My profession is safety and have been teaching chemical spill response (HAZWOPER) for about 30 years. There is an amazing amount of crossover between HAWOPER and SCUBA. Plans, rule of thirds, suits to protect you from bad environments, communication, etc. After reading many threads recently about tragedies, near misses and accidents it occurred to me that there are different approaches to safety.
So I wanted to post a little thought exercise and see how people approach safety. This exercise is based on chemical spill response, but I will post later what I know to be correct and why. I hope others post their thoughts too.
Scenario:
You are entering a chemical spill in a high level of personal protective equipment;SCBA & chemical protective suits ( i am being somewhat vague on exact gear for a reason). You also have a back up team and a decontamination team.
Question:
Should your back up team be dressed EXACTLY like you and your buddy?
Should your backup team be dressed in a higher level of equipment in case the SHTF?
Should your back up team just be there to call for some one more qualified to help if SHTF?
Should you send the back up team in to save your A$$, but only after another back up team has been suited up if both teams need help.
If you are familiar with HAZWOPER, you know the answer (I'm talkin to you Mike of DRIS). But I would like to hear what folks think they would want/do if they were the ones dressed as the entry team.
Trust me here, there REALLY is a parallel to SCUBA at all levels.
So I wanted to post a little thought exercise and see how people approach safety. This exercise is based on chemical spill response, but I will post later what I know to be correct and why. I hope others post their thoughts too.
Scenario:
You are entering a chemical spill in a high level of personal protective equipment;SCBA & chemical protective suits ( i am being somewhat vague on exact gear for a reason). You also have a back up team and a decontamination team.
Question:
Should your back up team be dressed EXACTLY like you and your buddy?
Should your backup team be dressed in a higher level of equipment in case the SHTF?
Should your back up team just be there to call for some one more qualified to help if SHTF?
Should you send the back up team in to save your A$$, but only after another back up team has been suited up if both teams need help.
If you are familiar with HAZWOPER, you know the answer (I'm talkin to you Mike of DRIS). But I would like to hear what folks think they would want/do if they were the ones dressed as the entry team.
Trust me here, there REALLY is a parallel to SCUBA at all levels.