Release 1.  This is the first release of this unit of competency in the PUA Public Safety Training Package.

This unit of competency involves the skills and knowledge required to undertake vertical rescues in a range of emergency situations in natural and manmade environments. It includes a range of vertical rescue situations, preparing and responding to rescue situations, assessing rescue scenes, establishing vertical rescue systems and performing in and terminating rescues.

The unit is applicable to personnel from the emergency services, volunteer organisations and associated industries.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

PUASAR022 Participate in a rescue operation

Search and Rescue

Not applicable

ELEMENTS 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1  

Prepare and respond to vertical rescue 

1.1 

Operation and task information is received through a briefing, in accordance with organisational procedures

1.2 

Vertical rescue equipment is selected based on incident information and is checked to ensure it is ready for use

1.3 

Personal protective clothing and equipment for vertical rescue is selected

2 

Assess scene 

2.1 

Scene reconnaissance is conducted, and results are reported to relevant personnel

2.2 

Location and condition of casualties is determined

2.3 

Vertical rescue scene management procedures are followed, in accordance with organisational procedures

2.4 

Physical and environmental features of scene are assessed before deploying rescue resources

2.5 

Risk assessment is conducted, in accordance with organisational procedures

2.6 

Access is controlled, and a safe and effective operational environment is maintained

2.7 

Communication with other personnel on site is established and maintained including team and safety briefings relevant to tasks

3 

Establish vertical rescue system 

3.1 

Vertical rescue system is conducted as appropriate to incident

3.2 

Vertical rescue system and anchors are established, checked and monitored

3.3 

Equipment is prepared, and appropriate techniques are used, in accordance with organisational procedures

4 

Perform vertical rescue 

4.1 

Hygiene precautions are maintained, in accordance with organisational procedures

4.2 

Access is gained to casualties or trapped persons using vertical rescue techniques and equipment, in accordance with organisational procedures

4.3 

Casualties or trapped persons are secured and prepared for removal in consultation with medical personnel

4.4 

Casualties are removed using vertical rescue techniques and equipment whilst preventing further injury

4.5 

Appropriate actions are taken to preserve incident scene, in accordance with organisational procedures

5 

Terminate vertical rescue operations 

5.1 

Equipment is recovered, cleaned and serviced, in accordance with organisational procedures and manufacturers' guidelines

5.2 

Hygiene precautions are implemented, in accordance with organisational procedures

5.3 

Decontamination procedures are followed, in accordance with organisational procedures

5.4 

Operational debriefing is participated in, in accordance organisational procedure

5.5 

Operational documentation including post incident report is completed, in accordance with organisational procedures

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.

Non-essential conditions may be found in the Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

This unit replaces and is equivalent to PUASAR032A Undertake vertical rescue.

Release 1.  This is the first release of this unit of competency in the PUA Public Safety Training Package.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all the requirements of the elements and performance criteria on at least one occasion and includes

• applying hygiene precautions
• applying organisational policies and procedures including following scene management procedures, implementing decontamination procedures and scene preservation and management procedures
• applying Work, Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements including safe work practices
• assessing a scene
• assessing, treating and packaging casualties
• checking and maintaining vertical rescue equipment
• communicating with team members and casualties
• completing organisational documentation
• concluding vertical rescue operations
• conducting risk assessment
• determining and establishing a vertical rescue system appropriate to the type of incident including selecting and using vertical rescue techniques and equipment
• establishing safe systems to gain access to and recover casualties
• extricating casualties safely and minimising further injury or discomfort to self and others
• managing edge protection and equipment
• participating in and contributing to briefings and debriefings
• performing vertical rescues and securing and removing casualties
• preparing and responding to vertical rescue situations
• securing and removing causalities
• undertaking scene assessment and reporting on this
• using industrial fall arrest systems and devices
• using personal protective clothing and rescue equipment
• using stretchers in raising and lowering operations
• working in a team

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and includes knowledge of

• casualty assessment and packaging
• conditions determining vertical rescue techniques including type of vertical rescue incident and organisational procedures
• field notes, logbook and post incident reporting requirements
• hygiene precautions
• industrial fall arrest systems and devices including harnesses, stretchers and packaging
• operational briefing processes and procedures including collecting information on operation, location, information about access and egress routes and team roles such as team leader, safety officer, technicians and command, control and coordination arrangements
• organisational documentation, policies and procedures
• physical and environmental features including weather and environmental conditions; plant machinery; utilities and services; structural elements; hazardous atmospheres; exposed, unprotected and sharp edges; natural, manmade and physical environmental features
• preservation of incident scene must include disturbing only to gain access or make scene safe and not disturbing fatality scenes until police investigation activities are completed
• principles of suspension trauma
• procedures for operating vertical rescue equipment
• processes and procedures for debriefings
• rescue scene assessment
• rescue scene management procedures including establishing and monitoring safety zones, establishing barriers and perimeter access controls, liaising with media and managing bystanders
• safety factors including safe working loads and breaking strains of vertical rescue equipment
• sources of information including personnel on scene and the public
• vertical rescue and safety systems including anchors, ascending and descending devices, edge management devices, edge protection, karabiners, lighting, pulleys, rescue ropes and tapes to industry standards
• vertical rescue equipment characteristics and limitations
• voice, whistle and other communication systems
• Work, Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements including risk mitigation and safe work practices

As a minimum, assessors must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

As a minimum, assessment must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment must occur in workplace operational situations where it is appropriate to do so; where this is not appropriate, assessment must occur in organisationally approved simulated workplace operational situations that replicate workplace conditions.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Resources for assessment must include access to

• a range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or simulations
• relevant and appropriate materials, rescue tools, rescue and communications equipment and personal protective clothing and equipment currently used in industry including

• an appropriate venue for vertical rescue activities
• vertical rescue equipment and personnel for team based activities

• applicable documentation including organisational procedures, industry standards, equipment specifications, regulations, codes of practice and operations manuals.