Plant and Blue Grass Army Depot participants responded to a mock hydrolysate spill in the Blue Grass Laboratory to practice hazardous-materials clean-up skills Jan. 31.
“The participants suited up, contained the scene, and cleaned up, bagged and properly tagged the spilled substance,” said Dorian Karas, emergency preparedness manager, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass. “The event was designed to be as realistic as possible, so they then practiced setting up a decontamination site outside in a tent structure.”
The depot fire department hazardous materials, or HAZMAT, team participated in the drill. Karas said the pilot plant is preparing a team that should be ready by year’s end. For this exercise, facility personnel conveyed specific information about the situation and the known hazards to the depot responders before their entry.
“As the primary emergency response team on the Blue Grass Army Depot, we are equipped to respond to all types of hazards,” said Sean Brewer, fire chief, Blue Grass Army Depot. “We worked hand in hand with Mr. Karas to ensure that this exercise was as realistic as possible. The simulated hydrolysate spill event took a lot of planning, discussion and a walk-through to ensure that all parties reacted accordingly to the exercise emergency.”
Other participants included plant Operations, Safety and Waste Management, as well as the depot health clinic.
