SOHAR has recently simulated lifelike emergency scenarios in the port in a multidisciplinary tier 2 field exercise in coordination with Safety Region Rotterdam, SOHAR port’s strategic partner for safety management
The aim was to encourage professionals to observe and take note on their clipboards, instead of panicking during an emergency.
The incident was a lifelike simulation of a complex situation that included a truck on fire loaded with chemicals, multiple injuries and civilians trapped on the roof of a burning building.
The first responders included teams from the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA), Royal Oman Police, Orpic, Vale Oman, SIUCI, OMC, Jindal Shadeed, Larsen & Toubro, Oman PESCo, as well as local volunteer diving teams.
Organised regularly by the Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) team at SOHAR Port and Freezone, crisis management exercises aim to build closer cooperation in the field between Oman government resources and various local private companies.
Many of the tenant companies in the port support their own emergency response fire and ambulance teams. The objective of these training is to ensure a smooth response if a genuine emergency ever arise at SOHAR, posing lives are at stake.
After a professional post-event debriefing session, Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO of SOHAR, commented, “Modern fires tend to burn hotter and faster and our response crews need to not only understand a great deal of science, but must also work together closely in order to fight them correctly.”
Field training simulations focus on protecting thousands of people working directly in the port and living in the surrounding communities, he added.
