Confined Space & Trench Rescues

Garrett WienckowskiOrange County Fire & Rescue

Confined Space & Trench Rescues

Objectives

Provide a general understanding of what constitutes a trench and a confined space

Provide a general overview of the problems encountered by emergency responders during these incidents

Explain how Orange County Fire Rescue’s technical rescue team conducts emergency operations to prevent further loss of life and complete rescues

Familiarize you with the equipment Orange County Fire Rescue Special Operations utilizes to effect these operations

Confined Space Overview

A space that: Is large enough and so configured that an employee can enter bodily

and perform work;Has limited or restricted means of entry or exit; Is not designed for continuous human occupancy.

Examples of Confined Spaces

Tanks Manholes Boilers Furnaces Sewers Silos Hoppers

VaultsPipesTrenchesTunnelsDuctsBinsPits

Potential Hazards in Confined Spaces

Oxygen Deficiency <19.5% or >23.5% oxygen

concentration

Combustibles Methane Hydrogen Acetylene Propane Gasoline fumes

Toxic Materials Carbon Monoxide Hydrogen Sulfide Welding fumes Corrosives

Electricity Mechanical Hazards

Mixers Crushers

Permitted Spaces

Problems encounteredMore than one victim Bystander interference Lack of accountability Unsecured utilities Hazardous atmospheres Lack of access for personnel and equipment Line management Limited supply of air Actions cause reactions (ventilation – where does hazardous atmosphere

go?) Limited space to operate in

Rescuer objectives

Prevent any further damage or injuriesControl sceneRescue all victimsRemove hazardsRemove our rescuers from harm

The safety procedures you must follow in the private sector are the same procedures we must follow as rescuers.

Trench Overview OSHA defines a trench as an excavation which is deeper and longer than it

is wide and is less than 15 feet wide at the bottom. National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) estimates that

excavation cave-ins cause about 1,000 work-related accidents per year including 140 that result in permanent disability and 75 that result in death.

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) requires a work safety plan for any trench that is more than 5 feet deep.

70% of all contractors fail to have such a plan in place.

Potential Hazards in Trenches

Oxygen Deficiency <19.5% or >23.5% oxygen

concentration

Combustibles Methane Hydrogen Acetylene Propane Gasoline fumes

Toxic Materials Carbon Monoxide Hydrogen Sulfide Welding fumes Corrosives

Electricity Mechanical Hazards

Mixers Crushers

Problems encountered

BystandersTimeWeather and soil typeUnsecured or damaged utilitiesManpower intensiveSecondary collapsesVibrationsLocation and position of victim(s)Access

Rescuer objectives

Prevent any further damage or injuries

Control sceneRescue all victimsRemove hazardsRemove our rescuers from harm

The safety procedures you must follow in the private sector are the same procedures we must follow as rescuers.

Equipment

Atmospheric monitorsOxygen levelExplosive limitsHydrogen SulfideCarbon Monoxide

Equipment

Ventilation FansElectric onlyProduce enough cfm to

ventilate space 4 times in an hourCan decrease output by 40%

with 2 or more bends in ductwork

Equipment

Ladders

Ropes

Equipment

Tripod with accessoriesSKED

Equipment

Air cart or manifoldMax 300’ airline per rescuerCan use SCBABring spare air line or SCBA

with mask for patient

Escape Pack5-10 min emergency airHas ability to connect to hardline

Equipment

CommunicationsHardlineReliableAdds to line management

problem

RadioNot reliableWireless

Equipment

Water Pump

Equipment Uprights or Strongbacks are wooden planks,

typically 2” x 12”x 12’, that are used in conjunction with sheeting to distribute the shear forces being generated within the open trench over a wider area

Bolted to the sheeting to make a pre-fabricated“panel assembly”

Construction of these panel assemblies involves placing a 2”x 12”x12’ on top of a 4’x 8’ sheet of Finform or double stacked ¾” plywood and bolting them together with three ¾” x 3½” machine bolts, nuts and washers

Equipment

Trench BoxesPre-engineered

Equipment

ShoresTimber Shores 4x4’s, 4x6’s, 6x6’s

Pneumatic Shores

Hydraulic Shores

Equipment

Spinal Lifting HarnessExtrication harnessCapable of vertical lifts for

patients with cervical spine injuriesOptional equipment

• Helmet harness• Spreader bar

Summary

Confined Spaces and Trench Rescuesshare very similar challenges

You may not have a clear cut scenarioOrange County Fire Rescue trains

constantly for that “Good MorningAmerica” call

Stay Safe and Use Common Sense

Credits

• Battalion Chief Dave Hollenbach III, Special Ops• Battalion Chief Jon Haskett, Special Ops• Lieutenant Steven Elliott, Special Ops• Lieutenant Garrett Wienckowski, Special Ops• Firefighter Rick Gunter, Special Ops• Firefighter Ronny Gorzon, Special Ops