Blue Grass plant medical staff collaborated with the Blue Grass Army Depot Fire Department in June for high-angle rescue training.

“We have several floors to our buildings and a lot of work going on at different elevations,” said Helen Allen, safety and health analyst, Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. “Workers wear safety harnesses, but if someone falls, they could be dangling from their harness. Our teams are trained so they will know exactly what to do if they ever encounter that situation.”

This scenario involved a fictional worker, portrayed by the project’s training mannequin, who slipped and fell while working in the Agent Neutralization Room and was suspended by his harness, Allen said.

“The depot’s fire department is responsible for rescue and extraction,” said Craig Tokowitz, assistant medical director, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass. “The plant’s medical facility team is responsible for providing medical care, which can range from basic first aid to advanced life support.”

Depot firefighters arrived with ropes and climbing gear and rappelled from the second floor to reach the mannequin, Tokowitz said. Each team member practiced hooking the mannequin to their gear, disconnecting him from his harness and lowering him safely to the ground floor, where plant medical staff took over and performed an evaluation.

Drills such as these are conducted around the Blue Grass plant site weekly, to keep emergency response top of mind and well-practiced, Allen said.