Suspended loads
Risks
Suspended loads may become dislodged at any time during the rescue , injuring the rescuer , ground crew or further injuring the casualty .
A suspended load is a branch or section of trunk that is suspended in the tree by a rope under tension . This will usually be due to deliberate rigging operations as part of tree dismantling , but the tree part may also have become unintentionally entangled in climbing or rigging lines during a cut-and-drop operation that went wrong .
A partially suspended load may be supported by climbing or rigging lines and also entangled in other branches or foliage . Great care must be taken by the rescue crew not to accidentally dislodge the section or further compromise the climber , particularly if the load is entangled in the climber ’ s lines or the rigging lines are across the climber .
Ropes under tension may be dangerous and hard to extract from the system .
Suspended loads may be heavy and challenging to remove or secure without compromising the casualty or putting rescuers at risk .
Where loaded ropes have passed over the casualty , sudden movement may cause further compression , entanglement or friction injuries .
Control measures
Attempt to secure the load before accessing tree if possible using throwline and additional ropes .
If possible , attempt to use the arborist rigging system to lower the section to the ground before accessing .
If attached , lock off or secure the existing rigging system to prevent unanticipated movement during rescue . Note that a partially suspended load may still become dislodged unexpectedly .
Access the tree and cut free the load . Ensure that suddenly unloaded ropes will not impact the casualty or rescuers and that no further injury will be caused by the freed load .
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