Date:06/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/01/06/stories/2006010618680400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Mock drill tests preparedness of HPCL staff

Staff Reporter

Industries handling inflammable material urged to hold safety training regularly

Bangalore: What happened at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) depot at Mahadevpura on the outskirts of the city on Thursday could have been a major disaster with several lives lost.

The mock fire drill that the staff of the petroleum depot went through was both to train new employees and test the preparedness of those trained, the plant managers said.

The situation that was staged was something that can happen any day. While the regular practice of draining water from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage tank was in progress, the drain valve got stuck and could not be closed.

This led to leak of LPG; the leaking liquid formed a vapour cloud. Static electricity resulted in a flash fire and the LPG operator had to sound the alarm system.

With all their training coming to their minds, on hearing the siren, all employees rushed to the emergency area in an orderly manner. The fire safety officer of the plant got the message, declared an emergency and had sprinklers activated; fire fighting and auxiliary teams swung into action. Teams wearing protective gear closed all the valves, cutting off the LPG supply.

The injured were removed and given first aid. After ensuring that there was no more potential hazards, the fire safety officer gave the "all clear" signal and life returned to normal.

Among those who witnessed the drill besides the HPCL officers were Bangalore Urban Deputy Commissioner M.A. Sadiq, and Director of Factories and Boilers K.G. Krishnappa.

They had one suggestion to make: all industries handling inflammable and hazardous material should go through such mock drills regularly to test their state of readiness if a major accident happened.