ASTM F2890-17(2024)

Standard Guide for Hazard Awareness for Search and Rescue Personnel

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This guide establishes the minimum level of training required to provide awareness-level knowledge for personnel operating in and around the areas and operations listed in 1.1.  
4.2 This guide may be used by individuals and AHJs that wish to identify the minimum training standards for land-based personnel operating in and around these areas and operations.  
4.3 A person trained to this guide is considered to be aware of the hazards and risks associated with these areas and operations.  
4.4 A person trained solely to this guide is not considered a “searcher,” “rescuer,” or both.  
4.5 This guide may be used to augment other training for a searcher and/or rescuer.  
4.6 This guide by itself is not a training document. It is only an outline of some of the topics required for training or evaluating a searcher and/or rescuer, although it can be used to develop a training document or program.  
4.7 It is the responsibility of the AHJ to determine the depth or detail of training needed to meet its training requirements.  
4.8 Nothing in this guide precludes an AHJ from adding additional requirements.  
4.9 This guide does not stand alone but must be used with the referenced documents to provide the specific minimum training needed by a ground searcher and/or rescuer operating in these areas.  
4.10 This guide can be used as a reference for training of searchers, rescuers, or both.  
4.11 The information presented in the following sections is not in any particular order and does not represent a training sequence.  
4.12 It is the responsibility of the AHJ to determine the evaluation process to assess a person’s knowledge. This may be by written exam, oral exam, demonstration, or some other means specified by the AHJ.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide is intended for training those who normally work in natural environments solely subject to terrain and weather-related risks who may be asked to respond to, or who may encounter, the operations defined in 1.2.  
1.2 This guide identifies and describes hazardous situations and environments, and the associated risks affecting search and rescue personnel who may be working on or around the following:  
1.2.1 Land search;  
1.2.2 Land rescue;  
1.2.3 Structural collapse;  
1.2.4 Rope rescues;  
1.2.5 Confined spaces;  
1.2.6 Water, both still and moving; and  
1.2.7 Trench or excavation collapse.  
1.3 The knowledge conveyed in this guide is intended to enable search and rescue (SAR) personnel to recognize situations that may require skills or capabilities they have not been trained to perform. This understanding will allow them to seek more knowledgeable personnel to mitigate the hazard and perform such rescues or other activities required to complete their mission.  
1.4 This guide is not intended to suggest that all search and rescue personnel must have the training identified within it. However, wherever the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) deems this training to be appropriate, this document can be used as a guide.  
1.5 The AHJ shall determine what level of training constitutes sufficient competence for search and rescue personnel to enter areas or carry out missions, which include the hazards described in this guide.  
1.6 This guide identifies some of the known disciplines of SAR and their associated hazards. It does not, however, attempt to list all hazards or risks of which a person must be aware to operate safely and effectively in and around any of the areas listed in 1.1.  
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on ...

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 31-Mar-2024
• ICS: 13.200 - Accident and disaster control
• Technical Committee: F32 - Search and Rescue
• Drafting Committee: F32.03 - Personnel, Training and Education

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM F2890-17 - Standard Guide for Hazard Awareness for Search and Rescue Personnel
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2024
• Referred By: ASTM F3175-16 - Standard Guide for Training and Equipping Search and Rescue Personnel Operating on Mountain Bikes (Mountain Bike SAR Endorsement)
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2024
• Referred By: ASTM F3024-13(2022) - Standard Guide for Training of a Land Search and Rescue (SAR) Strike Team/Task Force Leader
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2024
• Referred By: ASTM F3315-18 - Standard Guide for Training of Abandoned or Inactive Mine Search and Rescue Team Member
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2024
• Referred By: ASTM F3098-16 - Standard Guide for Training of Non-Wilderness Land Search Team Member
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2024
• Referred By: ASTM F2209-20 - Standard Guide for Training of Land Search Team Member
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2024
• Referred By: ASTM F2685-14(2022) - Standard Guide for Training of a Land Search Team Leader (STL)
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2024
• Referred By: ASTM F3194-16 - Standard Guide for Training for Personnel Operating Small Land Off Road Vehicles (ATV-ROHV Ops Endorsement)
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2024
• Referred By: ASTM F2751-16 - Standard Guide for Training of a Land Search and Rescue Team Member
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2024

