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A. |
Organisation chart for Emergency Respondersand their command |
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An OSC should be appointed who is especially trained for maritime accident involving chemicals and dangerous gods. The OSC should supervise both own Emergency Responders and all supporting outside groups of Emergency Responders (cf. Figure a1 - 1). |
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Figure a1 - 1 |
B. |
Threatening picture |
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The actual risk environment is crucial when judging the necessary extent and safety of a Emergency Responder action. The risk level vary considerably depending on the target of operation and the type of work needed. Furthermore due consideration should be given to the character and scope of the emergency. For practical reasons the design of the responder action should be based on one of two levels of priority for the risk environment: High risk work area with any one of the following properties: |
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• Action site (e.g. on board a ship) with longer penetration than the length of a life line. |
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• Bad sight. |
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• Risk for closed lines of retreat for responders. |
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• Risk for special difficulties depending on the ship’s construction or the type of target. |
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Other risk areas
than a high risk environment is such an environment that could not be
clearly classified as a high risk environment. |
Actions on board ships involved in chemical accidentsshould always be carried out by Emergency Responders. |
C. |
Classifying the actual accident and evaluating the risksand resource needs for response |
Type of accident
Risk information
Resource needs (examples)
Figure a1 - 2
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D. |
Exclusion areas in major accidents |
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Figure a1 - 3 |
E. |
Order of priority for actions |
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1. |
Life saving: - Search for victims - Carriage of victims from the risk area - First aid - Decontamination of victims - Transportation of victims
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3. |
Stop, limit and combat discharges
(e.g. collect, neutralize,
Reduce damage (Fight fire, cool goods, move goods)
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E. |
Order of priority for actions |
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The decision on choice of personal protection equipment should be taken by the Responder OSC considering check lists and actual threatening picture (risk environment). The personal protection equipment could be e.g. a) fire protection suit with self-contained breathing apparatus, b) fire suit with a cover and breathing equipment, or c) chemical coverall with breathing equipment. |
F. |
To enter a ship involved in a chemical accident |
General tactics considering the wind direction
At a chemical accident on board a
ship a hazardous clouds (visible or invisible) may be generated and moved
by the wind. In such a case the ship should be moved so that the cloud
moves obliquely from the crew’s accommodations
Boarding and accident response should also be performed from the opposite side of the cloud. |
Figure a1 - 4 Boarding and accident response from the opposite side of the hazardous cloud. |
Safety precautionsEmergency Responders who board a ship in actions against accidents shall bring:
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Appropriate personal protection equipment |
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Appropriate monitoring devices |
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Appropriate safety equipment |
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Appropriate response equipment |
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Important
safety measures: |
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Safe return spaces with clean areas shall be prepared
on board |
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First response backup teams shall be readily available
and appropriately equipped |
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A safe number of extra air bottles shall be easily available close to the responders |
H. |
Alternative ways of transportto and from the disabled ship |
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Advantages |
Disadvantages |
By responsevessel |
Good work platform Contains work equipment Well-known working environment
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Slow Boarding is difficult Weather dependant |
By helicopter |
Rapid
Easy to deploy responders independent of weather
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Limited flight time Limited load capacity Special safety regulations (e.g. adverse weather)
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I. |
To board a disabled ship |
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The disabled ship’s type and construction determine the available practical alternatives for boarding (cf. Figure a1 - 5). |
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Figure a1 - 5 Examples of alternatives for boarding |
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Depending on the ship’s available crew and power supply at the moment of boarding the following three alternative situations appear. |
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1. |
The ship is manned and the power supply is intact |
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* Pilot ladder * Lifeboat ladder * Pilot ports * Pilot elevator |
* Bunker and food ports * Gangway * Derricks |
* Ramps * Helicopter * Direct boarding |
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2. |
The ship is manned but the power supply is out of order |
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* Pilot ladder * Lifeboat ladder * Pilot ports |
* Gangway * Bunker or food ports |
* Helicopter * Direct boarding |
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3. |
The ship is unmanned |
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* Direct boarding * Helicopter |
* Boarding vessel’s own derrick * Already lowered ladder |
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J. |
The site of accident on board a disabled ship |
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The hot zone on board must be restricted for access by Emergency Responders only. These responders must wear full protective suits.
The response action always starts from the limit of the hot zone where also a decontamination station is placed. In actions on board ships it is not always possible to follow these rules especially when the wind speed is not enough to safely blow away hazardous gases. |
Figure a1 - 6 The restricted hot zone on board a ship disabled by a chemical accident |
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The decontamination station may on such occasions be located on board a response vessel which then also is the base for response. Figure a1 - 6 shows an example of a cordoned off hot zone with a decontamination station. |
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In an operation at sea against a chemical accident it is valuable to follow a checklist where the steps could be ticked off, one by one, during the course of operation. The list below might earn as an example. It is established by the National Strike Force of the United States Coast Guard and is called Hazardous Chemical Emergency Response Checklist. |
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1. |
Risk assessment completed.................................................................. |
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2. |
PPE* selection completed..................................................................... |
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3. |
Emergency Response Procedures completed................................... |
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4. |
Work zones established........................................................................ |
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5. |
PPE* checks completed....................................................................... |
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6. |
Decontamination line assembly completed........................................ |
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7. |
Instruments calibrated........................................................................... |
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8. |
Communication plan completed............................................................ |
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9. |
Pre-entry medical monitoring completed............................................... |
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10. |
Initial entry objectives established......................................................... |
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11. |
Action levels established....................................................................... |
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12. |
Sampling plan completed...................................................................... |
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13. |
Pre-entry brief completed..................................................................... |
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14. |
Practice run through decontamination line.............................................. |
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15. |
Communications check......................................................................... |
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16. |
Authorization for entry.......................................................................... |
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17. |
Post-entry medical monitoring completed.............................................. |
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18. |
Entry team debrief completed............................................................... |
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19. |
Emergency Response and Site Safety Plan modifications............... |
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20. |
Equipment decontamination/inventory completed............................. |
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21. |
Contaminated materials disposed.......................................................... |
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22. |
Potential Exposure Record forms completed.................................... |
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23. |
Debrief conducted with OSC............................................................... |
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Figure a1 - 7 |
*PPE = Personal Protection Equipment |
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