Published 20 Nov in
New Team Member - Ian Rose
Recently RB Health & Safety Solutions added a new full-time team member, who has a speciality of work and rescue at height and occupational noise regulations.
Ian Rose or ‘Billy’ to his friends, has been involved in working at height for over 15 years, having been in the Military and Fire & Rescue Service for 35 years. While in the Fire & Rescue Service he was able to work part-time which he’s been doing for us for many years, before retiring from the Service and coming to work for us full time.
Fire Service Training, Tom Cruise and Ghost Protocol
The training Ian received for dealing with situations at height is extensive and Ian has first hand experience of effective safety when working on the side of a building like Tom Cruise in Ghost Protocol, when the sucker he was using on the glass failed, causing him to swing sideways.
As he swung across the building, he said “I could see the look of horror on the faces of those inside the building, except for one of his colleagues who was deep in conversation with a manager who had their back to the window and his colleague was trying desperately not to laugh once he realised he was ok.”
Although able to laugh about it, he was very appreciative of the safety equipment that saved the day.
Biggest Killer in the Work Place
Falling from height is still the biggest killer in the workplace, so training people to work safely at height is extremely important and a legal requirement.
Falling Doesn’t Hurt!
It’s hitting the ground or something on the way down that hurts and does the serious damage but making sure you work safely is only part of the training required.
In times past, if someone fell or had an incident where they were left hanging or perhaps had a heart attack at height, it would have been left to the emergency services to come and deal with the situation. That’s now changed, companies who have people working at height also must be trained in rescue techniques.
Rescuing Someone Hanging in Mid Air
Your colleague is hanging, having slipped – what do you do next? Ian says “you need to have a Rescue Plan, these are procedures that should come into play immediately to effect a timely rescue depending on the exact circumstances” and the sooner this is started the better for the person in trouble.
Someone who’s just slipped and has found themselves hanging in their harness will have adrenalin pumping around their body, so despite them saying I’m ok after the initial incident, it’s important they are brought down safely as soon as possible, in case of unseen injuries.
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and Harnesses
Supporting a person’s body weight, especially if they fall, can’t be underestimated. Over the years much thought and experience has gone into the development of harnesses that are used today, so that they offer the best possible support for the body.
Industry changes in equipment and techniques such as single line to twin line have become standard today, all of which has contributed improvements in the reduction of deaths and injuries from falls from height.
Theatre Industry and Tallescope Rescue
There is a lot of working at height in theatres, so health and safety when working at height is a crucial element to ensure safe working practices are in place.
Because of Ian’s knowledge, he was asked to come up with a Rescue Pack that technical crews could use should someone need rescuing and brought down from the cage following a medical emergency, electrocution or similar.
It has gone on to receive much acclaim, so if you want to find out more about it you can take a look here
I can’t hear you? Noise at Work Regulations 2005
Another area Ian covers for RB Health & Safety Solutions. There’s more awareness of occupational noise issues today, but how loud is too loud. Risk assessment and monitoring are a crucial part of determining any issues that need to be addressed.
Welcome Aboard
Ian is already working hard and it’s great to have such a knowledgeable person on the team.