rescate en vehiculos grandes, pesados o especiales

[Yorman J. Mari Peraza]

sobre vehiculos:

 

grandes (micros, bus, autobus, omnibus),

 

pesados (camion , tracto mulas, chutos, camion tarctor,)

o

especiales (bomberos, materiales peligrosos, blindados)

 

es poco lo que se maneja la idea es poder intercambiar informacion sobre el tema

 

gracias a todos los que puedan aportar informacion o preguntas

 

atte

 

yorman j mari peraza

 

[Yorman J. Mari Peraza]

big truck extrication.

 

We are going to first take a look at basic truck anatomy. In article two we will discuss scene approach, hazards, and stabilization. In part three we will talk about extrication techniques. Trucks have been around since shortly after the coming of the motorized automobile.

They have become much bigger, more advanced, and travel much faster than ever before. In order to be able to execute a good extrication, a good basic knowledge of trucks and there anatomy would be essential. Trucks present us with quite a different challenge and we need to stay abreast to meet this challenge. So, “OK good buddy, let’s put the hammer down, and get this eighteen wheeler rolling.”

*We are going to approach this in a similar way I got my medic training some years ago. Before one can learn to treat a patient, we must first learn the basic human anatomy, which will give us a better understanding of how to stabilize and treat our patient.

I use the same philosophy when I teach extrication classes. By first learning about some basic truck anatomy, styles, and types, we will have a better understanding when it comes to stabilizing a light duty truck weighing 12,000 pounds verses a heavy truck weighing 140,000 pounds. You will also see that by knowing the construction of the cabs, you can better choose the tools needed to gain access to your victim.*

Trucks play a vital role in the economy of our nation and the lives of each and every one of us. Because of this, there are a large number of trucks traveling our highways all the time. Trucks make up over 3% of all vehicles on our roads. The one problem they present for us as extrication technicians, is they weigh up to thirty times more than the average automobile.

They also carry all types of cargo from the groceries we purchase from the store, to hazardous chemicals used in a variety of manufacturing processes. Trucks are involved in approximately one out of every eight motor vehicle crashes. When looking at truck crashes we will find that 60% of them occur on major interstates, 25% occur on major highways, and 10% occur on secondary roads. Most fire departments and rescue squads have one, if not all, of these types of roads running through their response district. So, hence the need for training in large truck extrication.

Trucks are put into two basic categories, medium and heavy. Medium trucks are put into a class 3, 4, or 5, and have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of between 10.000 pounds and 19,499 pounds. Heavy trucks are put into classes 6, 7 and 8. Class 6 is trucks that have a GVWR of 19,500 pounds to 29,000 pounds. Class 7 trucks have a GVWR of 29,100 pounds to 33,000 pounds, and class 8 are those 33,001 and greater. Trucks come in several types of designs.

The first and most common is the straight truck. These are built on a solid frame and not designed to pull a trailer. Most of these truck have two to three axles and have a GVWR of 10,000 pounds to 40,000 pounds. Next we have the specialty trucks which are designed for a specific purpose. Some examples of these types of trucks would be concrete trucks, dump trucks, wreckers, and fire apparatus.

The next type truck we have is the truck / semi-trailer combination. They are compiled of a truck, also called a tractor, and one or more trailers pulled by the truck. The tractors are either two or three axle and may weigh up to 18,000 pounds. The entire tractor trailer rig may weight up to 140,000 pounds. The trailers also come in a variety of types including a flatbed for hauling building materials, a closed box trailer for general cargo, tankers for hauling fuels, chemicals, and grain and vehicle transports.

Remember that some trucks will display placards for hazardous materials and some may not. Trucks can haul 440lbs of hazardous materials without a placard. Continue Reading:

Basic Styles and Construction

We will now look at some basic truck construction and configuration. The conventional style construction is the trucks that have the engine in front of the passenger compartment and are longer. The engine compartment is either hinged down the center or may pull towards the front. These cabs are usually made of a combination of steel, aluminum and fiberglass. The other style of truck is the cab over with the engine being located under the midline of the driver and passenger compartment. These units tilt forward to access the engine.

These are also constructed of a combination of steel, aluminum, and fiberglass. Many tractor trailers have sleepers. These allow for the drivers to stop and sleep or a pair of drivers to rotate off driving so they do not exceed their federal driving limit. Sleepers are an extension of the cab and not a separate unit. There is access through the cab and usually through a side door. Rescuers should always consider there may be a driver trapped or pinned in the sleeper compartment when assessing the wreck scene.

