Cribbing

Good morning, welcome to community emergency response refresher courses. Today, we are going to practice cribbing, but before we do any activity let’s talk safety.

Before considering any CERT response, three issues must be determined. Am I working in a buddy system, do I have the appropriate equipment, and have I conducted size-up?

No CERT response should occur, unless all responders have considered these issues. Safety is critical in every CERT response.

Never respond alone, always respond using a buddy system. Evaluate your equipment.

No CERT response should ever be attempted unless all responders are wearing safety equipment.

Good footwear, which have thick soles and if possible a protective toe cap. A safety vest, with highly visible reflective tape.

Protect your hands, no CERT respond should occur unless both pairs of gloves are being worn.

Surgical gloves, to protect the responder and heavy work gloves to protect the surgical gloves.

Wear a dust mask to prevent debris and body fluids from entering your body that may come from the victim.

A helmet, be sure to adjust this helmet so that it sets high on your head, so you may take the most advantage of the suspension system that the helmet offers.

Wear eyewear to prevent dust, debris, and body fluids that may come from the victim from then entering in your eyes.

A whistle, to signal to others that you are needing their attention.

Additional items to consider adding to your response kit, a secondary flashlight, a note pad and ink pin, duct tape and water proof marker, a crescent wrench for turning off the gas, and protective knee pads.

And finally, but most important do not forget to turn on your CERT brain.

As you learned in class, an end of every CERT responds, the conductor must conduct size up.

Size up includes asking, what is the situation? Have you identified all risks that may occur to the responder? Where could this situation go? Is the situation headed in a good or stable direction? Or is the situation headed in an unstable or unsafe direction? Next, what do I as a responder need to do to stop this situation and to return it to a more stable or safe environment? And finally, Can I and my buddy safely respond without adding to any of the problem?

Remember your primary objective, you as the responder wish to be a part of the solution not a part of the problem. This is your choice. Be safe.

During this training session we will watch proper cribbing and leveling methods are demonstrated. As in all CERT responses excellent communication is key in order for a safe response to occur. After our training session begins, you will notice our team leader is assigning responsibilities to each member. Someone will build a crib; someone will act as level man. Someone will play the supply person, that person will also play safety as well as monitoring the victim. Before any activity occurs proper size up is utilized. Each piece of the trailer is evaluated to ensure it is stable as we begin our process. Notice, the wheels are chalked in order to prevent the trailer from moving forward. This rescuer is evaluating all sides completely around this trailer in order to assure that there are no other items that could cause danger to the rescuers. Our cribbing builder has requested material. Notice all pieces of the material being used are of the same dimension. A brief review of the scenario and the team realizes that two cribs will be required in order to stabilize this trailer, one on each corner of the tongue. This is a unique situation.  Remember time is of the essence. Working efficiently is critical. Not the placement of the leveling bar at the leveling point that has been selected for the tongue of this trailer. Correct placement is being demonstrated. If the level bar was placed to far under the tongue efficiency of the level bar would not be appreciated. If the level bar was not placed far enough this would increase the hazard of the situation and could cause the end of the tongue to slip of the level bar. At no time should a rescuer place hands under an object that is not stable. Use piece of cribbing material in order to adjust pieces of the cribbing material. Before any movement of the trailer occurs a victim is evaluated. Note the proper technique of this rescuer, his back is straight and the level is out in front of him before he applies pressure at no time is he leaning over the cribbing bar. As we can see in this demonstration cribbing material is placed in a tic-tac toe or hash pattern, which maximize support each pieces of wood can provide. With the slightest pressure the heavy weight of the trailer is easily lifted off of the victim. At times a crib may require to be reconstructed and rebuilt in order to maximize its ability to perform work that we are asking it to do. A quick adjustment of the crib and your safely back at work again. With the addition of a few more pieces of cribbing material our trailer is now safely suspended above our victim. A click from a medical victim ensures that our victim is ready for extraction. Take a few moments to evaluate the best method in order to remove a victim. Remember the heavy object has been on them and they will have had injuries. Using natural lever points of the victim the victim is being extracted. Further head to toe assessment will be conducted on this victim. And then the victim will be taken to triage for further medical attention. At no time cribbing is utilized at a scene is an object left on cribbing material. Once the victim is extracted then the object should be placed in a stable manner as possible. Often this will result in removal of cribbing material used. At the end of a cribbing exercise all cribbing material should be removed from the scene to reduce the debris field. Notice the method for easily relaying cribbing material down a line. Minimal turning of the back is occurring here increasing the safety of the responders. Remember rescuer safety enhances victim safety.