
Escape and Rescue Solutions
Ask an expertSafety first: staying prepared for every emergency
Critical situations can arise at any time – and that’s why it’s essential to be prepared for emergencies, with an effective escape or refuge plan in place. To enable rapid reaction and effective emergency response, workers should be trained for emergency situations and the right escape and rescue equipment should always be at hand. A prerequisite for this is structured safety and emergency management.
How rescuers become victims
In 2017, 166 people died while working in confined spaces, in the USA alone.1 This type of work is marked by narrow entryways, poor ventilation, low headroom and limited space for movement. If dangers are not recognised in time, the likelihood of accidents increases. When CSE (confined space entry) accidents happen, they often end up deadly due to toxic gas concentrations, lack of oxygen, explosions, movable parts, the collapse of a platform, a fall from a ladder or similar.
What’s more: very often, rescuers meet with hazardous risks themselves. Rescue missions can be thwarted due to adverse conditions – the same conditions that caused the original accident. Insufficient training of rescuers and untested rescue approaches can also lead to serious accidents. According to EHS Today, two thirds of victims who die in confined spaces are, in fact, rescuers.2
Recognising hazards, evaluating risks and planning rescue approaches
The importance of evaluating risks cannot be underestimated. Keeping an overview of incidents is fundamentally important to the effective execution of escape and rescue procedures and the timely response to emergency situations. You therefore need to prepare yourself to estimate the significance of occurring incidents with risk assessments on a regular basis – so that they are at hand when they are needed and you have a relevant overview of the threats.
Developing a specific rescue approach
The information that emerges from the risk assessment provides the basis for the overall evaluation of specific onsite working conditions. As a rule, when it comes to confined spaces, such an evaluation is carried out by a team of various experts that includes, among others: safety engineers, safety supervisors, gas analysts and occupational physicians. A rescue approach developed on this basis always considers the worst case scenario – so that all eventualities are considered, described, and handled appropriately. This includes:
- triggering a chain of rescue, internally (onsite fire department) and externally (official fire brigade)
- the provision of ready-for-use rescue equipment
- a pre-determined point for handover to the external rescue chain
For every individual workplace and for every area identified as a confined space, a corresponding and very specific rescue plan must be in place.

“A reliable safety management system needs a smart concept, the right equipment and regular training.”
Stefan Dräger, Executive Board Chairman
Solutions for escape and rescue concepts in the mining industry
Working in a mine presents many challenges and potential risks. Mining accidents can have disastrous consequences. In an emergency, it is essential to get people to safety as quickly as possible and to prevent larger damage to the mine. To ensure that you are prepared for such emergencies, Dräger offers comprehensive solutions for escape and rescue – adapted to your specific working environments, conditions and different rescue scenarios.

Confined Space Entry
Emergency situations are not the only time to stay attentive: daily working life in CSE workspaces needs full attention, even during normal conditions. Take a closer look at our CSE-related safety advice to minimise the risks.