Doors on tractor trailers are usually heavy and have one of two types of hinges. They will either have a conventional style hinge like that found on a standard automobile or a piano style hinge. Both are heavy and well attached. The door latches are found at the lower rear corner of the door due to their height above the ground. They usually have a single latch with a two step locking mechanism.

The windshield and rear window are the standard laminated safety glass as found in automobiles. However, the glass will be set in a rubber gasket that will make it easier to remove and normally it will not need to be cut out. The side windows are tempered safety glass that is heavier than those in autos.

The roofs are made of steel ribs that usually run from front to back and are covered with either aluminum or fiberglass. Some trucks have a fiberglass wind faring or deflector on the roof as well. Behind this you may also find the air conditioner unit or air horns. Most trucks have multiple batteries that are wired in series.

Most large trucks utilize diesel fuel to reduce the possibility of a flashover. The fuel tanks are usually saddle tanks that are attached to one or both sides of the truck. The size of the tanks can vary from fifty gallons to three hundred gallons. If the truck has duel tanks, most are interconnected by a fuel line that equalizes both tanks. There is a cut off at one or both ends of this tube, so fuel can be shutoff should a leak occur.

Most large trucks are equipped with air braking systems. In 1995 NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) made it mandatory that anti-lock brakes be on all heavy and medium duty trucks. In 1997 they required that all new tractors manufactured have anti-lock brakes and in 1998 all trailers, single unit trucks, and buses were required to have them as well.

Some slightly smaller trucks may have hydraulic brakes or a combination of hydraulic and air. With air brakes the system uses compressed air to apply the brakes under normal operations. The air tanks for this system can be located at different locations around the truck depending on the manufacturer. If there is a problem with the air system that engages the brakes and air pressure is lost, heavy springs will activate the braking system. The trailers being pulled also have an air brake system that connects into the tractors air system and work in conjunction with the tractor.

Continue Reading:

These airlines run behind the cab and connect into the front of the trailer. These lines are equipped with a breakaway valve or a glad-hand connector. These airlines are colored coded for easy recognition. The blue line is for normal operations. The red line is the emergency airline that serves to lock the brakes on the trailer, should an emergency arise.

Should the air to the trailer be interrupted, there are air chambers located under each axle that will activate a large spring that is used to mechanically apply the brakes. These are sometimes called piggyback chambers. Most large trucks also have air ride suspension. These are large air bellows that are fixed under each axle. These can hold up to 120psi of air and should this pressure be suddenly lost, the truck could settle several inches or more.

Mounted on the back of the tractors is a flat piece of steel called the fifth wheel. This plate has a wedge shaped slot cut into it that allows for the “king pin” on the trailer to slide into it. This pin is locked into place by two spring loaded jaws. These locks can be released by using the pull handles located on the drivers side. This system allows for the trailer to rotate up to 90 degrees.

By understanding some of the trailers being pulled, a rescuer may have a better idea of what they may be up against. This could range from a tanker full of fuel to a livestock trailer full of angry and confused cattle.* Trailers that are pulled behind tractors come in a variety of sizes and shapes. These are as unique as the cargo they carry.

Trailers are freestanding units with wheels in the front and back. Semi-trailers have only wheels in the rear and are supported in the front by the tractor. Several of the more common types of trailers you might see are; flatbeds for hauling supplies and equipment, tankers for hauling grain, fuel, chemicals and other liquid and gaseous substances, box trailers for hauling a wide assortment of materials and cargo, and livestock trailers for moving animals. When semi-trailers are not attached to the tractors, they are supported in the front by a set of landing gear.

This device has a handle for lowering and raising the front of the trailer. The rear of the trailers will have a bumper for collision control. The older trailers had bumpers that offered little protection on rear end collisions. In 1998 all trailers had to be equipped with a much stronger bumper that would help prevent vehicles from running under the trailer and resulting in serious injury or death.

In this first article we have looked at some real basic large truck construction and design. We have given you a basic knowledge of truck construction that will aid you in deciding how you should approach, stabilize and extricate your victim. In our next article, we will look at scene assessment and approach, as well as vehicle stabilization. Until next time, stay safe, train to your best, and remember that to have not achieved, is to not have tried.

Continue Reading:

Sometimes I wonder if rescuers realize just how many trucks are actually on our highways traveling each and everyday. My wife and I took a trip out west last Spring to see the Grand Canyon. I decided to drive in order to stop and see other things we might be interested in seeing along the way. Driving from North Carolina to Arizona is quite a trip. I noticed one thing was certain, there a lot of big trucks on our highways. As I got further out west, there were times when the trucks out numbered the cars by three to one. Almost weekly, if not daily, we see truck crashes on the news and some of these wrecks are quite devastating.

