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Tower crane rescue drill and audit
Your rescue plan says the team can get an incapacitated operator out of the cab. We find out how long it actually takes, then show you how to make it quicker and safer.
How the drill works
- Agreed with site management
We agree the date and the ground rules with your site or project manager in advance. The rescue team isn't told. - The scenario
We arrive, go to the base of the crane and tell the crane supervisor the operator has been taken ill in the cab, for example a suspected heart attack. The clock starts. - We watch and time every stage
Raising the alarm, mustering the team, the climb, reaching and assessing the casualty, packaging, lowering and handover at ground level. - Written report
Times for each stage, what went well, what slowed the team down, kit and access issues, and practical changes to the plan, the team and the equipment.
Run by John Massey, Appointed Person and ex-tower crane operator
30 years in construction and lifting. He has operated tower cranes, slung and signalled loads and supervised lifts before planning them.
- CPCS A61 Appointed Person, Lifting Operations
- CPCS A62 Crane / Lifting Operations Supervisor
- CPCS A04A & A04B Tower Crane operator
- CPCS A40A Slinger / Signaller
- NVQ Level 5 Diploma in Controlling Lifting Operations (Planning Lifts)
John has operated tower cranes himself, so the feedback comes from someone who knows the cab, the climb and the kit, not from a checklist.
What the report covers
- Time from alarm to rescue team at the crane base
- Time to reach and assess the casualty
- Time to get the casualty to the ground and hand over to emergency services
- Rescue kit: what's there, what's missing, condition and inspection status
- Team: numbers, training, roles and communication
- Access: ladders, rest platforms, hatches, the cab and the jib
- How the drill compared with your written rescue plan
- Recommended changes, ranked by how much time they'd save
| Tower crane rescue drill and written report | £650 |
| Re-test within 3 months, with updated report | £395 |
| Travel supplement: North, Yorkshire, Wales, South West, Scotland | +£150 |
Rescue drill questions
Why test a tower crane rescue plan?
LOLER and the Work at Height Regulations expect rescue to be planned before work starts, and a plan nobody has practised is only a guess. A timed drill shows whether your team can actually get an operator down, and how long it takes.
Will it cause panic on site?
No. The drill is agreed in advance with site management and kept to the crane and the rescue team. Everyone else carries on working.
Do you do the rescue?
No. Your rescue team carries out the rescue as they would for real. We observe, time each stage and stop the drill if anything becomes unsafe.
How often should we drill?
Many principal contractors require a drill when the crane is erected and at regular intervals after that, and again when the rescue team changes. The re-test at £395 makes a follow-up easy.
Related
Find out how fast your team really is.
Pay online at a fixed price, then we agree the date with your site management.
Book a drill, £650