COVID-19: Cleaning Hardware

Our Friends at ISC Wales has provided valuable information on cleaning hardware of biologic contaminants.

COVID-19 is new to all of us and as such the information is changing regularly, however, there have been some trials and studies conducted to understand the Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions. A copy of the Test results, published in the Supplementary appendix of the article by Chin A W H, Chu J T S, Perera M R A, et al. Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions. Lancet Microbe 2020; published online April 2., can be viewed by clicking on this link.

As standard, ISC recommends that our products can be cleaned using a mild detergent and water with a temperature of 40 degrees C.  Following the cleaning procedure which includes detergents, the items should be rinsed in cold water.  The device should then be allowed to dry naturally in a well-ventilated area away from any direct heat source. The general consensus is that Bleach, Alcohol or Hydrogen Peroxide based products are the best options to remove the risk of transmission of Covid-19 from high-touch metallic items, without the ability to go through the full clean, wash and dry procedure.  Since Alcohol based products are the easiest to control, it is suggested that a solution of 70% IPA would be a good option for wiping down product surfaces. There is some evidence that some solutions containing bleach can damage webbing and stitching, so for webbing products ISC recommends following the prescribed cleaning procedure as the best option. There is evidence that using just hot water  at 56 degrees C for 30 minutes shows no presence of the coronavirus – see test results, published in the Supplementary appendix of the article by Chin A W H, Chu J T S, Perera M R A, et al. Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions. Lancet Microbe 2020.

Disclaimer: All of ISC recommended disinfecting solutions are advisory only. ISC assumes no liability for improper use of the products. It is the user’s responsibility to inspect their gear before each use, and should any doubt arise about its condition for safe use, the product should be immediately withdrawn from use and not used again until confirmed in writing by a competent person that it is safe to do so. Users should additionally follow government guidance relating to general rules to minimize the transmission of COVID-19.

https://www.rescuetech1.com/

THE GLOBAL WIND ORGANIZATION OFFER ADVICE ON USING MANIKINS DURING CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

By now, coronavirus (COVID-19) has a firm grip on communities all over the world. During these troubling times, we must work hard to maintain the highest standards of safety for those whose work carries inherent risk, not least for the fear of burdening already over-stretched health services through avoidable accidents.

Therefore, we were encouraged to see that the GWO (Global Wind Organisation) has issued new guidance for training organisations across the world in relation to handling training requirements during this difficult period.

The Global Wind Organization is a non-profit body founded by wind turbine manufacturers and owners, which strives for an injury-free work environment in the wind turbine industry, setting common international standards for safety training and emergency procedures. GWO training standards describe the requirements for training courses that are recommended by members of GWO and are the preferred standards by many leading wind organisations around the globe.

Within their latest guidance, the GWO has offered advice to members about the practicalities of training during a pandemic such as Coronavirus and made recommendations with regards to best practice.

In all practical training modules, GWO specify;

“During practical exercises in any GWO module where course participants are used as an injured person (casualty), we recommend training providers to use a dummy as the injured person.”

And in relation to working at height training, they state:

“During Working at Height initial and refresher training, all practical exercises can be performed using a rescue dummy as an injured person (casualty), including the double evacuation and ladder rescues of a conscious person.”

Many training organisations, and not just those governed by the GWO, will be looking for ways to ensure that essential safety and rescue training can continue for as long as possible. Using manikins can give teams a degree of flexibility in terms of creating challenging scenarios whilst minimizing person-to-person contact.

Read the full article from GWO here

WORKING AT HEIGHT REQUIRES SPECIALIST MANIKINS

In response to the advice offered by the GWO, we would recommend the use of our Working at Height manikin for training within the wind industry.

This manikin has been designed specially to sit in a rescue harness, with reduced slumping, to act as a realistic casualty during training. It has added rigidity in the chest and has been constructed to provide anatomically correct weight proportions. It can be used to replicate a conscious or unconscious casualty, but we can guarantee that it is the closest thing you can get to a real person when your scenarios require an unconscious casualty – because unlike a ‘volunteer’ it is a dead weight which will not assist the rescuer! Trainees can also be encouraged to look out for signs of a compromised airway (such as a drooping head).  

For more information about this manikin, click here or call 770-832-9694 for advice about your training scenario so that we can match you up with the perfect training partner.

Also remember, most Ruth Lee Ltd manikins come complete with overalls which are machine washable and we would encourage regular washing of these overalls between sessions. Not only that, but the manikin carcass can be scrubbed daily with a mild detergent (remember, soapy water helps to kill the virus). They can then be left to dry thoroughly between sessions.

https://www.rescuetech1.com/ruthleetrainingmanikin.aspx

WHY SPEED IS SO IMPORTANT IN ROPE RESCUES - AND WHY MANIKINS ARE THE IDEAL TOOL FOR SAFER TRAINING

If your employees are required to work at height, it is imperative that you understand and plan for the complexities of rescuing someone who has been rendered unconscious after a fall from height and is suspended in harness in mid-air.

Working at Height is statistically one of the biggest workplace dangers in the UK. According to a report released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), falls from height were the most common cause of fatalities, accounting for nearly three in ten (29%) fatal injuries to workers. Sadly, poorly planned rescues can potentially add to this number, as the risk is not only in the fall itself, but also in the speed and efficiency of the rescue.

WHEN THE THING THAT SAVED YOU BECOMES A RISK

It’s not just the fall itself which is dangerous – the very harness which has arrested a fall and prevented a death can become lethal due to the way bodies are left suspended when unconscious. Suspension Trauma (also known as Orthostatic Intolerance or Harness Hang Syndrome) can kill – quickly!

Falls in the air, which render a person unconscious are particularly dangerous because of the risk of what’s known as suspension intolerance. Put simply, this is caused by venous pooling (blood gathering in the legs which are left dangling in the air) which then leads to a lack of blood passing through the heart. A decreased blood flow through the heart will lead to critically low quantities of oxygenated blood circulating to the brain and other vital organs.

When a person is unconscious it is very important to keep the legs raised to prevent this from happening and therefore rescuers need to move quickly to move the injured person to a horizontal position.

PLAN YOUR MID-AIR RESCUE TO MINIMIZE THE RISKS

With this in mind, it is absolutely imperative that employers create training that allows workers to quickly and efficiently rescue someone who is unconscious and suspended in the air.

Creating a realistic rescue scenario, where workers can train to maneuver an injured colleague to a safer position, without endangering anybody by using a live ‘victim’ can be achieved by using a training manikin or training dummy.

Ruth Lee designed a Working at Height manikin especially for this kind of rescue scenario. It has additional rigidity to reduce the amount of slumping when using a harness, has an anatomically correct weight distribution to accurately give the ‘feel’ of an unconscious casualty, plus it is available in a range of realistic sizes and weights to help demonstrate the difficulties of rescuing someone who is suspended in the air.

A manikin is the only way to replicate an unconscious casualty safely.  A volunteer will subconsciously, though naturally, help the trainees – after all, no one wants knocks and bruises if they can prevent them! They will also shift weight when needed and won’t provide the ‘dead weight’ of a true unconscious casualty.

Our Working at Height manikin has been widely used by members of the International Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) and numerous safety training companies and organisations across the UK and abroad. https://www.rescuetech1.com/ruthlee-Working-at-height-manikin-1.aspx