Ground Works
Lower-Basement Emergency Evacuation & Rescue During Lifting and Concreting
Emergency evacuation and rescue for congested internal lower-basement workfaces where heavy lifting, concrete pumping, formwork and reinforcement, dewatering and retained-excavation controls run at the same time — pre-start rescue release gate, SIMOPS emergency zoning, the all-stop sequence, controlled casualty transfer and the drill that proves it.
v2.1Updated 9 Aug 2026ADOSH-SF v4.1 (February 2026)Learning Objectives
- Apply the principle: stabilise the workface, protect rescuers, create a controlled casualty-transfer route, then evacuate.
- Close the pre-start emergency-release gate before simultaneous lifting and concreting is authorised.
- Mark and police the red, amber, blue, green and black SIMOPS emergency zones.
- Run the all stop → make safe → assess → activate sequence in the first five minutes.
- Transfer a casualty by the planned route only — never by crane hook, shoring, waling, formwork or rebar cage.
- Prove the arrangement with a workface route drill and revalidate after any material change.
Training Video
ProPreview
30-minute video
Unlock this training video
The first 3 modules are free. Upgrade to Pro to watch every module, save progress, and issue certificates.
Upgrade to ProModule Content
1. Purpose and Non-Negotiable Principle
This procedure applies where heavy lifting, concrete pumping and placing, formwork or reinforcement work, dewatering and retained-excavation controls operate at the same time in a congested lower-basement level. It must be incorporated into the project OSH plan, MSRA, lift plan, concrete-pour plan, excavation PTW and the daily SIMOPS coordination record. No planned rescue may depend on an improvised route, an unplanned use of a crane hook, or access over temporary shoring. ADOSH-SF CoP 29.0 Excavation Work (v4.1) requires planning for safe systems of work, emergency rescue and first-aid systems, prohibits using walings and struts as access or egress, and requires foreseeable emergencies to be identified with appropriate procedures developed. The emergency principle is: stabilise the workface, protect rescuers, create a controlled casualty-transfer route, and then evacuate. A rapid but uncontrolled rescue that places additional workers beneath a suspended load, in a potential collapse area, near a pressurised concrete line or inside a flooded basement is not acceptable.
2. Pre-Start Emergency-Release Conditions
The Principal Contractor must not authorise simultaneous heavy lifting and structural concreting in the lower basement until each item is checked on the actual workface. Workface emergency plan — a level-specific plan identifying crush/strike, fall, entrapment, suspended-load event, formwork distress, concrete-hose failure, pump fault, flood or water ingress, fire, electrical shock, smoke or ventilation failure and collapse concern; evidenced by the emergency plan drawing, MSRA and briefing record. Emergency command — a named Incident Controller, rescue lead, lifting supervisor, formwork supervisor, dewatering supervisor and communications lead on shift, with known deputies, recorded on the shift roster and SIMOPS board. Evacuation routes — two independently usable routes where reasonably practicable, leading to a safe upper-level assembly and ambulance-transfer point, outside crane lift and fall zones, pump lines, delivery routes and potential collapse influence areas; evidenced by a marked drawing, physical inspection and route-clear record. Safe access equipment — designed stairs, ramps, protected walkways or other approved access; walings, struts, formwork frames, rebar cages, crane hooks, lifting accessories and temporary scaffolding must never be an improvised casualty route. Casualty-transfer route — confirmed stretcher or carry route, turning points, level changes, doors and gates and the transfer point, assessed for the planned rescue stretcher and rescue team without entering the lift or fall zone, proven by a rescue-route walkdown and drill record. Lifting controls — lift corridor and drop or fall zone physically barricaded; the lift plan includes emergency stop and hold actions, crane operator communication, load-landing contingency and the prohibition on personnel below suspended loads, as CoP 34.0 requires lifting emergency plans for credible lifting emergencies. Concrete-pour controls — pump, hose, pipeline, placing boom and truck routes clear of evacuation routes, with an approved pump shutdown and isolation method, pressure-release method and hose-whip exclusion. Dewatering resilience — duty and standby pumps, alarms, electrical supply and manual response available; pump maintenance or LOTO must not remove the last effective pumping arrangement without an approved temporary alternative. Rescue resources — first aid, AED where the site risk assessment requires it, rescue stretcher or carry sheet, emergency lighting, communications, fire equipment and a casualty staging point on the level or at the immediate access point. External response interface — site emergency-control-room contact, gate and security access, precise basement level and location code, closest ambulance approach point and emergency-services contacts verified at the briefing; UAE numbers commonly used are 998 ambulance, 997 Civil Defence and 999 police, but verify the project's current local emergency contact sheet. Drill and competency — rescue team, first aiders, supervisors, pump operator and crane team have practised the relevant rescue route and know the stop-work actions.