In the first article, we took a look at the general construction of big trucks and the types of trailers they may be pulling. Having this understanding, will help the rescuer determine their approach, assessment, stabilization and extrication techniques needed to perform a successful rescue. As with any discipline of rescue we undertake, a good background of what we are dealing with is essential.

Big truck crashes most often occur on the interstates and main highways. This is where they travel most and their speeds are much higher, especially with the bigger engines and more advanced technology. With this usually accompanies a major traffic nightmare. In May of 2004 there was a tractor trailer tanker hauling glue on I-95 just out of Smithfield, NC. The driver struck a passenger van that was pulled off the side of the road. No one in the van was killed, but the truck driver suffered fatal injuries.

Traffic was backed up for miles and was later routed through the town of Smithfield. Since hazmat crews were called in, it was quite some time before the interstate was cleared. During that time another fatal crash occurred in Smithfield because of the routed traffic through town. As you can see, crashes involving large trucks can become much more involved.

Approach

We will first take a look at approaching the scene where a big truck or trucks are involved. First, you want to ascertain as much information from the 911 dispatcher as possible. Besides the location and number of vehicles involved, what the truck may be carrying or what type of truck it may be. (Tanker, cargo trailer, livestock, etc.) Knowing the different types of trailers that are on the road, we can start to assess our situation before we arrive, if that information is available.

As with any rescue call, you probably have already started running scenarios through your head as to how you want to handle things once you arrive. By knowing what type of truck is involved, this may also dictate how you approach and where you approach from. Some years ago, we had a fully loaded fuel tanker turn over and rupture a valve, where fuel was leaking across a four lane intersection, a small store parking lot, and then into a drainage ditch.

The fire department parked their first in engine about 20 feet from the tanker. I was riding EMS that day, and parked our unit about 200 feet from the crash. The fire chief was befuddled as to why we parked so far away. We advised him that if the truck exploded, we would just catch the firefighters as it blew them to us. They now use that call as a training example of what not to do.

As you know, tankers can be hauling most anything, so always look for the placard. It may not be clearly visible from your initial approach, so you may have to move around to better see it. A good pair of binoculars on your rescue vehicle is well worth the purchase. If you see a placard indicating some type of hazardous materials, or there is some type of product on the ground, you might have to wait until a hazmat team arrives if you and your personnel are not trained or equipped to that level to begin any type of rescue. Keep in mind that cargo trailers can also be hauling hazardous materials as well. Your job is to scan and look for these hazards before approaching the scene.

Live stock trailers can pose an entirely different challenge and will not be covered in this article. Trucks pulling flatbed trailers with construction materials also pose a problem, especially if the load has come loose and may be on the highway or other vehicles. The load may still be secured, but shifted in a way that the straps may be overloaded and could be compromised. A closed box trailer could also have had the entire load shifted and be extremely unstable. Remember, trucks can weigh from 20,000 pounds to over 140,000 pounds.

As with any motor vehicle crash, you must also assess the basic hazards as well. Look for power lines, fuel spilled, traffic conditions, bystanders, etc. Also, from our earlier article, trucks use air pressure for their suspension and braking systems. Damaged lines will usually cause a mechanical spring system to lock the brakes in place. You should not attempt to release the piggyback canister as the spring inside, if released, could cause serious injury. This system will at least prevent the truck from moving further during extrication. Remember to use your hot, warm and cold zones when assessing for hazards at a big truck accident.

Stabilization

Our next step is going to be stabilizing all the vehicles involved to prepare for our extrication. We all carry cribbing on our rescue trucks, but do we carry enough to stabilize a large truck crash involving multiple vehicles or even several big trucks? Potentially, we could need a big truck load of cribbing or a lumber yard near by. Most of us carry enough cribbing for a standard motor vehicle crash, but we “get by” when it comes to large trucks.

There are several types of cribbing “systems” on the market. When handling large truck rescues, you may want to consider a jack type system, as it will greatly reduce the cribbing needed to be carried on your rescue truck. These systems work quite well and set up relatively quickly with training.

You will probably have to stabilize not only the tractor, but the trailer as well, especially if the two are still attached to each other. In stabilizing, we shoot for a minimum of three points but four would be better. This means that if you have to stabilize both the tractor and trailer, six to eight points need to be set. As with any vehicle stabilization, you have to look at how the truck is resting.

If the truck is on its side, then it may be relatively stable and only need to be kept from sliding. Another big help when it comes to stabilizing and extrication is the use of your local towing and recovery service. These services are a little different than your standard wrecker service, as they have much larger wreckers that are capable of towing tractor trailers.

