03 - Hazard Control & Safety

Hazard Control and Safety is the third title in Action Training Systems' Vehicle Extrication series, and SkillsTrain, the authorised Action Training Systems (ATS) distributor in South Africa, supplies it locally. It follows Stabilization and deals with the secondary hazards that a wrecked vehicle presents to the rescue crew before any access work begins.

The title describes the glass types found in modern vehicles and the removal techniques that suit each, and it identifies where airbags are located and the hazard an undeployed airbag poses to a rescuer working close to it. It demonstrates how to shut down the vehicle's electrical system, the step that reduces the risk of fire and of an airbag firing unexpectedly, and it discusses restraint systems such as seatbelts and pretensioners. It also covers how to mitigate the particular hazards of hybrid vehicles, whose high voltage systems add a danger that older vehicles did not carry.

It uses the same teach, test and track model as the rest of the ATS range: a learner is assessed as they move through the title, and any section answered incorrectly is replayed before they are allowed to continue. The programme runs about 22 minutes and is supplied on USB or as a classroom streaming option, individually or as part of the complete ten-title series.

Within the ten-title Vehicle Extrication pathway, SkillsTrain supplies this title in sequence after Stabilization and before Initial Procedures and the door, roof, interior and advanced access titles that follow, so a crew can build hazard awareness before it starts hands-on cutting.

Who it is for: rescue technicians who need to recognise and control vehicle hazards, including hybrid and electric vehicle risks, before beginning an extrication.