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

“Hello Down There!”

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response

Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 1

FIRE ESCAPE

A Safety Moment


Escape from Fire



NFPA Fire Journal

Fire Escape

Stairs / Fire Escapes

• Exposure to flames

• Mechanical integrity

• Inspect frequently

• Ventilation – escape from coal reclaim tunnel


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


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?


OSHA STAKEHOLDER MEETING Emergency Preparedness and Response


Do you know what you don’t know?

The “Public” The “Emergency Responders”


Do you known what you don’t know


CONFINED/ENCLOSED SPACES Teachable Moments



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.


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.


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


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.




What We’ve Learned




What went Wrong?

• No Confined Space Permit.

• Flammable solvent used in the penstock.

• Multiple ignition sources.

• No contingency plan.

• Safety concerns continuously disregarded.


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.


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.


UNDERGROUND Teachable Moments



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.


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


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)


Coal Pile/Feeder Hazards

• Hidden cavity

created when coal

“bridged” over a

feeder

• Weight of equipment

contributes to

“bridge” collapse

and cave in


Cab Filled with Coal

• Coal has broken or pushed in the cab windows

• Coal engulfs the operator


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


High Strength Glass


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


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


Work Planning

Hazards Resources Abilities Availability Rescue

Plan


BOILER AND HIGH PLACES Teachable Moments




Removable Handrails - Label


Planning Falling Object Hazard Assessment and Resolution Tool


Floor and Wall Openings

Consider temporary removal of barriers or activities that create falling hazard


Help! I’ve Fallen and Can’t Get Up!




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


Bob Taylor 812-629-4421 [email protected]

Business

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