D2000 Safety: Certifying Rescue Trainers
Over the years OSHA has required many employers to provide a means of rescue for workers who enter confined spaces or use fall protection equipment. This can pose a challenge given the cost of equipping and training employees, who may not have a rescue background, to perform rope rescues. The result is many employers who fail to meet their obligations and choose instead to rely on local emergency responders who also may not be trained or equipped for these operations.
“The tendency to rely on fire departments to provide rescue is often misguided,” according to D2000 Safety’s CEO, Jim Johnson, “and I’ve always been sensitive to the costs associated with maintaining a rescue capability, particularly for locations with smaller work forces.”
To help employers provide a means of confined space rescue as cost-effectively as possible, D2000 Safety recently implemented a rescue instructor certification program. Once a location has trained employees to deliver D2000’s rescue curricula the costs for initial and ongoing rope rescue training drop substantially.
For example, D2000 estimates the costs for providing an initial three-day confined space rescue operations class at about $6000. A one-day refresher class might cost an employer $2000 depending on travel costs. But for those companies that have a certified trainer on staff, they only need to pay for the training materials and the employees’ time. Mr. Johnson explained, “This is really important when there’s turnover on the team and the new team members need to undergo initial technical rescue training.”
D2000’s Industrial Rescue Train the Trainer program requires four days to complete but being able to certify trainers in this amount of time requires students who have a background in rescue, are able to command students’ attention, and can grasp the technical concepts.
“Teach backs are an important aspect of this course,” said Greg Arbizo, Rescue Services Manager for D2000. “The instructor candidates have to be able to present the information clearly, concisely, and accurately. Plus we place a huge emphasis on ensuring team safety. If we see any student commit a safety violation during the course, including something like not wearing a seat belt, that student will not be certified as an instructor.”
For more information on this program, contact Jim Johnson at 541-284-2000 or jjohnson@d2000safety.com.
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