Hoffman Estates Fire Department - Half Back Extrication/Lift Harness PDF

HOFFMAN ESTATES FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES SOG Category & Identification Number: EFFECTIVE DATE: Equipment Guidelines – 012 January 1, 2022...

HOFFMAN ESTATES FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES SOG Category & Identification Number: EFFECTIVE DATE: Equipment Guidelines – 012 January 1, 2022 NIMS COMPLIANT SOG Title: Half Back Extrication/Lift Harness Revision: 4 APPROVED BY: NUMBER OF PAGES: Re-evaluation Date: Alan Wax January 1, 2026 Fire Chief 4 PURPOSE This guideline covers equipment to be carried on Tower 22 that is for use by the Specialized Rescue Team and all personnel assigned to Tower 22. The LSP Half Back is designed for immobilization of suspected cervical/spinal injuries during Confined Space incidents requiring patient extrication from the space. The LSP Half Back can be used as a safety harness for rescue personnel during Confined Space entries. The LSP Half Back can also be used to immobilize and remove a patient involved in a motor vehicle crash that has sustained head/neck or back injuries and requires extrication. POLICY Whenever the need to rescue an injured worker from a confined space who has sustained a possible head/neck or back injury, the patient shall be immobilized using the LSP Half Back. The LSP Half Back can be used to immobilize and remove a patient involved in a motor vehicle crash that has sustained head/neck or back injuries and requires extrication. The LSP Half Back can also be used as a safety harness for rescue personnel as well as a vertical lift harness for a victim when head/neck or back injuries are not suspected. PROCEDURE The following steps are to be followed to properly package and remove a patient using the LSP Half Back who has sustained head/neck or back injuries. A. Preparation of the victim prior to Half Back application 1. Apply a cervical collar 2. Administer ALS/BLS care as needed 1  3. Remove eyeglasses from victim 4. Remove any articles found in shirt pockets B. Preparing the Half Back for use 1. Open the Half Back vest. Be sure the back-stay is secured with the Velcro straps on the back of the Half Back. 2. Remove the Velcro attached head harness from the back-stay. Do not remove any straps from their pockets at this time. C. Positioning the Half Back on the victim 1. Gently place the Half Back behind the victim with the straps to the outside. 2. Position the sides under the victim’s arms. 3. Release the padded leg straps to expose the torso strap pockets on the victim’s right side. D. Connecting the shoulder and torso straps 1. Open the two torso strap pockets. 2. Connect each color-coded buckle to the matching snap on the opposite side of the victim’s chest, leaving the straps loose. 3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each shoulder strap. E. Adjusting the shoulder and torso straps 1. Adjust the shoulder straps to bring the sides of the vest up snugly against the victim’s underarms. 2. Adjust the torso straps so that the Half Back is snug against the victim’s torso. F. Connecting the leg straps 1. Remove a leg strap from the pocket on one leg and start the strap under the victim’s knee from the outside. 2. Work the strap back and forth up the underside of the leg to the groin area using the webbing only to work the strap into position. 3. Pull the foam-padded portion under the leg. 4. Connect the color-coded buckle to the snap on the same side under the victim’s arm, pulling the strap snugly. 5. Repeat steps 1 – 4 for the other leg strap. G. Immobilizing the victim’s head 1. Disconnect the chin and forehead Velcro straps on the head harness. 2. Place the victim’s head into the foam “V” of the back-stay. 3. Hold the head harness by the two thin flaps with the Velcro facing toward the victim. 4. Lay the center foam section of the head harness against the top of the victim’s head. 5. Bring the two outer sections down on each side of the head and connect the Velcro flaps to the rear of the back-stay so that the foam section is snug against the victim’s head. 6. Firmly adjust the forehead strap by using an arching motion over the victim’s eyebrows so that the head does not move. NOTE: Hold the victim’s head firmly in place to prevent movement when adjusting the forehead strap. 7. Adjust the chinstrap snugly, allowing the mouth to open, if necessary. 2  8. The victim is now packaged and ready for vertical lifting or extrication. H. Extrication of the victim with a Half Back 1. Extrication of the victim can be performed using the six strategically located handles at the hip, shoulder, or stomach. 2. Extrication of the victim can be performed using the Vertical Lift Strap assembly. 3. For a vertical lift connect the lift strap to the triangular links on each side of the vest. Only trained Specialized Rescue Technical Team Members can set up and operate a rigged system to raise/lower a victim from within a confined space. 4. When the victim is removed from the confined space or automobile, if mechanism of injury is present or spine trauma is suspected the patient will be fully immobilized. 5. The leg straps must be loosened to allow the victim’s legs to lie flat. The following steps are to be followed when using the LSP Half Back as a safety harness. A. Preparing the Half Back for use as a safety harness 1. Remove the aluminum back-stay by disconnecting the two Velcro straps. 2. Pull the back-stay out of its pocket on the back of the vest. 3. Open the vest and locate the two padded shoulder straps. B. Connecting the shoulder straps 1. Open the pockets on each shoulder strap. 2. Connect the color-coded buckle to the matching snap on the chest portion of the vest, leaving the straps loose. 3. Put the vest on with the straps to the outside. NOTE: Drop the leg straps prior to putting the vest on. 4. Adjust each shoulder strap to pull sides of the vest snugly under each arm. C. Connecting the leg straps 1. Open the pocket on one leg strap. 2. Insert the strap between the legs from behind. 3. Connect the color-coded buckle to the matching snap on the same side of the vest, leaving the straps loose. 4. If the snap is hard to reach, then remove the vest from the opposite shoulder. 5. Adjust each leg strap snugly but comfortably. While adjusting the Half Back safety harness, it should be easy to walk around. D. Connecting the torso straps 1. Open the two pockets on the right side of the vest. 2. Connect the color-coded buckles to the matching snaps on the opposite side of the chest, leaving the straps loose. 3. Snugly adjust each torso strap. E. Preparing Half Back for vertical lift 1. Adjust each shoulder strap to pull sides of vest up snugly under each arm. 2. Snugly adjust each torso strap. 3. Adjust each leg strap snugly but comfortably. 3  4. Attach the vertical lift strap to the triangular links on each side of the vest. 5. Only trained Specialized Rescue Technical Team Members can set up and operate a rigged system to raise/lower a victim from within a confined space. EXCEPTIONS REFERENCES DEFINITIONS BACK-STAY: Anodized aluminum insert used for anatomical alignment of the cervical portion of the spinal column. HEAD HARNESS: Removal Velcro attachment used to immobilize the head to the Back-stay with a forehead and chin strap. VERTICAL LIFT STRAP: 1 ¾” wide nylon strap (4700 lbs. Tensile strength) with “D” ring and buckles (2500 lbs.) that is attached to the LSP Half Back to complete a vertical lift from the Confine Space. End of Document 4