Options versus Safety: The Use of Spreaders for Lifting
There is a saying in English that goes ‘there is more than one way to skin a cat’. Animal lovers don’t be alarmed, it simply means there is always more than one way of achieving your objective. In rescue, indeed any emergency situation, having numerous options to resolve your operational problem is something we must aspire to as professionals.
Options versus safety
Many of the tasks we perform on scene generally have more than one way to go about it. For example, door removal can be achieved by either attacking the locks or the hinges. Neither is wrong and we all have our preference. But, are there some options for some tasks that should not be considered at all for reasons of safety? I need to be clear from the outset that some incidents do test the skills of rescuers to the limit and as we find ourselves running out of options, we sometimes resort to tactics that would perhaps not be our first choice.
Lifting with hydraulic spreaders
Recently I have seen several social media discussions relating to the use hydraulic spreaders for lifting operations. You may have your own opinion of this method but I feel I cannot let the issue pass by without comment. We have several options when it comes to performing lifting operations and as rescuers we tend to have more options when lifting from underneath a load. Of course, we can lift from above but these instances tend to be rarer due to the need for heavy lifting equipment.
Spreaders should not be considered a primary tool for lifting.
Lifting force?
So why not use spreaders? They are immediately deployable, (especially now we have access to battery operated hydraulic tools) quick in operation and have a large lifting capacity. Actually, they do not have a large lifting capacity at all, at least not according to the manufacturers.
Spreaders are universally described as having:
- Spreading force
- Pulling force
- Squeezing force
I was not able to read any lifting force attributed to spreaders. This should ring alarm bells to anyone thinking that the use of spreaders should be considered a primary method of lifting.
So why not lift with spreaders?
Well, unlike lifting bags or shoring equipment, (which both lift in a vertical plane) a set of spreader arms naturally open in an ‘arc’ shape; this immediately makes lifting fraught with risk. The surface contact point is constantly changing. Attempts to overcome this issue has seen specialist tips and attachments enter the market; yet I am still far from convinced. I feel lifting with spreaders should never be a primary consideration, simply because we have easier, safer alternatives that allow for a more controlled lifting operation.
Speed versus control
When discussing this issue, I am often told that in an emergency i.e. where there is a heavy load trapping a patient, speed is essential. Of course, this is sometimes true, but we must remember the following:
- All lifting operations must be controlled and speed, whilst sometimes important, can never override crew safety
- Patients who have potential of suffering crush injuries require a slow, methodical lift which is medically led*
(*in certain circumstances, releasing a load from a patient in an uncontrolled manner can result in cardiac arrest or late stage renal failure)
All lifting operations must be controlled for reasons of crew and patient safety.
Conclusion
Lifting operations are an important part of our rescue options and must be performed with safety as our absolute priority. Seeking alternative options must be promoted but never at the cost of safety. If the manufacturers of hydraulic spreaders do not recommend them for use during lifting operations and the use of them for lifting forms no part of the norms testing regime, can you really (legally and morally) be using them for this application? Whilst I appreciate that there is always a necessity to think outside of the box (especially when under pressure) I simply cannot agree with this method.
I started this blog with a saying and I will finish it with another one. ‘What you permit, you promote’
As ever, I welcome your comments.
Ian Dunbar