Rescue

Work at height rescue equipment: rescue quickly, without a second accident

An arrested fall does not end the accident: the person remains suspended in the harness and must be rescued quickly. Work at height rescue equipment makes it possible to lower or raise the casualty safely without putting the rescuer at risk. KRATOS SAFETY offers rescue and evacuation equipment for the main situations encountered on site.

Choosing equipment for your rescue situation

• Confined spaces (shafts, tanks, manholes): a tripod or davit with a winch, or a self-retracting lifeline with a retrieval system, to raise the casualty vertically.
• Self-evacuation from a fixed workstation: a descender device that the user operates alone to reach the ground, for example from a wind turbine nacelle or a crane cab.
• On-site evacuation of one or more casualties: a ready-to-use evacuation kit, with descender, rope and accessories, which the rescuer sets up on an anchor point.
• Ski lifts and cable cars: passenger evacuation equipment suited to the heights involved and to evacuations carried out in series.

While waiting for help, an anti-trauma strap (FA1090100) attached to the harness lets the suspended person relieve the pressure of the straps on their legs and delay suspension trauma.

Standards and regulations for work at height rescue

Depending on their function, rescue equipment is certified to:

• EN 341 for evacuation descender devices,
• EN 1496 for rescue lifting devices (winches),
• EN 795 type B for temporary anchor tripods and davits.

EN 365 requires a rescue plan to be drawn up before any work at height, and national regulations may also require that a worker using fall arrest PPE is never left alone, so that they can be rescued within a time compatible with their health. This equipment falls under Regulation (EU) 2016/425; the user instructions, technical data sheet, EU type-examination certificate and declaration of conformity are in the Documents tab of each product page.

Completing your equipment: from equipment to rescue plan

• Fall arrest harnesses with an attachment point suited to evacuation,
• connectors and transport bags to keep the equipment complete and ready for use,
• product training: the rescuer must be trained and practised in the planned procedure.

The rescue and evacuation selection guide details the questions to ask before intervening.

Maintenance and inspection of rescue equipment

• Before each use and after each exercise: check the descender or winch, the rope or cable and the connectors.
• Periodic examination at least once a year by a competent person, as required by national regulations, recorded in the inspection log.
• After a real evacuation: withdraw from service until inspected, or return to the manufacturer as stated in the user instructions.

For access to confined spaces, also see our self-retracting lifelines with retrieval system.