You should contact your nearest towing and recovery service and set up training with your department. This will allow your folks to see just what they can do with these large wreckers and what their capabilities may be. It will also build a good relationship with the service so when the need arises, both your department and the wrecker service can work together to get the job done.

We train once a year with or local towing and recovery service and I teach heavy truck extrication classes where we bring in the local large wrecker service to train together. Some of these services have large air bags capable of up righting a full size tractor and trailer. These may work quite well if you have a vehicle under the truck and it has to be lifted.

The most important thing to remember is that when stabilizing large trucks, you are working with substantially more weight and size. This in itself creates a hazard for the rescuers. Caution should be used when approaching an accident involving large trucks, and putting that stabilization in place. During your assessment, decide how you want to stabilize the vehicles and put that plan in action. Always have your Safety Officer watching closely as you work toward making the vehicles safe for extrication. As with any motor vehicle crash, a charged line should be in place and manned at all times.

As you can see, working with large trucks, pose a slightly different type of problem. They are much heavier and larger than your standard vehicles. They may require much more equipment and outside resources to safely conduct a successful extrication. Since these are not your everyday vehicle extrications, your department should train and practice the stabilizing of tractor trailers. Contact your near by large wrecker service, and they may even have some trucks you can train and practice your skills. Good stabilization is critical in all vehicle extrications and should be emphasized and practiced.

Until next time, stay safe, train to your best, remember that knowledge can be a wonderful thing, and to not have tried is to have not achieved. “It’s all about training.”

In the last two articles we have looked at how trucks are constructed, the types of trailers they may be pulling, the tremendous weights that may be involved, the hazards that come from dealing with large trucks, assessing and approaching these types of crashes, and how to look at some basic stabilization methods. Now we are going to look at some basic extrication techniques for large trucks. You will find that a lot of your basic vehicle extrication skills and knowledge will also apply to these types of accidents.

When preparing to start your extrication first shut off the engine and disconnect the battery system. Remove the negative cable first to prevent an accidental spark, and wrap the end with some tape to prevent any polarization. The first big challenge when extricating on large trucks is the fact that you may have to be working at elevations of up to 10 feet.

This is going to be different than what you may be used to doing on standard vehicles. There are several options for gaining the height you need. You can work straight off of ladders which we all carry on our rigs. Caution must be taken to make sure that you secure the ladders while standing on them to extricate. You may be working with heavy hydraulics or reciprocating saws that can recoil if they get caught up in some tough metal.

Another option is to build several block cribbing platforms and place a ladder between them. You can then place a backboard on the ladder and you have now essentially created a scaffold system. You may be able to work off of a rollback wrecker or flatbed, if you can get it close enough to the truck. No matter what you end up using, you will have to work from heights you may not be use to, and safety should be your prime concern.

If the cab of the truck is not crushed down, the windows will be your best choice of access. Of course, you should always try the doors first, as this may be all it takes to gain entry. The old cliché “try before you pry” still holds true. If the doors are not an option, then utilize the front widow. The windows are large and usually separated by a center post that can also be easily removed.

If the glass is gasket mounted, removing the front window will be fast an easy. If you cut the center post it will give you a large access for gaining entry and removing your victim. Anytime you can use the windows, this gives you an excellent opening that comes ready made.

Doors

The doors on a truck will either be your standard type hinge or a piano type hinge. Standard hinges can be dealt with in your typical door removal technique, while the piano hinge may be better removed by cutting it with a reciprocating saw. The latch can be removed using the same techniques as with standard vehicles. However, the handle and the latch may not always line up, so you may have to work your way down the door frame with your spreaders to reach the latch mechanism. Some of the truck cabs will have small or can have quite large sleeper compartments.

These have no outside doors for gaining entry, so cutting a “third door” may have to be done. Cutting at the top of the “B” post straight across toward the rear of the truck and then down will give you a good opening. This can be rolled down or you can continue your cut across the bottom back toward the front and completely remove the side section. This can be done using a reciprocating saw or an air chisel. Hydraulic cutters can be used, but they may take longer to perform the cuts than using the saw or the air chisel.

When cutting the sleeper compartment, keep in mind there are also plastics and insulation lining the inside of the walls.

Roof Removal

Removing the cab roof can be done by cutting the “A” post and putting the relief cuts toward the rear of the cab roof. Then crimp the roof using a pole and fold back as you would on a standard vehicle. You can cut all the post and do a complete roof removal and if the truck is on its side, you can flap the roof downward as well. Some trucks have the heating and air conditioning units mounted on the roof, or the unit may be mounted on the ceiling inside the cab.