3. SIMOPS Emergency Zoning
The active lower-basement level must be divided and marked before work begins; zones may move as the workface changes, but any change requires the daily SIMOPS plan to be revalidated. Red — crane lift and fall zone: load travel, landing and crane swing influence area; no formwork, rebar, concreting, rescue staging or evacuation route beneath an active suspended load, and personnel are cleared before a load enters. Amber — concrete placing and line zone: pump, boom, hose, line, pour crew and potential hose-whip or pressure-release area; keep the emergency route outside the hose and delivery path and stop pumping and control residual pressure before rescuers enter a line-failure area. Blue — protected evacuation route: stair, ramp or walkway from the lower basement to the transfer point; no storage, rebar bundles, hose, cable, pump line, temporary lighting cable, lifting gear or parked plant, with emergency lighting and physical marking maintained. Green — casualty staging and command point: a safe location outside active lift/fall and pump zones for initial transfer, command and first-aid handover, kept accessible to rescuers and the external response interface and never used for storage or breaks. Black — exclusion or unstable area: affected by collapse, wall or strut distress, water ingress, electrical fault, fire or smoke, or suspected atmosphere hazard; only authorised rescue specialists enter after the Incident Controller confirms the hazard is controlled and a rescue method is approved.
4. Immediate Action Sequence — Any Worker
1. Raise the alarm: give the site emergency call stating the basement level, grid or location, nature of incident, number of casualties and active hazards such as suspended load, concrete line, water, electricity or unstable support; do not rely on a mobile signal alone — use the tested radio or emergency channel. 2. Stop local exposure: warn nearby persons and do not enter the lift or fall zone, a collapse area, a pressurised hose area or a water or electrical hazard area to reach the casualty. 3. Notify supervision: alert the SIMOPS Coordinator, lifting supervisor, concrete supervisor and HSE or rescue lead immediately. 4. Preserve access: keep the protected evacuation route clear and direct responders to the casualty staging point. 5. Do not improvise a rescue: untrained persons must not use crane lifting gear, a concrete boom, formwork, scaffold, rebar, struts or walings to move a casualty.
5. Incident Controller — First Five Minutes
0–1 minute, ALL STOP: order 'Emergency — all stop', freeze lifts, crane travel, earthmoving, concrete pumping and concrete-truck movements, and stop access to the affected floor, supported by the SIMOPS Coordinator. 1–2 minutes, make safe: the lifting supervisor directs the crane operator to hold or place the load only in accordance with the approved emergency and lift plan and maintains the lift exclusion; the concrete supervisor stops pumping by the approved system and controls line pressure as the plan requires; the electrical AP isolates only if necessary and only after confirming dewatering resilience. 2–3 minutes, assess without adding victims: the rescue lead identifies active hazards, casualty location and number, route condition and any need for specialist rescue, and prohibits entry to any collapse, flooding, electrical, fire or smoke, or suspended-load zone until controlled. 3–5 minutes, activate response: call the project emergency control room and external emergency services as required, dispatch trained first-aiders and the rescue team by the protected route, and send a site guide to meet responders at the gate and lead them to the basement access point.
