A workmate has gone down into a sewer manhole and collapsed at the bottom. They are not answering you.
What should you do?
Choose one answer.
AA. Hold your breath, climb down and bring them up
BB. Wait and see if they come round before doing anything
CC. Stay out, raise the alarm, follow the emergency plan
DD. Climb down straight away to pull them out
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: C
A. Wrong: Wrong. You can't hold your breath long enough to do a rescue, and some gases act very quickly.
B. Wrong: Wrong. Every second counts. Raise the alarm straight away so the trained rescue team can act.
C. Right: Right. Whatever made your workmate collapse, such as bad air or no oxygen, could overcome you too. People have died trying to rescue others from confined spaces.
D. Wrong: Wrong. Without the right equipment and training you are likely to be overcome as well, and then there are two people to rescue.
Explanation
Never go into a confined space to rescue someone unless you are trained and equipped to do so. Raise the alarm and follow the site's emergency arrangements.