Email Enquiry

Sasol Synfuels Works Emergency Procedures

Initial Email Enquiry –

Please can all operational JOIFF members assist the Sasol Sysnfuels Fire Chief by providing examples of your works emergency procedures. In the true spirit of 'shared learning' we ALL would benefit from looking and learning from each other in this area. Please 'reply to all' with your attached procedures - looking for a concerted effort from everyone. If you have not contributed personally in the past here is an ideal opportunity to do so...

We are in the process of revising our internal works instruction regarding Works Emergencies. The attachment is the current instruction in place that I would like to share with JOIFF members with the request that they in turn forward their own to me to allow me to learn from them.

Would you please be so kind as to distribute this to the JOIFF membership?

1st Response –

Please note here are some in our series which may prove of interest to the group.

View / download MP 1201 R1(PDF doc.)

View / download MP 1202 R1(PDF doc.)

View / download MP 1204 R2(PDF doc.)

View / download MP 1209 D(PDF doc.)

View / download MP 1203(PDF doc.)

View / download MP 1214 R1(PDF doc.)

2nd Response –

These Risk Control System documents form the overview of the Site Emergency Response.

Specific detailed procedures for the various roles & potential emergency events identified within our COMAH Safety Report are covered by Standard Working Practice (SWP) documents, and Emergency Pre Plans.

These are all 'Controlled' documents under our Management of Change Procedures.

Below are the Acordis UK, Grimsby Site, Emergency Procedures:

View / download On Site Emergency Procedures (Word doc)

View / download Off Site Emergency Procedures (Word doc)

3rd Response –

Thanks to the Sasol Sysnfuels Fire Chief for raising this issue, a great help to all of us.

Veiw / download Series 1 (PDF doc)

Veiw / download Series 2 (PDF doc)

Veiw / download Series 3 (PDF doc)

Veiw / download Series 4 (PDF doc)

Veiw / download Series 5 (PDF doc)

Veiw / download Series 6 (PDF doc)

Veiw / download Series 7 (PDF doc)

Veiw / download Series 8 (PDF doc)

Veiw / download Tabs (PDF doc)

4th Response –

In response to your request for information on how to improve your Emergency Response Plan. In the past 25 plus years I have had the opportunity to review hundreds of emergency plans for almost every type of facility. In doing these reviews there is some common issues that almost all plans have. But, the major issue that almost always is there is that we seldom have any major events and almost no one is prepared for the decision making that must be done during the emergency with little time and limited technical information. This is not to be critical of the plan, but the people who have to make decisions during emergencies are not always full time emergency people. They normally have other jobs and when the alarm rings, then they are forced to make these major decisions in many case with limited experience.

What our company came up with to address these issues is to find a way to review the plan and make sure that any changes to the plan are understood by everyone who has to make the critical decisions. What we came up with is a one to two day simulation/exercise program that simulates some type of emergency in the plant that is agreed upon by the major players. This exercise can involve as many players as the management wants. Normally the emergency response personnel, operational supervisors, and outside emergency response agencies are who we work with.

The way that this program is implemented is that our team of 2-3 people sit down with the plant emergency people, operations management, and plant management people. It is decided what incidents could happen in the plant. Then you pick 3-5 potential events to simulate. Normally you start with some simple event and work your way up to a major one that would involve almost everyone. Each time that the team goes through the training, they get better and by the end of the program they can make the critical decisions very well. They also realize what is needed to improve their plan and why.

The exercise effort is setup where actual photos of the plant are used. We have a method to add smoke, vapor releases, fires, and other actual things that would happen in a real event with a computer program that we developed. The players start in another room and arrive on the scene which is in a room with a projector and screen showing what is happening. The emergency incident commander then has to make his decisions just as he would in an actual event. He uses his radio and cell phone to inform other personnel what they need to do. We can change the event and make it harder or if the response people are doing the right things, then we can reduce the size of the fire or other emergency.

Other players that would be involved that would respond, but not be at the scene are isolated in a another room where they can not see the event. These players only can get information by radio or some other communications without going to the scene.

If the plant has a control center that would be activated during an actual emergency, we then activate that control center. The people that normally would respond to a room control room as that, then respond as so.

Operations personnel can be involved as they would in an actual emergency. They make their decisions as they would normally would during a real emergency. If the event would impact the local area, then outside agencies could be involved.

This training experience has been used numerous times and the results have been a facility with better trained people to make decisions. In all cases the plants emergency plan was revised after the exercises by the participants using what they learned in the process.

In most of the cases I could have made most of the same recommendations for improvements in the plan. But, by letting the plant personnel make the decisions, it is much easier to get everyone to buy into the changes and the total plan. It also will give the plant a better plan and the people who have to make these decisions are better prepared to do so.

This training concept came from our military. I was involved in looking for better ways to train emergency personnel years ago for the National Fire Academy and that is where I learned how to do this.

5th Response –

It is always a good idea to carry out this sort of exercise.

Actually this is the style and type of exercise that is done in the UK and Europe usually under a requirement of the Seveso Directive on a regular basis. We have recently been heavily involved in the planning and implementation of such an exercise for a BP in Egypt along with BP Regional Crisis Centre. One of the things we have found is the increasing need for exercising the media response issues and business continuity plans.

To the JOIFF Secretary,
I don't know if it is too late but it might be worthwhile asking the BP Regional Crisis Centre to give a presentation at the forthcoming conference on their facility and the exercises they get involved with - there again you have an excellent facility yourself at TES!


End of email correspondence on Topic to date.

Author’s identities are concealed for privacy and security reasons. Further information on the information contained in this topic can be directed to the JOIFF secretariaty.