SUCESFULL RESCUE OF CRANE OPERATOR IN A TOWER CRANE, UTILIZING THE SAVE A LIFE S.A.L. RESCUE DEVICE. 

In Santiago de Chile, on April 9, 2007 there was an emergency event at one of MCS tower cranes, when the Crane Operator Miguel Briones (29) faded, while working in the cabin of a 78EC crane. 

Mr. Briones could no longer operate the crane, and it was necessary to send him to an emergency hospital with no further delay. The problem was that Mr. Briones could not move by himself and it was necessary to bring him down to the floor from the top of a crane, at 36 meters high. 

Months before this event, MCS had received from Liebherr a brief note recommending a rescue system developed by a Company in Austria, named “Save a Life”. This system was subject of a demonstration in Biberach, consisting in the safely descend of some people from a tower crane, hanging in a rope. 

At the same time, MCS was analyzing different methods of rescuing operators or service personnel, in case of an accident while working up in a tower crane. 

The simplicity and effectiveness of the S.A.L. system moved us to contact the Factory, purchasing four units for testing purposes.

As per the good results, MCS created a rescue team formed by three employees, who were subject of a special training in controlled descend from our tower cranes, utilizing the S.A.L. system. 

As soon as knowing about the operator condition, the Job Site Engineer phoned MCS informing about the emergency. At the same time, he called the City Firemen Service for the rescue, utilizing their “ladder trucks”.

The MCS rescue team arrived to the job site after 20 minutes driving through the city. The Firemen were there, preparing their truck. Media TV people also arrived and started preparing their “on live” transmitions of this emergency. 

The MCS rescue team formed by Francisco Cespedes, Manuel Rodríguez and David Barrientos, were coordinated and prepared for a fast rescue. The ambulance was already waiting. 

In about a minute, the MCS team climbed up the crane. Mr. Barrientos checked that the Operator was partially conscious and feeling dizzy, needing help in getting out of the cabin and with no chance to walk down the crane by himself. Mr. Barrientos and Mr. Rodriguez pulled over the rescue overall on the Operator and moved him to the counter jib, while Mr. Cespedes had already installed and prepared the S.A.L. device.

In the next minute, the operator was safely descending from the crane to the floor; he was received by the ambulance personnel and prepared to be transported to the hospital for medical evaluation. 

At the time the ambulance was leaving, the Firemen group had not finished yet setting their ladder; neither the TV people their antennas. No film or photo was made out of this rescue, due there was no time for it. 

The MCS rescue team accomplished their first real emergency rescue in brief minutes, with precision and determination due the training and knowledge they had acquired on the Save a Life System. 

The Operator Mr. Briones is now recovered, he is still on medications to treat his problem, and declared about the rescue: “The Save a Life System is very fast and simple, I was scared to descend from a rope but the rescue friends helped me in feeling safe. I am very grateful to all the people involved for their fast help.”

The Rescue team:

Mr. Manuel Rodriguez ; Mr. Francisco Céspedes, Lider of the Team; Mr. Francisco Barrientos

 Miguel Briones, the MCS Operador rescued on March 9, 2007