Rescue Operations in Confined Spaces: Ensuring Safety and Efficiency
Among all emergency scenarios, confined space rescue stands out as one of the most difficult and dangerous ones encountered by responders and safety professionals. This forbidding environment, which includes tanks, tunnels, silos, ducts, manholes, underground vaults etc., is fraught with dangers such as low oxygen concentrations, toxic gases, and limited maneuvering space. Therefore, adequate planning, training, and execution are vital facets of a successful and safe rescue operation. The foremost consideration before any confined space rescue is to take stock of the operating dangers. The primary hazards can be the low oxygen levels can cause unconsciousness and fatalities within minutes and presence of lethal gases like Hydrogen Sulphide, Carbon Monoxide and Methane. Moreover, loose materials such as grains, sand, or liquids can trap and suffocate individuals and the small or awkward entry points make extrication difficult along with slippery surfaces, falling objects, and unstable s...