Overview

ASTM F2890-17(2024), Standard Guide for Hazard Awareness for Search and Rescue Personnel, provides a foundational framework for awareness-level training targeted at individuals and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) involved in Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. Developed by ASTM International, this guide outlines the minimum training requirements needed to identify, assess, and communicate hazards encountered in a spectrum of SAR environments, including land search, rescue operations, structural collapse, rope rescue, confined spaces, water incidents, and trench or excavation collapse.

This guide is designed to enable SAR personnel to recognize hazardous situations and understand their limitations, allowing them to seek specialized skills and resources as necessary. Importantly, this document serves as a reference for developing or evaluating SAR training programs but is not a complete training manual itself.

Key Topics

Hazard Recognition:

• Identification of environmental and weather-related risks outside normal operational parameters
• Recognition of hazards such as high-angle terrains, moving water, natural phenomena, hazardous atmospheres, confined spaces, compromised infrastructure, and industrial accidents
• Awareness of the presence of hazardous materials, dangerous animals, and unsafe manmade structures

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

• Selection and use of PPE to reduce vulnerability to identified hazards
• Understanding appropriate PPE for eyes, face, head, extremities, and respiratory protection in various SAR scenarios

Communication and Reporting:

• Reporting hazards to search management or emergency command structures
• Understanding procedures for hazard reporting and escalation

Incident-Specific Hazards:

• Structural collapse: risk of secondary collapse, fire, explosion, asphyxiants, electrocution
• Rope rescue: fall hazards, falling objects, tripping hazards
• Confined spaces: asphyxiation, respiratory contaminants, temperature extremes
• Water incidents: drowning, hypothermia, currents, water contamination, unsafe shorelines
• Trench/excavation collapse: risk of collapse, electrocution, hazardous materials, unstable ground

Applications

Practical Use Cases:

• Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs): Can adopt this guide to set minimum SAR training standards, augment existing programs, and assess personnel readiness
• SAR Team Trainers: Utilize the guide's outline as a reference while developing comprehensive SAR training curricula or awareness courses
• SAR Personnel: Reference for self-assessment and identification of areas requiring advanced skills or external resources

Situational Relevance:

• Applies to land-based personnel who may encounter various field rescue scenarios, including disasters or incidents beyond their initial training
• Assists in recognition of hazards when operating in unfamiliar environments, ensuring personnel act within their certified capabilities and trigger additional resources as needed

Limitations:

• The guide is not a standalone training document but complements other standards and training resources
• AHJs are responsible for determining the necessary training depth and specific evaluation procedures to ensure competence

Related Standards

• ASTM F1773: Terminology Relating to Climbing, Mountaineering, Search and Rescue Equipment and Practices
• ASTM F2209: Guide for Training of Land Search Team Member

Additional references:

• Accessible through ASTM International's platform for standards on search and rescue, hazard awareness, and emergency response training

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Keywords: Search and rescue, SAR, hazard awareness, minimum SAR training, ASTM F2890, search and rescue personnel, hazard identification, hazard reporting, land search, rescue safety, emergency response, personal protective equipment, rope rescue, confined spaces, water rescue, trench collapse, structural collapse, training standards, AHJ.

