ASTM_F_2890_-_12.pdf

Designation:F289012Standard Guide forHazard Awareness for Search and Rescue Personnel1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F2890;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.INTRODUCTIONRecognition of hazards associated with search and rescue operations is critical to the decision-making process as it relates to personal safety,the urgency of response,and resource requirements.This guide is intended to ensure that emergency personnel responding to incidents outside their normaloperating area are aware of the hazards associated with response to unfamiliar environments.1.Scope1.1 This guide is intended for training those who normallywork in natural environments,solely subject to terrain andweather-related risks,who may be asked to respond to,or whomay encounter,the operations defined in 1.2.1.2 This guide identifies and describes hazardous situationsand environments,and the associated risks affecting search andrescue personnel who may be working on or around thefollowing:1.2.1 Landsearch;1.2.2 Land rescue;1.2.3 Structural collapse;1.2.4 Rope rescues;1.2.5 Confined spaces;1.2.6 Water,both still and moving;and1.2.7 Trench or excavation collapse.1.3 The knowledge conveyed in this guide is intended toenable search and rescue(SAR)personnel to recognize situa-tions that may require skills or capabilities they have not beentrained to perform.This understanding will allow them to seekmore knowledgeable personnel to mitigate the hazard andperform such rescues or other activities required to completetheir mission.1.4 This guide is not intended to suggest that all search andrescue personnel must have the training identified within it.However,wherever the authority having jurisdiction(AHJ)deems this training to be appropriate,this document can beused as a guide.1.5 The AHJ shall determine what level of training consti-tutes sufficient competence for search and rescue personnel toenter areas,or carry out missions,which include the hazardsdescribed in this guide.1.6 This guide identifies some of the known disciplines ofSAR and their associated hazards.It does not,however,attempt to list all hazards or risks of which a person must beaware to operate safely and effectively in and around any of theareas listed in 1.1 or in Appendix X1.1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Terminology2.1 Acronyms:2.1.1 AHJAuthority Having Jurisdiction2.1.2 ASTMAmerican Society for Testing and Materials2.1.3 PPEPersonal Protective Equipment2.1.4 SARSearch and Rescue2.2 Definitions:2.2.1 AuthorityHavingJurisdiction(AHJ),ntheorganization,office,or individual responsible for enforcing therequirements of a code or standard,or approving equipment,materials,an installation,or a procedure.2.2.2 awareness-level knowledge,nthe ability to recog-nize the following associated with a situation or environment:(a)Whether search and/or rescue is necessary;(b)Hazards and personal risks;(c)Recognition of the need for specific PPE;(d)Additional knowledge,skills,or abilities to function safely and effectively;and(e)Other resources needed to safely and effectively perform a mission oroperation.2.2.3 personal protective equipment(PPE),nclothing andapparatus that reduces or limits a persons vulnerability toenvironmental hazards.1This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F32 on Searchand Rescue and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F32.03 on Personnel,Training and Education.Current edition approved Sept.1,2012.Published October 2012.DOI:10.1520/F289012Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 3.Significance and Use3.1 This guide establishes the minimum level of trainingrequired to provide awareness-level knowledge for personneloperating in and around the areas and operations listed in 1.1.3.2 This guide may be used by individuals and AHJs thatwish to identify the minimum training standards for land-basedpersonnel operating in and around these areas and operations.3.3 A person trained to this guide is considered to be awareof the hazards and risks associated with these areas andoperations.3.4 A person trained solely to this guide is not considered a“searcher”or“rescuer,”or both.3.5 This guide may be used to augment other training for asearcher or rescuer,or both.3.6 This guide by itself is not a training document.It is onlyan outline of some of the topics required for training orevaluating a searcher and/or rescuer,although it can be used todevelop a training document or pr