6. Controlled Casualty Evacuation Sequence
The sequence must be adapted to the casualty's condition by trained first-aiders and emergency responders; it does not replace clinical assessment or emergency-service direction. A. Confirm rescue entry is safe — the rescue lead confirms suspended loads are secured or clear, crane movement is stopped, concrete pressure hazard is controlled, local electrical and flooding hazards are isolated or excluded and structural stability is acceptable; no entry on the basis of 'it should be safe', only on positive confirmation from the relevant supervisor. B. Deliver first aid within competence while maintaining scene safety; do not move a casualty where movement may worsen injury unless immediate danger requires evacuation. C. Select an approved transfer method — use the preplanned stretcher or carry method and the protected route; if the casualty cannot be moved safely by the planned route, pause and request specialist rescue support. Cranes, lifting accessories, pump booms, rebar cages, formwork frames and shoring members are not rescue equipment unless a specifically engineered and authorised rescue plan exists. D. Clear and protect the route — a route marshal clears the blue route, holds plant and deliveries and maintains separation from lifting and concrete operations; the rescue party has priority and no work resumes until formal handback. E. Transfer at the green staging or ambulance point and give responders a concise handover: incident mechanism, time, known hazards, first aid provided and remaining site hazards, with security maintaining emergency-vehicle access. F. Preserve the scene — keep the affected workface controlled for investigation and technical assessment; do not restart work solely because the casualty has been removed.
7. Restart and Revalidation
Work restarts only on formal command. Before restart: the hazard that caused the event is controlled or eliminated; the excavation PTW, lift plan, concrete-pour plan and daily SIMOPS release are revalidated for the changed conditions; monitoring, groundwater and support status are reconfirmed; the emergency route, staging point and rescue resources are restored and re-inspected; the crews are re-briefed on the changes; and the Project Manager or authorised principal-contractor representative formally authorises restart with the above conditions recorded. A verbal 'carry on' is not a restart authority.
8. Drill Requirement and Verification Criteria
Before high-risk simultaneous lifting and concreting commence on a congested lower-basement level, carry out a practical drill that tests the actual route and workface — not a generic muster drill — and repeat it after any material change to basement access, formwork layout, crane position, pump line, dewatering arrangement or rescue route. Pass criteria: alarm and communication convey the incident location, crane status, pump status and rescue route accurately on the nominated channel; the all-stop response halts lifting, pumping, deliveries and conflicting work promptly with load/fall-zone and hose areas controlled; the stretcher route, stairs and ramps, doors and gates and transfer point are clear and usable without entering the lift or fall zone; the rescue team transfers a simulated casualty with designated equipment without improvisation or violating structural or lifting exclusions; security guides responders from the gate to the correct basement access point with emergency-vehicle access protected; and no work restarts without formal command, permit and SIMOPS revalidation and crew re-briefing.
9. Using the Editable SIMOPS Dashboard
The dashboard ships in PENDING template status by design. Enter actual shift evidence in the risk, permit-interface and emergency-readiness sheets before treating any control as accepted. A RED, HOLD or EXPIRED interface blocks the associated work. Nothing in the template is a substitute for the workface check: the status shown is only as good as the evidence entered against it, and the reviewer named against each line owns that entry.
Knowledge Assessment
1. The governing emergency principle for a congested lower basement is:
2. Which of these may be used as a casualty egress route?
3. How many evacuation routes should be provided from the active level?
4. The red zone is:
5. The blue zone must be kept clear of:
6. In the first minute of an incident, the Incident Controller must:
7. Electrical isolation during an emergency should be done:
8. Before rescuers enter, entry is authorised on the basis of:
9. Work may restart after an incident when:
10. The editable SIMOPS dashboard ships in which status, and what does a RED or HOLD interface mean?
Certificate
Pass the quiz (8 / 10) to unlock your certificate.
Acknowledgement
By signing below, you confirm you have watched the training video, understood the material, and will apply these controls on site.