hse avalanche rescue
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UNIS HEALTH SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT Avalanche rescueTRANSCRIPT
Avalanche rescueAvalanche rescue
CONTENT:Avalanche safety equipmentBehaviour in an avalancheBehaviour of „non-caught persons“Rough searchFine searchPin pointDiggingFirst aidEvacuation
UNIS HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT
HSEHSESAFETYSAFETYLESSONLESSON
Markus Eckerstorfer, Ulli Neumann
Avalanche rescue I A V A L A N C H E S A F E T YE Q U I P M E N T
Avalanche safety equipment
NOTE:- Avalanche beacon always on the body, underneath the top layer.- Avalanche beacon always on „send“ when entering the mountain terrain.- Avalanche probe and avalanche shovel in the backpack (not on the scooter).
Additional safety equipment:- Airbag Backpack System- Avalung Breathing System- Avalanche Ball Backpack System Only probe, shovel and beacon increase your chance of surviving!
[bergundsteigen]
[bergundsteigen]
Avalanche rescue II A V A L A N C H E S A F E T YE Q U I P M E N T
Avalanche safety equipment
Small avalanche beacon check:- One person turns his beacon on receive.- Other persons pass him with beacons on send.
+ Check if the beacons work correctly.+ Check if people can handle their beacons.
NOTE:- Everyone carries the full equipment!- You need to be sure how your equipment works!- Only fast and correct help saves lives!
!Large avalanche beacon check:- One person turns his beacon on send- Other persons stand opposite him and turn their beacons on receive.
+ Check if the beacons work correctly.+ Check if people can handle their beacons.
or
[G. Sojer]
[G. Sojer]
[Lawine.de]
0 - 15 min
after 30 min
after 1 hour
Avalanche rescue III B E H A V I O U R I N A NA V A L A N C H E
Caught by an avalanche
You have to FIGHT!
USE YOUR ADDITIONAL SAFETY GEAR IMMEDIATLY!
1. Try to escape the avalanche with a schuss-escape (most of the time unsuccessful).
2. Get rid of skis (snowboard) and ski poles.
3. Don‘t use binding straps, you won‘t be able to loosen your skis.
4. If you have an airbag, pull it now, if you have an AvaLung, put the mouthpiece between your teeth.
5. Once you fall, try to „swim“ on the surface. If you don‘t get burried, your chances of survival are bigger.
DON‘T USE STRIPS ON POLES AND SKIS!
[Cryoslope Svalbard] [Cryoslope Svalbard]
Avalanche rescue IV B E H A V I O U R O F „N O N - C A U G H T P E R S O N S“
Behavior of „non-caugth persons“ Time is life!
Behaviour as a rescuer:
1. Watch the avalanche and the victims carefully.
2. Remember the point where the victims got captured.
3. Try to be calm and organise the rescue.
4. Decide a primary search area (orographically underneath the point of capture).
5. Turn your avalanche beacon on „receive“, get your shovel and probe ready and start searching.
6. Seach also with your ears and eyes.
7. Alert the Red cross and Sysselmannen.
Rule of thumb:TRY TO FIND THE VICTIM
IN 15 MIN.!
If the victims don‘t carry an avalanche beacon...- Search with ears and eyes!- Alert immediatly Sysselmannen or Red Cross!- Systematic, but rough probing!
[Sysselmannen]
Avalanche rescue V R O U G H S E A R C H
Rough search Search for body parts sticking out of the snow and a first beacon signal!
ROUGH SEARCH:- Once the avalanche stops, switch the beacon on „receive“- Search for the first beacon signal.- Pay attention to body parts / gear sticking out of the snow.
Depending on access and possibilities:- Search from the top / bottom in zig-zag patterns (alone).- Search in strips with 20 m gaps (more rescuers.) Note: DO IT FAST!
[G. Sojer]
[Lawine.de]
[Lawine.de]
Avalanche rescue VI F I N E S E A R C H
Fine search After receiving the first signal, the fine search phase starts!
After receiving the first signal, you approach the victim on a electric flux line.There are different procedures depending on the avalanche beacon (digital or analog):
Analog avalanche beacon:- Follow the loudest tone.
- If the antenna of the receiver is parallel to the one of the sender, the acoustic signal is the strongest.
- To find the right direction, you have to swing around the beacon horizontaly in front of your body.
- As soon as the tone gets too loud, turn back the volume control to recognise sound differences.
Digital avalanche beacon:- Follow the directional sign (arrow).
- You do not have to swing around the beacon.
- The distance towards the victim is shown on the display.
NOTE: Digital avalanche beacons are easier to handle!
[Lawine.de]
[Lawine.de]
Avalanche rescue VII P I N P O I N T
Pin point Go for the extreme values!
„Pin point“ is the last phase of your search:- The searching speed decreases.- The accuracy of your search increases.- Hold your beacon near the surface.- Find the loudest signal / smallest distance by virtually drawing a cross with your beacon.- Always hold your beacon in the same position.
NOTE: Be accurate, but do not spend too much time on it!
- Probe with your avalanche probe to detect the victim.- Start probing at the point found with your beacon and then move spirally outwards.- If you find the buried victim, leave the probe and start digging!
Systematic probingreduces the search time!
[Lawinenfibel][G. Sojer]
Avalanche rescue VIII D I G G I N G
Digging Digging out the victim is the biggest time factor!
2. Work like a band conveyor to transport the snow away frome the hole.
3. Rotation every 4 min. to avoid exhaustion.
1. V-formation
4. First visual contact with the victim. More rescuers are needed in front of the hole.
6. Dig a bigger hole very carefully.
6. Last preparations for the evacuation.
NOTE:- Probe stays while digging!
- Dig fast and efficient!
- Take care of the victim!
- Expose head and chest first!
- Do not use a plastic shovel!
[Bergundsteigen]
[Bergundsteigen]
NOTE: Start digging 2 times the length of the probe underneath!
Avalanche rescue IX F I R S T A I D
First aid Suffocation is the biggest danger when buried in an avalanche!
1. V-formation
First aid in general:
A B C D E
Airway
– excavate the face first
Breathing
– excavate the chest
Circulation
start CPR if needed
Disability
– be cautious about neck and back
Exposure
– avoid further cooling
[Bergundsteigen]
[LWD Tirol][LWD Tirol]
-–
Avalanche rescue X E V A C U A T I O N
Evacuation Alert Sysselmannen or the Red Cross!
Slope inclination max. 6 degrees.No loose objects within a radius of 50 m.Tamp the snow if possible.
ACCIDENT NOTIFICATION:- WHO is reporting (Name, phone number, location)?
- WHAT happended?
- WHERE is the place of accident (Altitude, location, coordinates)?
- WHEN did the accident take place?
- HOW many buried victims and rescuers?
- WHEATER and visibility at the place of the accident.
Cryoslope Svalbard Cryoslope Svalbard Cryoslope Svalbard Cryoslope Svalbard
Avalanche rescue R E F E R E N C E S
Authors: Markus Eckerstorfer / Ullrich Neumann
REFERENCES:
SLF, 2003: Achtung Lawinen! http://slf.ch
bergundsteigen 4/07
bergundsteigen 1/08
http://www.lawine.org
Oesterreichisches Kuratorium fuer Alpine Sicherheit,2008: Lawinenfibel
ILLUSTRATIONS & PHOTOS:
Illustrations: Markus Eckerstorfer, Georg Sojer http://www.lawine.org
Photos: Cryoslope Svalbard Avalanche Warning Service Tyrol bergundsteigen http://www.lawine.orgFor further information please contact:
Markus [email protected]