Emergency Procedures and Incident Response
Emergency planning for tower operations must be written before work starts and rehearsed in briefing. Candidates should know the components: rescue from height (including a suspended fall-arrest casualty), fire and evacuation, loss of stability or impending collapse, and adverse weather response. Each needs a named responsible person, a means of raising the alarm, and a route or method.
Traps appear around rescue. The most common error is assuming the emergency services will perform the rescue - the duty is on the duty holder to plan and provide rescue, and the fire service is not a substitute for a rescue plan. A second trap is the suspension trauma risk: a casualty left hanging in a harness can deteriorate rapidly, so prompt rescue and, where trained, leg movement or a relief strap matter. Questions may ask what to do first when a tower becomes unstable - the answer is to evacuate the area, isolate, and not attempt to stabilise it manually.
Incident response includes preserving the scene, reporting under the relevant reporting regime, and not disturbing evidence beyond making the area safe. Records of the incident, witness statements and photographs support both investigation and legal compliance.
Rule of thumb: plan, brief, rehearse, record. Worked example: a fall-arrest activation leaves a worker suspended - raise the alarm, initiate the pre-planned rescue, monitor for suspension trauma, and do not wait for the emergency services to arrive before acting.