Fire and emergency management/Rescue victims of a building collapse/Ropes, tapes, knots and lashings/General information

Introduction
During a rescue operation, a variety of techniques involving ropes, tapes, knots and lashings may be required.

Identification
A system of marking each end of a rope for identification of length, and with a reference number to the rope history card, is recommended. Colour Coding can be used to quickly identify ropes, and should be located at each end of the rope. The suggested colour coding is:


 * GREEN—OK to use for all activities.
 * RED—not suitable for ‘life’ work.

Discard damaged rope immediately.

If faults are found during any rope inspection, immediate steps must be taken to rectify the problem(s) in accordance with Standard—AS4142.3 (or EN1891 or other local equivalent).

Record Systems
All ropes should be clearly and permanently identified and a record kept of individual items, their usage, inspection, and maintenance. Suggested headings for a record system are as follows:
 * Identity Number
 * Item Description
 * Purchase Date
 * Usage Dates
 * Description of Usage
 * Inspection Date
 * Inspected By: (name)
 * Maintenance Carried Out
 * Signature.

Rope
Rope is one of the most important tools of the rescue team. Rescuers will use a range of rope types for specific applications. All types have their advantages and disadvantages, but provided the rescuer has thorough knowledge of the characteristics and capabilities of each type, all will give valuable service provided they are appropriately cared for and maintained.

Whilst it is accepted that the Standard has not yet been adopted by all rescue services, it is strongly recommended that only synthetic fibre, Kernmantel, and static ropes which comply with AS4142.3, be used for life rescue purposes.

Types of Rope
The ropes in common use with rescue teams are:
 * Synthetic fibre rope
 * Climbing tape
 * Natural fibre rope
 * Flexible steel wire rope (SWR).

Terminology
For the purpose of this manual, the following terms are used in reference to open and rope management. Other terms may be used in specific organisations.