The rescue plan comes before the entry
Emergency contacts, rescue plan, fire procedure, first aid, spill response and escalation for confined space sewer works in a city centre. The confined space rescue plan is the cornerstone: every entrant understands it before any entry is authorised, and the top-man never enters the chamber under any circumstances.
- Client
- Cambridge Sewerage
- Site
- Mill Road and Hooper Street · CB1 2AS
- Work type
- Confined space, sewer chamber entry
- Reference
- BAI-EMR-AWS-CSP-001
- Sector
- Utilities
- Status
- Drills booked
Illustrative example: fictional project and parties.
Nothing enters until the gates are set
The works are phased sewer-chamber entries, each cycle held to a maximum of thirty minutes, over an eight-week programme. Before any confined space entry is authorised, the site supervisor will not sign the permit unless six things are in place: a completed rescue drill with the water authority's rescue team, calibrated atmospheric monitoring, current tripod, winch and harness inspection, a proven communication test, a dedicated top-man stationed at the entry, and the specialist rescue teams pre-briefed for the shift.
The rescue plan is non-negotiable and briefed to every entrant. The full mock retrieval at the live entry point with the water authority's rescue team is booked for Monday 11 May, and no entry is authorised until it is complete and signed off.
Contacts and the retrieval sequence
Twelve contacts are held on the plan. The public emergency numbers below sit alongside named site roles and the pre-arranged specialist rescue team.
| Role or service | Availability |
|---|---|
| BuiltAI site supervisor and confined space top-man | On site and at entry |
| Water authority confined space rescue | On call, pre-arranged |
| Fire and Rescue hazardous area response, 999 or 112 | 24 hours |
| Nearest A and E, Addenbrooke's, 4.2 miles | 24 hours |
| Environment Agency pollution hotline, 0800 80 70 60 | 24 hours |
| NHS 111 and Police non-emergency 101 | 24 hours |
The retrieval sequence, drilled with the water authority rescue team and briefed to every entrant. No one enters the chamber to attempt a rescue.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 01 Top-man identifies and activates rescue | Distress, alarm or no response on comms. Radios the rescue team, sounds the siren, notifies the supervisor. Does not enter |
| 02 Controlled mechanical retrieval | Casualty on harness with tripod and winch attached. Top-man winches from outside; no one enters the chamber |
| 03 Supervisor takes incident command | Calls 999 or 112 for the hazardous area response team, notifies the water authority rescue, coordinates at the entry |
| 04 Casualty assessment and specialist handover | First aider assesses above ground; the pre-briefed rescue teams take over the worksite on arrival |
Scenarios and escalation
Five scenarios are covered: confined space rescue, fire, first aid, spill and pollution, and the communication and escalation protocol. Radio is the primary on-site channel with phone as back-up. The escalation matrix routes by severity: a life-threatening event goes to 999 plus the project manager, the water authority and a BuiltAI director within five minutes; a lost-time injury or major spill to the project manager and water authority within thirty minutes; a minor injury or near miss to the daily report within 24 hours.
The full rescue drill is Monday 11 May with the water authority rescue team, running an unconscious-casualty, atmospheric-alarm and communication-failure scenario. A fortnightly refresher follows, with a full physical drill repeated at week 5.
Assembly, roll call and after the incident
Once anyone is clear of the chamber, the response moves to accounting for people and handing the scene to the responders. Nobody re-enters until the cause is made safe and the supervisor gives the all-clear.
| Step | Arrangement |
|---|---|
| Muster point | Agreed point clear of the chambers, plant and the traffic route |
| Roll call | Supervisor counts every signed-in operative and visitor against the entry log |
| Person unaccounted | No one re-enters; the rescue team accounts for anyone missing |
| Access for responders | Gate and route kept clear, a marshal directs 999 vehicles to the entry |
| Casualty handover | Name, time and mechanism recorded and passed to the ambulance crew |
| Scene preserved | Area left undisturbed for investigation once casualties are safe |
| All-clear to return | Only the supervisor authorises return, after the cause is made safe |
A reportable event is notified under RIDDOR within the statutory window, and the escalation routes for a life-threatening event, a lost-time injury or a major spill run in parallel. Every incident and near miss is logged the same day and reviewed, and the arrangements are revised before entries resume if the review calls for it.