RESCUE PLAN FOR TOWER VESSEL INTERNAL WORKS IN PLANTS & REFINERY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • PURPOSE.
  • SCOPE.
  • EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
  • PRELIMINARIES.
  • CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS.
  • INITIATING THE RESPONSE.
  • RESCUE METHOD.
  • HIGH ANGLE RESCUE FROM THE VESSEL.
  • EXTRACTION FROM CONFINED SPACE .
  • VERTICAL EXTRACTION.
  • MOVE TO THE MEDICAL TRANSPORT.
  • NON EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM PERSONNEL (Note for pre-start) RESPONSE AND ACTIONS.

RESCUE PLAN FOR TOWER VESSEL INTERNAL WORKS IN PLANTS & REFINERY

PURPOSE

To establish a rescue procedure in plants and refinery Project for Vessel, Column and Tower activities in order to achieve a coordinated response during a life threatening emergency at heights and confined spaces at the Vessel, Column and Tower of Refinery Project.

SCOPE

This procedure is applicable to a life threatening emergencies specifically for the Vessel, Column and Tower of Refinery Project.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

The following plan is a guideline to conduct a rescue of an incapacitated worker at the Vessel, Column and Tower of Refinery Project. Most contingencies can be dealt with based on the Rescue types mentioned in this plan, however not every aspect can be covered in detail and an assessment is required to be conducted at the scene for the most appropriate rescue method.

The Emergency Team Leader Should be competent enough to make the decision on how to rescue a person from a confined space using the equipment, knowledge and human resources he has at his disposal within limitations. Some of those limiting factors may be as follows:

a. Time Limitations;
b. Access to the Injured Person/s;
c. Type of Incident/Injury;
d. Number of ARCC Rescue team Members;
e. Number of injured persons;
f. Rescue equipment limitations;
g. Location of Rescue Equipment;
h. Personnel to assist in the Rescue;
i. Gas release or Fire during a rescue;
j. Cranes and Man baskets Rescues;
k. Any unforeseen eventualities.

A medical incident can occur at any time and at any location in or around the Vessel and they are the following:

a. One or more medical incidents external to the vessel on all access ways and structures including, but not limited to scaffold platforms, stairways, ladders and steel structural platforms.
b. One or more medical incidents internal to the vessel, inside the confined space.  Medical incidents can be many and varied types of incidents and severity. These medical incidents will require immediate First Aid to stabilize the patient from further injury during movement to a medical treatment facility (CMF-Common Medical Facility).

This assessment is made at the scene by the ERT First Aider. The ERT Leader will delegate and organize others in the vicinity to assist with the Injured Person. Despite the type of injury or ailment to the person if they are incapable of getting themselves to the medical treatment facility unaided, the ERT will deploy and assist with a safe extraction and transport mode by either manual handling and carrying or use of specialist rope techniques to lift and extract personnel from dangerous spaces.

PRELIMINARIES

Before an entry to the confined space there are to be several items and issues prepared in advance.
a. Communicate to all personnel involved with work on the vessel or any confined space areas are made aware, through the TSTI meetings and work plans of emergency contingencies and the individuals expected actions. Non ERT personnel in the area may be called upon to assist in the rescue.

b. All access-routes can be cleared immediately and given priority in order that a manual carry of a Stretcher/ Sked strecher will not be hindered. Any access stairs can be cleared immediately and given priority to the ERT in the occurrence of an emergency.
c. Identify the team/s responsible for rescue, trained in Emergency Rescue Procedures,
is to be present in areas where Confined Space access/egress is ongoing. Individuals will have predetermined roles, tasks and responsibilities to expedite the rescue should the need arise. The team will be made up of five to six personnel; this includes a Team Leader, one First Aider and an assistant, and two to three personnel to conduct rope haulage and lowering tasks.
d. Anchor points are to be identified close to the man way access point in use, a Rope Haulage Rescue System will be located close to the access point ready to be used immediately. One rope haulage and one safety line system and one stretcher designed for confined space extraction and haulage are located with the equipment.
i. If there is a limit on rescue equipment, the existing stock will be centrally located between the vessels.
ii. In the Rescue Plan Survey anchor points are identified or built by engineered scaffold plan for lifting from the confined space.
iii. Anchor points are identified for lowering the patient in either the stretcher, sked stretcher, Pitagor Rescue Seat or Rescue Harness. Primary method of moving to ground is use of dual rope techniques, being one lowering line and one safety line of industry rated and recognised rope, techniques and equipment.
e. A competent Hole-Watch will be posted as per confined space rules. The Hole-Watch must have the following equipment in relation to a rescue:
i. Air Warning Horn (fully charged & Tested);
ii. Log in/Log out Register;
iii. Laminated Checklist of information to send to the Emergency Operator. See Attachment A Information Requirement. And
iv. Emergency contact details
– ERT Members.
– HSE Manager.
– First aider (Nurse).
– Security.
f. Transceiver Communications, working channel with information regarding the situation. Operations will pass the information to the ERT and the appropriate response will be dispatched.

CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

The basic concept for any rescue is to move an Injured Person/s from the vessel and to a Medical Treatment Facility, without causing further harm and sustaining life in a timely manner that is safe for all personnel involved. For the Vessel, tower the method of Rescue will be

  1. A Vertical lift from the vessel then lowered by rope techniques
  2. A Vertical lift from the vessel then lowered by rope in more than one stage,
  3. A Horizontal rescue – drags from confined space then package and lower by Man Basket, Horizontal rescue – Patient Package inside the vessel then carry/Drag to a lowering point, then lowered by rope techniques.

INITIATING THE RESPONSE

At the moment of a medical incident the Hole-Watch or anybody close by will activate the Air Horn (2 Long Blasts) to signal the Emergency Response Team and also a radio call to Operations.
a. For confined space incidents the Hole-Watch will make contact with the personnel inside and gain information to pass on to the Emergency Team and Medical Team on arrival.
b. Simultaneously or as soon as possible, the Hole Watch on station is to notify HSE by transceiver or cell phone communications on the working channel with information regarding the situation. HSE will pass the information to the Emergency Team. See Attachment A Information Requirements.

c. Hole-Watch will strictly deny entry into the Confined Space to personnel if the persons inside are not responding to his communication.

d. If there are any indications of Toxic Gases or oxygen deficiency, that has risk of asphyxiation, the ARCC ERT will use SCBA. (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) to conduct the medical evacuation. One extra SCBA is to be taken to the IP on ERT entry.
e. If any personnel inside the Vessel are responding and the continuous Gas monitoring system states there is no hazard from Gases or oxygen deficiency, the Rescue Team will conduct an entry to the vessel in order to conduct primary and secondary First Aid care and prepare the Injured Person (IP) for extraction from the Confined Space.
f. The ERT will arrive conduct a quick assessment and proceed with the procedure best suited for the rescue.

RESCUE METHOD

HIGH ANGLE RESCUE FROM THE VESSEL

The vessel or tower has an inside diameter of 7,660mm, the manhole entry is located at the top of column at elev. 37,990mm. Working platform is completed in two manhole or entry point of the vessel. The top manhole has entry of 72ӯ and the bottom manhole has an entry of 24ӯ. However, during the progress of the activity only top man hole will be utilized for emergency. The initial entry/activity to vessel is at the lowest manhole until reaching the top level. The entry will be either the use of rope ladder or the use of man basket designed for the vessel.
Depending on the injury the IP will be extracted vertically from the column internal and pull out to the manhole, once extracted from the manhole, the IP will be lowered by means of Rescue Basket or man basket and lowered by crane to the ground. The IP will be assisted by the rigger inside the man basket, lowered to the ground and hand over to the ambulance.

EXTRACTION FROM CONFINED SPACE

Injuries that negate the IP being able to self-extract by climbing up ladders or stairways will be assisted with the Rope Haulage Rescue System. Extraction from the confined space will be a extraction from manway at top level. The IP will receive First Aid and immobilisation before being moved. This will require the ERT members responsible for First Aid and Patient packaging. Any IP with Spinal, Head/Neck, Thorax, unconscious or Lower Limb Trauma will have those injuries stabilized and immobilized on the spine board or spine splint and extracted by a skid stretcher.

