Mock Incident Response drill conducted
Protea Chemicals Namibia and other key stakeholders including Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb conducted the first live Incident Response drill between Swakopmund and Walvisbay early this week. The drill is to ensure safe transportation of Sulphuric Acid produced by Dundee via road and rail to other mining operations.
“In order for Emergency Services to be well prepared, especially where sulphuric acid is involved, it is essential that all emergency services are equipped and trained to respond in the very unlikely event of an incident. In order to achieve this, incident response drills have to be conducted, hence the scheduling of the full scale ER drills,” said Michael Josten Business Development Manager at Protea Mining Chemicals.
He emphasized that the announcement of the location and dates of the scheduled drills is to inform the public that should they see activity and vehicles in the areas that this is simply a drill and test of our response and preparedness.
A Sulphuric Acid training campaign was hosted along the route and included the emergency services of Tsumeb, Otjiwarango, Kalkfeld, Omaruru, Karibib, Usakos, Arandis, Swakopmund and Walvisbay
In order to include all ER services along the route, two ER drills have been scheduled. The first drill was done this week Monday, half way between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay on route D1984 behind dune 7. The second drill is scheduled for this Friday 22 January closer to Tsumeb.
“The health and safety of our employees and local communities are paramount and enable us to be in business. Safety can never be compromised and therefore this incident drill is of much value and priority to us as a company,” said Acting General Manager, Thinus Loftie-Eaton.
Incident drill Coordinator at Protea Chemicals Namibia, Karika Laas said the objectives of the drill, is to test the effectiveness of the sulphuric acid response plan, to evaluate the preparedness for a sulphuric acid transport incident to identify opportunities for improvement in the current response plan.