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: F2890 − 17 (Reapproved 2024)
Standard Guide for
Hazard Awareness for Search and Rescue Personnel
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F2890; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
Recognition of hazards associated with search and rescue operations is critical to the decision-
making process as it relates to personal safety, the urgency of response, and resource requirements.
This guide is intended to ensure that emergency personnel responding to incidents outside their normal
operating area are aware of the hazards associated with response to unfamiliar environments.
1. Scope 1.5 The AHJ shall determine what level of training consti-
tutes sufficient competence for search and rescue personnel to
1.1 This guide is intended for training those who normally
enter areas or carry out missions, which include the hazards
work in natural environments solely subject to terrain and
described in this guide.
weather-related risks who may be asked to respond to, or who
may encounter, the operations defined in 1.2. 1.6 This guide identifies some of the known disciplines of
SAR and their associated hazards. It does not, however,
1.2 This guide identifies and describes hazardous situations
attempt to list all hazards or risks of which a person must be
and environments, and the associated risks affecting search and
aware to operate safely and effectively in and around any of the
rescue personnel who may be working on or around the
areas listed in 1.1.
following:
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the
1.2.1 Land search;
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
1.2.2 Land rescue;
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
1.2.3 Structural collapse;
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
1.2.4 Rope rescues;
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.2.5 Confined spaces;
1.8 This international standard was developed in accor-
1.2.6 Water, both still and moving; and
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
1.2.7 Trench or excavation collapse.
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
1.3 The knowledge conveyed in this guide is intended to Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
enable search and rescue (SAR) personnel to recognize situa-
tions that may require skills or capabilities they have not been Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
trained to perform. This understanding will allow them to seek
2. Referenced Documents
more knowledgeable personnel to mitigate the hazard and
2.1 ASTM Standards:
perform such rescues or other activities required to complete
F1773 Terminology Relating to Climbing, Mountaineering,
their mission.
Search and Rescue Equipment and Practices (Withdrawn
1.4 This guide is not intended to suggest that all search and 3
2024)
rescue personnel must have the training identified within it.
F2209 Guide for Training of Land Search Team Member
However, wherever the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ)
3. Terminology
deems this training to be appropriate, this document can be
used as a guide.
3.1 Acronyms:
3.1.1 AHJ—Authority Having Jurisdiction
1 2
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F32 on Search and For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Rescue and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F32.03 on Personnel, contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
Training and Education. Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
Current edition approved April 1, 2024. Published April 2024. Originally the ASTM website.
approved in 2012. Last previous edition approved in 2017 as F2890 – 17. DOI: The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on
10.1520/F2890-17R24. www.astm.org.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
F2890 − 17 (2024)
3.1.2 ASTM—American Society for Testing and Materials 5.1.1 Any environmental/weather conditions which fall out-
side the normal operating environment of the AHJ;
3.1.3 PPE—Personal Protective Equipment
5.1.2 Terrain considerations such as high angle or moving
3.1.4 SAR—Search and Rescue
water;
3.2 Definitions:
5.1.3 Natural phenomena;
3.2.1 authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), n—the
5.1.4 Atmospheres that are immediately deadly or hazard-
organization, office, or individual responsible for enforcing the
ous;
requirements of a code or standard, or approving equipment,
5.1.5 Spaces that require special equipment or skills such as
materials, an installation, or a procedure.
confined spaces, mines or tunnels, or trenches;
5.1.6 Lack or loss of infrastructure (that is, no power, water,
3.2.2 personal protective equipment (PPE), n—clothing and
and/or equipment);
apparatus that reduces or limits a person’s vulnerability to
5.1.7 Industrial accidents or conditions resulting in addi-
environmental hazards.
tional environmental hazards (that is, damaged containers,
marked or unmarked, that may contain materials hazardous to
4. Significance and Use
life);
4.1 This guide establishes the minimum level of training
5.1.8 Animals that may injure or harm;
required to provide awareness-level knowledge for personnel
5.1.9 Actions and effects of people (that is, devices that may
operating in and around the areas and operations listed in 1.1.
injure or kill SAR personnel);
4.2 This guide may be used by individuals and AHJs that
5.1.10 Illicitly discarded hazardous materials; and
wish to identify the minimum training standards for land-based
5.1.11 Collapsed or unstable manmade materials;
personnel operating in and around these areas and operations.
5.2 Personnel shall be trained to recognize the appropriate
4.3 A person trained to this guide is considered to be
...