There is the option of getting your first aider or a paramedic onto the platform to check the injured person, and if the injured person can be kept safe/alive by the paramedic then you can call 999 and the experienced fire brigade can do the rescue. If the paramedic thinks the injured person is in grave life-threatening danger then I'm not sure your in-house rescue stretcher and lifting/lowering equipment would save him in time. Not having all the details (height of chimney etc) I might be over-simplifying the scenario :o) JohnW

How will you get the person down if not by ladder if he/she is injured? It seems to me that you are already most of the way there, maybe just need to write it all down and see if it makes sense. Have you contacted the paramedics to see if they are prepared to climb your access ladder? They need to risk assess their part. The fire and rescue service will probably assist with a rescue but may charge for the service, I suggest you contact them also. You can't grumble about the potential cost of health and safety - if it is required you have to do it.

I think the examples that you use of someone in a nahrness aor in a confined space are situations where you should be able to deal with an incident from becoming an emergency situation. you should be able to get someone down from the hrness or out of a confined space. But i think someone collapsing on a platform is something different and you would turn to the emergency services for assistance where they would have the equipment and expertise to get someone down from that situation. i don't think you can be expected to have the equipment or skills to lower someone safely down from that height or in that situation. i would look to ensure the person who is going up to carry out the work is fit and healthy and able to carry out the required work and you provide suitable safety equipment to keep them safe when they are up there Harness hard hat if required. But if someone has a heart attack or other injury then in my view that would be down to the emergency services to recover the person. I've certainly worked in roof voids and other equally accessible places where if i collapsed then it's very unlikely the fire service would be getting me out quickly with all their skills equipment and resources. certainly not a rescue team put together by a company is not going to be at all sufficiently equipped or experienced. if the company requesting the plan needs to give you some further assistance as clearly this is an area they have the expertise as they work in this situation on a daily basis or will be aware of suitable systems from other clients that they will be able advice you on. But i would look to reducing the risk why someone would be in trouble at height so the persons health and other safety consideration to help reduce the risk but i don't see any company in being able to carry out such a rescue with all the best will in the world. Sometimes you need the emergency services and that's why they have specialised trucks and personnel for such situations. As for contacting emergency services for help or guidance i don't think they are likely to give any advice as this is no longer their role they may just point you in the direction of guidance documents. The emergency services will assess the situation when they respond if the paramedic doesn't want to go on your platform then he won't if he feels it places himself at risk no matter what the ambulance service may or may not say prior to that. The skill required on beyond the average company so get the emergency services in as it is a genuine emergency. Phil

Hi low15562 I have used this system span set gotchs crd system several times and is incorporated in the rescue plan I have developed for recover of injured persons from Tower cranes . i have added the link to a supplyer of this equipment for your info hope this helps http://www.spanset.co.uk/gotcha-crd.shtml Chris

Sorry you will get it quicker if you try Constructing Better Health. Ta Alex

This is an interesting question and I have enjoyed reading the answers. It is not something I have experience of, but for what it is worth, I think the checking of individuals for general fitness and heart problems is vital. Climbing 30m up a vertical ladder is hard work and could well set off some health emergency by the time someone gets to the top. The only suggestion I can add is to consult with the local fire and rescue service to ensure that, should they be called to site, that they can position their vehicle in such a position as to allow the rescue to be carried out successfully - consider temporary obstructions which may interfere, underground structures etc. Even if you have to pay for their attendance, it may be cheaper than investing in technology, which will itself require inspection and maintenance. Hope this helps.

Just a few points to consider here 1. The contractor should be providing the risk assessment for this task. Its his employee who does this task 2, I do not consider someone working on a platform in the confines of adequate barrier rails as Work At Height 3 If we do have a Work at Height situation the WAH Regs states that the employer shall consider rescue arrangements 4 The WAH regs do not permit the employer to rely on the emergency services for rescue Start with a risk assessment to determine what the reasonable controls are Steve