VERTICAL EXTRACTION

ERT First Aider and an assistant will enter the vessel, bringing with them the first aid kit and the confined space rescue stretcher.

Lowered in by rope on rescue harness;
Lowered in by rope in Pitagor triangle seat; or
Rappel into the confined space.
Lowered by man basket designed for the vessel

The First Aider and FA Assistant will conduct patient packaging in the confined space. The team leader and rope haulers will haul the IP and escorts to egress the vessel as quickly and as smoothly as possible.

MOVE TO THE MEDICAL TRANSPORT

Conduct a further First Aid Assessment once extracted from the vessel and before the move to the Ambulance.

NON EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM PERSONNEL

In the event of an Incident requiring a Rescue or hearing the air horn blasts, all personnel in other Confined Spaces must IMMEDIATELY STOP WORK and only be prepared to evacuate if necessary. This will reduce the likelihood of another incident occurring during an ongoing rescue. All personnel not involved in the rescue should remain in place and clear the area, but be ready to assist the ERT if required.

N.B.-THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO EVACUATE FOR A MEDICAL INCIDENT REQUIRING A FIRST AID AND ASSISTANCE TO TRANSPORT TO A MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITY

The ERT leader will delegate other non ERT ARCC workers in the immediate area to assist in a Rescue Operation. These tasks can be Stretcher carrying and lifting tasks, clearing the area or route of tripping hazards, assisting the Stretcher carriers negotiating obstacles, coiling Rope and as communicators to take verbal messages in case of a Transceiver  failure. In the case of multiple injuries in different Vessels/Chambers assistance and primary effort will be handed to the contractor to take lead on the Rescue Operation with ERT in support.

RESPONSE AND ACTIONS

The Incident Commander (IC) will be one of the first Emergency Response personnel to arrive at the scene. The ARCC Safety lead at ground level will liaise with the IC and pass on as much relevant information as possible. It is the task of the IC to organize an appropriate response and resources at the scene.
If Company cannot conduct a safe rescue or the situation is more than they are capable of conducting, Outside source of rescue team will take over the rescue effort. ERT will remain to assist the Outside source Emergency Response Team as and when requested.

APPENDICIES :

Appendix A – Emergency Information Requirements
Appendix B – Vessel Diagram
Appendix C – Rescue Plan sequence of Events for Field expediency

EMERGENCY INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS

BRAVO TRANSCEIVER
CELL PHONE

APPENDIX A TO RESCUE PLAN SPECIFIC

  • Name of the Caller
  • Emergency Type
  • Exact Location & Rendezvous Point
  • Nature of the Incident
  • Severity of Injury to Personnel
  • Number of Personnel to be rescued

RESCUE PLAN CHECK LIST

APPENDIX C TO RESCUE PLAN SPECIFIC

HERE ERT MEANS EMERGENCY RESCUE TEAM.

  1. Hole-Watch raise alarm, Air Horn (2 Long Blasts)
    • Hole-Watch gain information pass on to the ERT and Medical Team. The ERT member notify HSE Manager regarding situation.
  2. The ARCC Incident Commander arrives. Safety Lead, liaises with the IC.
  3. IC to organize Medical resources at the scene.
  4. Simultaneously ERT has arrived and assesses the situation to ensure it is safe for entry.
    • Hole-Watch deny entry if the persons inside are not responding to his communication, require a gas test
    • ERT will use SCBA if toxic gas or oxygen deficiency that has risk of asphyxiation.
    • ERT response = Medical Ambulance.
  5. Rescue Team make ready the STRETCHER/Spine board or Rescue Harness on 4:1 rope haulage system.
  6. Two ERT members, First Aider and assistant enter the vessel. (Depending on the number of IP’s.
  7. Conduct a first aid assessment by ERT and determine extraction method.
  8. Conduct patient packaging for extraction.
  9. The ERT will haul the IP under guidance from internal team.
  10. After extracted from the vessel a First Aid check is conducted and preparations are made for move to the ground and ambulance meeting point.
  11. The ERT leader can delegate other non ERT workers in the immediate area to assist in a Rescue Operation.
  12. After the IP has been extracted, the ERT will assist by walk/carry/lower the IP “feet first” to the ground and waiting medical staff with ambulance.

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