PERSONAL WATER

SURVIVAL AND RESCUE

Julius Akpong
FECRMI, MASSP, FISPN, MCSN,GradIOSH, IdipNEBOSH,
 OUTLINE

 Introduction
 Objective
 Water related hazards and risk of Marine Activities
 Drowning
 Rescue
 Planning for rescue
 Types of casualty
 Rescue methods
 Introduction

 Lots of activities take place on water.

 Hazards from these activities have led to loss of
many lives
 These deaths are preventable since most of them
occur as a result of ignorance and lack of
preparedness which information and training can
provide.
 Objective

 At the end of the course, participants are expected

to;
 Be able to conduct a front end hazard analysis
prior to working or playing in or around water;
 Identify two main types of water casualties, proffer
and implement appropriate rescue methods in any
remote location.
Water related hazards and risk of Marine
Activities
 Examples of marine activities are; swimming,
boating, transportation, shipping, dock work,
dredging, offshore rig and installation operations.
 They all have specific water related hazards.
 Examples of these hazards are drowning, fire
explosion, or damage to the hull which can cause it
to sink, slips and fall into water, etc.
 Drowning

Drowning is death from acute asphyxia while submerged

whether or not liquid has entered the lungs.
 Ultimate risks from all water activities is drowning.
Threats from drowning include:
 Sudden shock of immersion in cold water

 Hypothermia

 Psychological state and determination of survivor

 Incapacitating injuries

 Attack from dangerous sea creatures.

 Control Measures

 Preventing falls into water; e.g

 Toe boards, railings, slip resistant surface or shoes with slip
resistant soles. Risk assessment should be made to determine
what physical preventive measures are required.
 Preventing drowning.
 Ability to swim
 Getting into a rescue vessel
 Wearing a personal floatation device.
 Being seen when he falls
 Prompt rescue operations.
 Controlled Abandonment or
evacuation
 Facilities required together with training include:
 Jacob’s ladder or rope ladder;

 Scramble net;

 Knotted rope;

 Ladders

Totally enclosed motor propelled survival crafts,

Life boats and
Inflatable life rafts are needed to evacuate people in
an emergency requiring abandonment.
 Rescue

 This is to get or take a person out of a dangerous

situation.
 The ready availability of a survival vessel and the
ability to get into it are very essential to effective
rescue operations.
 A rescue plan is essential to the success of any
rescue operation.
 Planning for rescue

 Identification and assessment

Identifying the environment where the accident
happened, types of activities undertaken and location can
aid ease of rescue.
 Acquisition of rescue equipment/aids
 Buoyant and rigid: These will float and support someone in
the water. At the same time it is firm and cannot be easily
bent. E.g Plastic or tin cans with lid.
 Buoyant and non-rigid: These will float and support
someone in water, it will bend and may not be firm. E.g
Collapsible water containers
 Planning for rescue

 Non Buoyant and rigid: Although this aid may or

may not float, it certainly will not be able to
support a person in the water. It is however firm
and not easily bent. Examples are sticks, poles and
brush handles.
 Non- Buoyant and Non- rigid: This aid will neither
support a person in the water nor float; it is firm
and is easily bent. E.gs Clothing, whips and ropes.
 Types of casualty
 There are generally four types of casualty who may be in the water.
These are:
 Non- swimmer: This is a person who cannot swim. He will be in
an upright position not necessarily facing land.
 Poor swimmer: This person may be swimming but as they get
tired, they will begin to panic and gradually lose ability to swim.
 Injured swimmer: If a casualty is injured in the water, they may
have to hold the injured part of the body, hence reducing their
swimming ability.
 Unconscious casualty: A casualty who has not breathed for
sometime because of water over the face may become unconscious
and float or sink to the bottom of the water.
 Rescue methods

 Reach
 Wade

 Non contact rescue

 Throw

 Row

If you have to think of a rescue operation, think of

your own safety first. Don’t put yourself at risk
unnecessarily.
 Rescue methods

 Stand off position: wade and swim towards the casualty

with a buoyant aid and encourage casualty to swim under
your supervision to safety.
 Accompanied Rescue: Ensure that the casualty is holding
unto the aid provided and swim in a company with the
casualty to safety.
 Non-contact Rescue: At a short distance, fling a rope to the
casualty to ride the rope, to hold you.
 Unconscious Casualty Rescue: Swim and rescue the
sunken casualty with a pestle grip on the chin and tow
casualty face above water. Resuscitate the casualty using
expired air resuscitation method and place casualty in a
recovery position if resuscitation is successful.
THANK YOU