Safety: 2,000 persons involved in the Sarroch site evacuation drill

Three siren calls sound out over the Sarlux industrial site at Sarroch. Fire-fighting vehicles dash from their holding area inside the refinery. That’s how the simulated emergency begins, faithful in all details to one of the accident scenarios outlined in the “Plant Safety report”. These exercises are one of the many ways in which the Company fine tunes its safety measures for the well-being of the site workers. During the exercise held on 21 January, notified the previous day to control bodies, more than 2,000 direct and indirect staff took part, including contractor personnel who had already been informed of procedures and methods of action.

Here is the step-by-step development of the drill:

11.34 hrs – (Simulated) leak from a column: the alarm sounds

The drill begins with a simulated spillage at the desulphurisation plant Dea 2

A spillage of hydrogen sulphide is simulated from a column of the Dea2 desulphurisation unit. This is hypothesis 5, scenario 1, of the Safety report. The emergency siren sounds three times, signalling a general emergency: all personnel are required to remain at their work stations and await instructions. Using the intercom, the planning officer makes the following emergency announcement: “The area managers and foremen must direct the staff to the muster points”. In 30 seconds the fire-fighting vehicles set out to reach the area of the simulated incident, and immediately an injured person is recovered from an elevated position. This is an unannounced drill, so personnel reactions are absolutely realistic.

11.35 hrs – Personnel reach muster points

Start of the simulated evacuation: area managers check staff lists

The managers of the areas and sectors into which the refinery is divided ensure that all personnel have vacated the offices in an orderly manner and have reached the established assembly points. In the checklist prepared by the site’s Health & Safety Environment office – which is responsible for the simulation – there is a list of actions, manoeuvres, routes, types of conduct, receipt and confirmation of communications systems.

11.35 hrs – Coordination Centre of the (simulated) emergency

The team recovers the ‘injured person’ from the spillage area

In the meantime in the Major Emergency operations room of the fire-fighters station, the emergency coordination group has gathered, under the guidance of the industrial site manager, Sarlux CEO Vincenzo Greco. He requests a situation report and news on the health of the casualty (obviously, a dummy) as well as on wind direction. This is an important element for understanding where to direct personnel. At this point, area heads receive instructions on the exits to be used.

11.40 hrs – The evacuation exercise enters its crucial phase

The Coordination Centre hosts the emergency management control room, coordinated by Sarlux CEO, Vincenzo Greco

The site manager, Vincenzo Greco, orders evacuation. The communications officer contacts area managers in the field to ensure that each group reaches the most suitable exit.

11.50 hrs – Emergency concluded

The first aid team recovers the ‘injured person’

From the area of the simulated accident comes the communication that the danger is over: the (simulated) leak has been stopped and the injured person carried to safety. The site manager decides to complete evacuation, by that time almost complete, but first checks wind direction once again.

12.00 hrs – End of exercise

Procedure completed: the simulation was a success, personnel return to their workstations

One continuous siren call signals the end of the emergency. Staff return to their workplaces. Shortly after, inspectors and workers’ safety representatives begin to evaluate the success of the simulated evacuation.