Introduction
RTC training that uses cars is a part of the curriculum at the Ras Laffan Emergency & Safety College (RLESC). It is associated with a variety of risks, both during the preparation for the exercise and its execution. Cars are inherently dangerous due to their weight and speed, and the courses used involve their operation in potentially unsafe conditions. Both the driver and bystanders can be harmed in car accidents and receive severe or fatal wounds.
As such, it is critical to evaluate the risks involved in RTC training and provide recommendation for their minimisation and elimination. The author of this assessment is a student at RLESC who undergoes car training and is concerned about the risks as a result. The report is addressed to the management that is responsible for the design of the training and includes recommendations for them.
Aim & Objectives
The report is trying to minimise the dangers involved in the provision of training at RLESC. More specifically, it attempts to address RTC training that involves cars and the hazards to which the students and workers that work with it are exposed. The paper aims to highlight and address the dangers involved in the preparation and execution of the exercise. To that end, the report will set the objectives of identifying the various hazards, describing them in detail, and suggesting solutions that can eliminate or reduce the risks.
The identification process will use both practical experience and findings from contemporary literature. The descriptions will feature the number of people affected as well as the sources of danger and its severity. Lastly, the recommendations will be aimed to address as many risks as possible at once and be organised in a separate section at the end.
Preparation Hazards
Before the training can begin, it is necessary to prepare the course and adjust it based on the needs and abilities of students. There are generally approximately twenty workers involved in the process, who reorganise the obstacles and repair any damage inflicted to the facility during prior attempts. They are at moderate risk of trauma because of the constant need to move heavy objects around.
Carayon (2016) identifies a variety of different types of strain, mostly on the back and spine, that result from lifting heavy objects for extended periods. Some of the materials moved around by the team will also be hazardous and can emit harmful vapours, which team members may inhale. This factor also contributes to the danger, and workers should be aware of it and prepare to handle both this issue and the carrying duties.
The cars used in training have a variety of other duties and are stored in the College’s garage when not in active use. As a result, students have to drive them to the exercise’s location before the beginning. In doing so, they pass through the territory of the College, which has numerous people moving around on foot. There is always the danger of an accident in which students crash and potentially harm other learners or college workers. Based on the route used and the number of people that use it, it is possible to conclude that approximately 100 people are at risk whenever a car is driven in this manner. Car accidents can happen due to either malfunctions or driver mistakes. As such, it is necessary to address both concerns and minimise the danger to everyone involved.
Training Dangers
RTC training involves the use of specialised equipment that can exert a substantial amount of force. As a result, trainees may get injured if they misuse it after misjudging the situation or if they use the items without adequate training. Approximately 15 students undergo the training at a time, and they can all be considered at risk during that time. Wankhade, McCann and Murphy (2019) discuss the variety of dangers that can occur to rescue workers during an RTC operation. Some of these, such as road traffic, will not be present in the scenarios, even if they will be implied. However, others will still exist and endanger the team, which means that there is a moderate risk of injury. As such, it is necessary to take all possible measures to ensure that students are safe.
Other than the pneumatic tools used in the rescue, there are three significant sources of danger: sharp protrusions on the cars, the sudden deployment of airbags and the chunks of broken glass windows. Car collisions tend to generate substantial amounts of force that can deform all parts of the vehicle. As a result, there may be protrusions that interfere with rescue efforts, some of which can be sharp and present a considerable danger.
Students who are careless during the training can suffer substantial harm as a result of encountering such an object. As such, the risk is moderate due to the somewhat frequent incidence of sharp corners and the variation in their danger, which ranges from slight cuts to deep injuries in the worst-case scenario. Students and organisers have to consider this danger and develop methods of countering it.
Unlike random protrusions, the random pieces of glass scattered throughout the scene will likely be sharp in most cases due to the properties of glass. Moreover, being transparent, they can be challenging to notice, and their number makes contact highly challenging to avoid. If the students have to use unconventional entry methods due to dysfunctional vehicle doors, they have to be concerned about the remnants of glass in the other entrances, which are mounted and can inflict severe damage as a result. With that said, students should know to expect glass and be aware of its dangers upon undergoing the exercise. As such, they are likely to exercise caution and try to remove pieces that can be dangerous. Overall, the danger of glass pieces is also moderate because of these considerations.
Airbags are the final topic that warrants discussion, but they are potentially the most dangerous of the hazards. Airbags that failed to deploy in the initial collision may activate during the rescue effort. They are designed to safeguard the person in front of them and expand with a substantial amount of force. The action becomes particularly problematic if the airbag’s deployment area is covered with glass or other hazards.
According to Greaves, Porter and Wright (2018), airbag expansion can serve as a substantial danger both to the rescue worker and the person being helped. However, due to the expertise of car manufacturers, the failure of an airbag to deploy is a rare occurrence. As such, despite the substantial blunt and sharp trauma associated with them, airbags represent a moderate risk rather than a large one.
Conclusion
RTC training is associated with a variety of dangers, both in the preparation and the execution stage. Both students and workers are at risk of physical trauma and health hazards, which extend beyond people who are directly involved in the exercise. Preparations involve the movement of heavy and potentially hazardous objects, often by hand without mechanised assistance, and driving across campus, which is done by students.
During the simulation, the students have to use pneumatic tools which can harm them if misused. Moreover, there are two varieties of sharp objects at the scene, namely glass shards and deformed metal fragments. The dangers of both are exacerbated by the chance that dysfunctional airbags may activate during the rescue and lead to trauma. Overall, there is a substantial number of risks in the training process that should be accounted for and minimised.
Recommendations
The management should take the utmost precautions when preparing for RTC training. Workers who set up the scenarios should have access to a forklift if they regularly have to transport heavy objects. According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs (2020), they should also be trained in the identification and management of hazardous substances and have access to the appropriate equipment. Students who drive cars must possess driver licenses that are appropriate for the vehicle type. There should also be a set procedure for driving on the college grounds that would minimise confusion and guarantee the safety of everyone involved. With these methods, the danger of harmful accidents during preparation should be reduced substantially.
The purpose of RTC training is to prepare students to handle similar situations in reality, where they will have to contend with additional risk factors, such as road traffic. As such, they must receive detailed briefings on all of the dangers that are present in the simulation. Hunt and Greaves (2017) require the usage of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), which can change depending on the situation. The team should also be outfitted with the appropriate equipment, such as glass handsaws, for the removal of hazards where possible and trained in their usage extensively (Pollak 2018). These measures should minimise the possibility of the students coming to harm.
Reference List
Carayon, P. (ed.) (2016) Handbook of human factors and ergonomics in health care and patient safety. 2nd edn. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Greaves, I., Porter, K. and Wright, C. (2018) Trauma care pre-hospital manual. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Hunt, P. and Greaves, I. (2017) Oxford manual of major incident management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
International Association of Fire Chiefs (2020) Fundamentals of fire fighter skills and hazardous materials response. 4th edn. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Pollak, A. N. (2018) Nancy Caroline’s emergency care in the streets. 8th edn. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Wankhade, P., McCann, L. and Murphy, P. (eds.) (2019) Critical perspectives on the management and organization of emergency services. New York, NY: Routledge.