Be careful not to cut the heater lines as they could release hot water on your patient or your rescuers. Always check before making any cuts into the vehicle.

Dash Push

You can push or lift the dash as needed utilizing your ram or spreaders. While placing your ram at the bottom of the “B” post and the moving end at the dash area of the “A” post you can effectively push the dash away from the driver’s compartment. You can also make a “V” cut into the base of the “B” post near the floorboard and place your hydraulic spreaders into the “V”.

This will push the dash up and away from the driver as well. The spokes of the steering ring can be cut if necessary, and some of your new cutters will even cut the steering column. (Check with the manufacturer before attempting this technique) Seats can be pushed with the ram or cut with a reciprocating saw or hydraulic cutters.

Lifting

As you can see, a lot of the techniques are the same as with standard vehicles. Our big problem is we can be working with tremendous loads and weights. Good stabilization is critical when working large truck extrications. You may also have situations where large trucks have come to rest on smaller vehicles.

These trucks will have to be lifted in order to extricate your victims from the smaller vehicle. Several types of air bags are available for this type of lifting. If using the high pressure pillow bags, it may require a lot of cribbing to get the height you need. If using the RT high pressure bags, they can be locked in place and stacked more than two high.

Low pressure bags may also be an option. Your large towing and recovery services also have the capability to lift with their boom wreckers and some also carry large lift bags. Do not hesitate to utilize these resources.

I think one of the most important things to remember is that you have to think outside the box. You are taught a wide variety of techniques for extrication and you must decide how they will best work for you in a given situation. I had the Apex Fire Chief tell me awhile back that they responded to a vehicle verses truck collision where the truck came to rest down an embankment on top of the smaller vehicle. When they attempted to lift the delivery truck, they realized the tow hooks were caught in the smaller vehicle.

They used a near by track backhoe with a set of heavy lift chains, lifted the truck and cut away the hooks with a reciprocating saw. The Chief complimented the driver of the track hoe on an excellent job. Most of these operators could take the hat off your head with their equipment and never leave a scratch. I commend the department for thinking outside the box and getting the job done.

Big truck extrications usually do not happen as often as our smaller vehicle crashes do. We also have better access to smaller vehicles for training, so our training on big trucks is most of the time less substantial than our regular vehicle training. If possible, get in a large truck extrication class or try to schedule one for your department. Contact your local towing and recovery service and get familiar with their capabilities.

There is no substitute for good training. Always apply good stabilization techniques, and be careful of shifting loads and possible hazards that accompany large trucks. Do not be afraid to think outside the box. “We are only as good as we let ourselves be.” Until next time, “stay safe, train to your best, and remember knowledge can be a wonderful thing.”

[Yorman J. Mari Peraza]

adjunto al manual de recomendaciones para realizar un rescate vehicular en un camion scania

[CREADOR DE LA RED]

Hola Yorman el manual es excelente y ya lo subo al grupo DESCARGAS. Yo tube la oportunidad de ver no de participar un curso de "Rescate Vehicular Pesado" en Valdivia, Chile. Sinceramente el tomar conocimiento en ese momento de que a lo largo de 14 años de servicio nunca habia visto ni escuchado hablar de este tipo de Rescate me rompio la cabeza. Mas durante el entrenamiento en el que tome conocimiento de la cantidad de dificultades y dimensiones que uno maneja en el rescate pesado.

Organizado por el Cuerpo de Bomberos de Valdivia vi como llevaron un camion andando en marcha cerca del mediodia y por la tarde era solo un monton de fierros y chapas cortadas. Ahi me di cuenta lo que significa "Invertir en Capacitacion con Entrenamiento".

Te recomiendo que te pongas en contacto con el creador del Grupo Juan Pizzolito quien en Bell Ville, Cordoba organiza un excelente curso de Rescate Vehicular que debe ser creo hoy el mejor de Argentina ...y me animaria a decirte que uno de los mejores de Latinoamerica. Donde dictaran Rescate Vehicular Pesado

[Yorman J. Mari Peraza]

gracias hermano

ya mismo trato de ponerme en contacto con el amigo Juan Pizzolito de Bell Ville, Cordoba,

para mi es una lastima el estar enterandome de esta informacion hoy dia lunes pues estoy llegando de una semana de trabajo prescisamente en cordoba capital lo cual es mucho mas cerca para ir a bell ville pero sera muy bueno poder entablar contacto y comenzar a intercambiar informacion y en mi proximo viaje a cordoba los visitare

 

atte

 

yorman