In training we use "dummies" the actual rescue process is too hazardous for a "live" person.
All in 20 minutes? I tried to write a risk assessment for Rescue for WAH, it was too hazardous. Best left to to "999" boys, greatest rescpect for them and have been on many courses with them!!
E-mail me if you like, I re-do my WAH Rescue next week.
Nick