Unless you have access to a tower crane or mobile crane that can reach the injured person with a rescue basket then the only real method is by calling the fire brigade. The problem lies with the seriousness of the injury. If the person has back, neck or major fractures then unless you have a specially trained rescue team on site you will not be capable of lowering them to safety with the guarantee not to cause more serious injury (think 'I will sue you'). Also, the action of lowering a heavy person from a scaffold tower may cause the tower to become unstable and then you have a new set of problems. If you have a trained medic on site they can go up the tower to treat / care for the injured person until professional help arrives. Better to be safe than sorry in this regard, let the professionals handle it, but have this as part of your emergency plan.

There is the requirement for rescue plan for WAH and the Plan has to be practical. I would advise if you write the FRS into the Plan you seek the approval of the local Fire Station senior officer, if he/she says no then you have to think again. How do you think a firefighter would rescue a person from high level on a tower platform? They do not have specialist equipment for such uses, especially indoors. Do you think they would use a ladder? You probably think they have lots of special appliances available but with the present cuts they may not have any such appliances at the time you require them? They do have firefighting responsibilities and do not sit around awaiting your call. Don't include anyone into the Plan without their knowledge as they may refuse to assist, it is not part of there remit any longer. Why not get away from the traditional access platforms and hire or purchase a small MEWP? There are many on the market now and suitable for one or two person use. Saves time erecting and dismantling and far safer in use than a tower.

If you consider MEWP for WAH rescue than why not use a MEWP for the work, with a second MEWP as back up? (Only in case the ground controls fail to lower the MEWP)

jonty have a look at posts 5 and 4 above. Fire brigade will not assist, even if they wanted to they may be unavailable dealing with other incidents when you call for help. WAH REG 4 Plan for emergencies and rescue.

unfortunately if you have the special circumstances you need to make the special arrangements, and not rely on 999 or 112 as a mitigation measure Phil

If you multiply the probability of someone needing rescue from such a working platform with the probability that the under employed F&RS will be not be available to help at the time then I would suggest you get a number that is very close to zero.

redken - you must have your eyes and ears closed at present when you say under employed? You are in Merseyside where the fire and rescue service has already bee decimated by cuts and with further cuts planned for the next financial year. Are you aware how many arial appliances they have available at any one time? Obviously not. There are occasions when there is only one such appliance available to cover the whole of Merseyside - do you think they will plan to take that appliance out of use to rescue a construction worker whose employer has the responsibility to plan and prepare for such emergencies? The Chief Fire Officer has planned his budged to deal with incidents that are requirements of the fire service. Rescue of construction workers is not part of that remit. Please contact MFRS and ask them that question and post the answer here. Take care y'all.

Not sure if you plan or organise any work at height involving towers, Jonty but you might be interested in looking at The Pasma Towers for Managers Training Course. Good clarification on there for requirements of rescue in both assisted and self rescue.

Frankc you made a statement that the injured person would be lowered to the ground under the direction of the emergency services, simply question How? Most mobile access towers are not used on construction sites. There is not always a team of first aiders or anyone else - trained to carry out rescue at height There is not always rescue equipment readily available Ask contractors who use mobile towers how many operatives they have trained to carryout a rescue from a tower Ask the hire companies how often they rent out rescue equipment to contractors who rent towers If we all live in a perfect world we would use MEWPs, but not always possible. Its all very well asking for a suitable rescue plan, but lets face it no one wants to pay for it. Are you going to have trained operatives available to go out and perform a rescue for a crew of two you sent out to change light bulbs? The Fire Brigade is now called Fire & Rescue Service - so they will help if a persons life is at risk - but even they may not have the right training or equipment to do so.

MEden - I think you might have got to the root of the issue. Earlier Frankc asked me if I organise work at height, the answer simply is yes, frequently. I work for the HV transmission system operator for Ireland (North & South) and frequently review RAMS for work at height. I expect to see rescue plans for use of all MEWPS, structural steel works, rope access work, tower stringing. But I must be honest and again say I do not expect to see them for the use of any form of scaffold. The rescue plans I am familiar with are intended to rescue someone where an incapacitating injury or condition places them at further risk. If someone is incapacitated on a scaffold, providing its not on the verge of collapsing (which is a very different issue) then they should be attended by a first aider, made comfortable until the blue light services arrive. The scaffold should have been constructed to provide a suitable, stable working platform after all?

Phil, Since it takes the skills and resources of a HART or USAR team to get a "big" sick person down from an aluminium scaffold, I assume that you don't use such scaffolds since it is unlikely that you would have thsese skills in house.

I was always taught that mobile towers above 6 foot required out riggers. You as the person directing WAH should select the persons doing the work, and ensure that they are fit to carry out the job and trained to rescue the persons who they are working with. You can not rely on emergency services to do your job. What if they are at a RTA or burning house with kids, oh must leave here as foolish firm with IP on mobile tower needs rescue. Don't think so. Justify the risk and train ops in rescue plan.