Freight Week 2009

Emergency Response

for

Dangerous Goods

Presented by Chris Watt

BURNLEY TUNNEL – Melbourne 2007

Combined meeting with NBTA on a National Emergency Response concept

Feb 2009…

Transport Emergencies

Scope for NBTA to self-initiate Clean-Up resources by initiatives to pre-arrange contractors without legal onus.

National approach to transport of DG should include standard of recovery after accidents supported by nationally consistent training and resources.

Combined meeting with NBTA on a National Emergency Response concept

Emergency Plans are enforceable nationally by Competent Authorities / Worksafe BUT action is needed to ensure Emergency Plans are suitable and can be implemented.

ACTDG / ADG 6 & 7 emphasise provision of equipment and materials, capably trained personnel and maintenance of response equipment-: see s156 – Emergency Plans (DG Regulations Victoria 2008).

NBTA commitment & action as alternative to legislation ??????????????

Victorian Dangerous Goods (Transport by Road or Rail) Regulations 2008

PART 14 – EMERGENCIES

Division 2 – Emergencies involving placard loads

156 Emergency plans:

1. In this regulation – Emergency plan, for the transport of a placard load,

means a written plan, for dealing with any dangerous situation arising from the transport of the goods, that is prepared having regard to any guidelines approved by the Australian Transport Council.

Victorian Dangerous Goods (Transport by Road or Rail) Regulations 2008

157 & 158 Consignors & Prime Contractors – information and resources

This regulation applies if a vehicle transporting a placard load is involved in an incident resulting in a dangerous situation.

As soon as practicable after being asked by an inspector or an officer of an emergency service, the consignor of the goods must provide any information and resources that the inspector or officer requires about –;

Victorian Dangerous Goods (Transport by Road or Rail) Regulations 2008

Information:

The properties of the dangerous goods being transported; Safe methods of handlings the goods; and Safe methods of containing and controlling the goods in a

dangerous situation

Equipment and Resources:

To control the dangerous situation; and To contain, control, recover and dispose of dangerous

goods that have leaked, spilled or accidentally escaped.

Cataby truck crash and fire

Mixed DG load included paraquat

Remote area Small transport company No clean up contractor DEC called in by FESA,

arrived by chopper Ordered clean up Clean up crew arrived next

day, could not start work until contract signed

Contract not signed for two days

Major highway closed for four days

No storage for the waste/ship of shame carcass

The Problem

Hazmat incidents requiring specialist clean ups:

High level liability for Fire and Emergency Services Confusion/argument on responsible party Delays in finding clean up crews Delays in contracts being signed to clean up Lack of competencies in clean up crews Long clean up timeframes (roads closed, fire service doing

clean up, political pressure) Poor completion/remediation of property/road No temporary storage facilities for relocated products No ability to implement a DG emergency plan Political & Media scrutiny

Tanker Rollovers

Who Cleans up?

We have all been there, right?:

Hazmat incident

Stuck on the side of the road in no man’s land

No clean up crew

No one to hand over to

Crew shifts to sort out

Emergency response appliances tied up for days

Clean up crew look like Dodgey Brothers

Hazmat RTAs

HAZMAT Response Requirements

Need to have professional hazmat clean up crews on stand by for all hazmat transport, with pre-existing contracts

Quick response times / competent team

Temporary storage for recovered product

Disposal arrangements

Sustainable industry, and

Legislative penalties

The Solution – Transport Industry

A Transport Emergency Response Plan (TERP):

PPE … fit for purpose

Baseline medicals for response team

Chemist available

Equipment (earthmoving, containment, confinement, clean up, transport and storage)

One hour response time (plus travel time)

Insurance

Australasian Inter – Service Incident Management System - AIIMS

The Fire and Emergency Services Plan:

Incident Control: Management of all activities necessary for resolution of an incident…legal responsibility

Planning: Collection, analysis & dissemination of information and development of operational plans.

Operations: Tactical tasking & strategic application of resources according to the plan.

Logistics: Acquisition & provision of human & physical resources, facilities & services.

Questions