How can rescuers ensure their own safety during vehicle extrication?

Wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is crucial for ensuring the safety of rescuers during vehicle extrication. PPE includes items like helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility vests, and specialized safety gear designed to protect against potential hazards encountered at a rescue scene. This equipment acts as a barrier between rescuers and dangers such as sharp metal, broken glass, and chemical exposure from leaking fluids.

While working quickly can be important in rescuing individuals, doing so without the proper safety measures can increase the risk of injury. Keeping onlookers at a distance is also important but does not directly protect the rescuers themselves. Calling for backup can be advantageous in many situations, but it is the use of PPE that provides immediate personal safety in the face of various potential hazards present during extrication operations. Thus, the emphasis on proper PPE as the primary means of ensuring safety is well-founded and critical in this context.