A team from Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service was able to rehearse a building site rescue operation with the help of Morgan Sindall.

Fire-fighters from the Baldock and Letchworth Fire Station service, rope rescue teams from Watford, the Aerial Appliance from Stevenage and the Ambulance Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) acted out an emergency training scenario at the Altro Flooring factory in Letchworth with assistance from the Morgan Sindall team.

Morgan Sindall is currently rebuilding the factory on Works Road, and offered the use of its crane to the Fire & Rescue Service for a training exercise which is designed to help familiarise the emergency services personnel with a tower crane rescue situation.


The training scenario within the driver’s cab of the crane saw the crews performing a mock rescue on a dummy representing someone who had suffered a heart attack. After carrying out a risk assessment of the situation, fire and rescue crews climbed up to the crane’s operating platform and ran through the relevant safety procedures with the operator, before assessing the dummy’s state. They then performed a rescue by lowering it down to ground level with rope equipment.

Bob Grinstead, senior project manager at Morgan Sindall, said: "As a large construction and design company, we understand the need for excellent safety training and, of course, are only too happy to assist the Fire & Rescue Service whenever we can."

(CD)