“Hello Down There!” - Bob Taylor, American Electric Power Company

Preview:

Citation preview

“Hello Down There!”

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 1

FIRE ESCAPE

A Safety Moment

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 2

Escape from Fire

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 3

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 4

NFPA Fire Journal

Fire Escape

Stairs / Fire Escapes

• Exposure to flames

• Mechanical integrity

• Inspect frequently

• Ventilation – escape from coal reclaim tunnel

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 5

Fire Escape

Control Rooms

• Fire rated enclosure

• May lack direct escape

• Breathable air supply

• Emergency responders know how to get them out

• Fire doors not identified nor maintained

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 6

Control Room

People do not know what they do not know!

• Where is an exit?

• What is on the other side?

• Is the emergency escape route out of a reclaim tunnel properly designed?

• Where fire doors are located?

• Inspect and maintain fire doors?

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 7

OSHA STAKEHOLDER MEETING Emergency Preparedness and Response

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 8

Do you know what you don’t know?

The “Public” The “Emergency Responders”

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 9

Do you known what you don’t know

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 10

CONFINED/ENCLOSED SPACES Teachable Moments

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 11

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 12

First Day - Evaluation Initially called for a Haz-Mat response.

Upgraded to a Technical Rescue over an hour later.

Assigned to the top of the tunnel for rescue.

Reports of radio traffic with trapped individuals shortly before arrival.

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 13

Round Trip Ticket Pre-Entry

• 1200 feet of hard-line air and communications.

• Backcountry team set up the rope system.

• Unable to use rebreathers (no thermal protection).

• SCBA’s lowered into the tunnel.

• Can’t use SCBA’s – 1 hour max.

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 14

Day Two – Recovery of Human Remains

• Response is now non-code.

• We are no longer in rescue mode – slow down.

• Characterization of the space.

• Full permit process completed.

– Lock-out tag-out

– MSDS

– Atmospheric monitoring

– Rescue crews staged at entry

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 15

Goal

• Safely recover the bodies from confined space.

• Nobody wanted responsibility.

• OSHA and US Chemical Safety Board on Scene.

• OSHA has regulatory authority.

• USCSB is non-regulatory – complete root cause analysis of chemical related incidents.

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 16

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 17

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 18

What We’ve Learned

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 19

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 20

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 21

What went Wrong?

• No Confined Space Permit.

• Flammable solvent used in the penstock.

• Multiple ignition sources.

• No contingency plan.

• Safety concerns continuously disregarded.

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 22

Findings • Lack of effective planning.

• Inadequate safety policies.

• Single point of egress a ‘major concern’ but not addressed.

• Lack of oversight.

• RPI & workers under-qualified with limited training.

• No rescue available.

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 23

Preparedness

• 911 is not adequate.

• Are your local responders equipped and trained for confined space rescue?

• West Metro was the closest team to Cabin Creek – a 1-hour and 15-minute response time.

• Adequate and effective resources must be on site.

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 24

UNDERGROUND Teachable Moments

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 25

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 26

What Went Wrong:

• A bulldozer operator

was pushing coal in

the stockpile when

the dozer fell into a

void (cavity) created

by a draw off feeder.

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 27

How this Situation could be prevented

The following list are good suggestions, but

site considerations may limit or negate their

effectiveness.

• Warning signs should be added near points of underground feeders.

• Additional lighting should be considered, with the caution that too many lights can, in certain weather conditions, make visibility worse.

• Consider emergency lighting sticks or battery powered emergency lighting inside the cabs. Either of these would require PM's to maintain their effectiveness.

• Consider the installation of GPS System

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 28

What’s Happening?

• Feeding material acts

like “quicksand”

• Edge of the drawhole

is unstable

• Poor visibility

– Unable to determine

location of feeder

– Lighting / Shadows

– Weather (fog, rain)

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 29

Coal Pile/Feeder Hazards

• Hidden cavity

created when coal

“bridged” over a

feeder

• Weight of equipment

contributes to

“bridge” collapse

and cave in

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 30

Cab Filled with Coal

• Coal has broken or pushed in the cab windows

• Coal engulfs the operator

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 31

Risk Reduction Methods…

• High strength windows

installed on equipment

that routinely operates

around coal feeders

– Conversion to a dozer -

cost of $13,000 USD

– This is high impact glass

rated at 40 psi

– All new purchases include

high impact glass

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 32

High Strength Glass

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 33

Risk Reduction Methods…

• Fixed radios for equipment that is reasonably expected to be operating near feeders (i.e. dozers, pans, etc.)

• Beacon lights should be added to let the operator know when a feeder is running – A sidebar to this is that these need to be maintained and on

some type of PM

– Add to “new safety design” standards

• Hazard Recognition & Awareness Training shall be reviewed with all coal handling employees – Site specific JHAs developed for all feeder locations

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 34

Risk Reduction Methods

• Emergency breathers

should be installed in

the cab of the

identified units

– A 2-Hour rated,

recirculating/rebreather

such as the Ocenco

EBA 6.5 considered

– Employees trained

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 35

Work Planning

Hazards Resources Abilities Availability Rescue

Plan

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 36

BOILER AND HIGH PLACES Teachable Moments

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 37

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 38

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 39

Removable Handrails - Label

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 40

Planning Falling Object Hazard Assessment and Resolution Tool

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 41

Floor and Wall Openings

Consider temporary removal of barriers or activities that create falling hazard

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 42

Help! I’ve Fallen and Can’t Get Up!

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 43

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 44

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 45

Do you know what you don’t know…before you get dumped on!

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 46

Bob Taylor 812-629-4421 rdtaylor8880@att.net

Recommended