Deepwater Horizon Explosion and Fire

4 June 2010 by Jim Bennett

On April 20, 2010, a loss of well control occurred and resulted in an explosion and fire on the Transocean/BP Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) Deepwater Horizon.

 Eleven lives were lost in this incident and the MODU subsequently sank.

The well has not yet been secured, and the resulting release of oil has been declared a spill of US national significance with oil threatening sensitive coastlines and resources in the Gulf of Mexico. This  has having a Global Impact on offshore drilling well control.

Gulf of Mexico Emergency Response:

Please click here for current information…

Department of Interior Report - click here increased safety measures 27.10.10

What Went Wrong?:

At the time of the accident, the Deepwater Horizon was operating 52 miles from shore in 4,992 feet of water with a subsea Blow Out Prevention (BOP) stack. After the Deepwater Horizon sank, Remote Operating Vehicle’s confirmed that the riser was bent over and still attached to the BOP and that oil is flowing from leaks in the riser above the BOP. Numerous attempts to actuate the BOP have failed.

Corrective actions and Recommendations:

While the exact causes of this event are now under investigation, the tragic nature of this accident compels operators and drilling contractors to inspect their drilling equipment and review their procedures to ensure the safety of personnel and protection of the environment.

Within the Scottish Oil and Gas Sector the Health and Safety Executive Offshore Safety Division should be contaced for futher advice (click here for guidance overview)

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Operational Guidance Board

26 March 2010 by Jim Bennett

The Scottish Branch of the Institution are now consultative members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Operational Guidance Board – for Terms of Reference please click here.

Details of the meetings can be found on The SFRAU section of the Government website by clicking here.

It should be noted that we are also consultative members of the Chief Fire Officer’s Association, Scotland Practitioners’ Policy Forum.

Further details may be obtained by contacting the Branch Secretary.

Details of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Circulars/Dear Chief Officer’s Letters can be found by clicking here.

The Association of Brirish Insurers have issued a paper entitled “Tackling Fire: a call for Action” – for details of their proposals please click here.

Annual General Meeting 14th May 2010

23 March 2010 by Jim Bennett

Our Annual General Meeting will be follwed by an enabling discussion on:

 

Lessons Learned from the Scottish Fire Safety Legislation Implementation: next STEPS?

 

What has worked well?

What can we do better?

Next STEPS?

Brian Fraser, Head of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Advisory Unit (SFRAU), will introduce the topic.

Date: 14^th May 2010

Time: 1300hrs, buffet lunch at 1230hrs

Venue: Tayside Fire and Rescue Service Training and Development Centre, 401 High Street (Long Causeway), Perth, PH1 1PL, Tel – 01738 622226

Please advise secretary@ife-scotland.org.uk if you are attending. Visitors are also most welcome to the next STEPS discussion.

SIFE AGM MinutesRev1 – May 2010

Draft Fire Risk Assessment Document

Striking the balance between operational & Health and Safety duties in the Fire and Rescue Service

12 March 2010 by Jim Bennett

 

Geoffrey Podger and Judith Hackitt of the Health and Safety Executive have issued guidance to clarify how the Fire and Rescue Service should comply with the UK Health and Safety at Work duties within their operational work. Please click here for the full statement and guidance.

 

Summary

The guidance may be summarised as follows:

• The 8 Scottish Fire Authorities/Fire and Rescue Services have a ‘duty of care’ towards their firefighters whilst at work.
• Fire and Rescue Activites are fast moving, at times very hazardous and emotionally charged.
• A balance need to be managed between meeting statutory Health and Safety regulatory requirements whilst providing an effective emergency service to our communities.
• It’s effectively a test of  ’appropriateness’ - “doing the right thing at the right time”.
• The “quantum of risk” is subjective and ultimately will be defined by ‘case law’ – the test will include “Would another competent Fire Commander do the same thing given similar circumstances? The guidance details the principles to be considered.

The Scotland Together Report

4 November 2009 by Jim Bennett

A report commissioned by the Scottish Government reveals there were 131 accidental fire deaths in homes recorded in a survey between April 2005 and March 2008. Of these, 72% involved properties with no working smoke detectors.

The Scotland Together report is the result of research carried out by Government officials and fire service experts headed by Brian Sweeney, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue’s chief officer
The research – the most detailed ever undertaken – produced 37 recommendations including providing sprinkler systems to “at risk” households. Fire officers believe sprinklers would have prevented 80% of the deaths recorded in the survey.

Main Recommendations:

• A “root and branch” review of the Home Fire Safety Visit system including the introduction of points system to target those who are most at risk.
• Establish a multi-agency Safer Scotland Unit toco-ordinate community safety.
• Issue a “sprinkler challenge” to assess how Scotland can develop an affordable domestic sprinkler system.
• Support the extension of fire detection requirements in building standards
  Introduce “reduced ignition propensity cigarettes” – which are self-extinguishable and considered safer.
• Start multi-agency Fatal Fire Case Conferences to investigate blaze deaths.
• Work more closely with health agencies to establish an effective referral system to signpost those most at risk.
• Work with the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland to investigate an under-reporting of secondary fires

The report backs moves to extend the current requirements of smoke detection being fitted in newly built and converted homes by fitting additional smoke detection in principal habitable rooms, such as the living room and bedrooms.

It also recommends Scotland supports a European standard for “reduced ignition propensity cigarettes” – those that go out quickly if unattended and which are less likely to set fire to soft furnishings such as sofas and beds. The study estimates that up to 36 lives could have been saved had such cigarettes been mandatory in Scotland since 2005

The Eight Step Training Model: Improving Disaster Management Leadership

12 August 2009 by Jim Bennett

In the aftermath of public tragedies such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, intense scrutiny was placed upon the emergency management community throughout all levels of government.

Clearly, it is imperative that emergency managers understand the scope and scale of these events and subsequently the depth of planning required to execute coordinated preparedness, response and relief efforts. However, plans are merely a step in the overarching requirement of coordinating disaster response and delivering relief.

One method for emergency managers to achieve success may be through the implementation of a disciplined training methodology, developed in the United States Army, known as the “Eight Step Training Model.” For more info please click here

Health and Welfare Reports: emergency response

1 August 2009 by Jim Bennett

The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare issue reports - called KAMEDO reports which are very informative in lessons learned from emergency reponse scenarios and crisis preparation.

Information on the terror attacks in Madrid may be found by clicking here.

Other topics may also be found on their site by clicking here.

Understanding Crowd Behaviours

19 July 2009 by Jim Bennett

In 2008 the Civil Contingencies Secretariat commissioned Leeds University to produce a series of research reports collectively titled ‘Understanding Crowd Behaviour’. These reports are now being published as part of the body of UK Civil Protection Guidance.

While definitive, precise and infallible rules for event preparation and crowd management simply do not exist, these reports have distilled and interpreted what represents good practice and they will provide planners with clear direction, and supporting information, about the assumptions that can very reasonably be made about crowd behaviour.

Five reports comprise the guidance. Each is briefly summarised below, with links to each report.

    * Understanding Crowd Behaviours: A Guide for Readers [PDF 2.3MB] – This brief report summarises the substantive research reports and is the recommended starting point for readers.

    * Understanding Crowd Behaviours: Guidance and Lessons Identified [PDF 13.2MB] – This is a highly practical report, which provides a comprehensive set of good practice guidelines for crowd events and management, and for emergency situations and evacuations. It also provides a comprehensive set of good practice guidelines for simulating crowd behaviours. This report should be of interest to all those involved in the field of crowd events.

    * Understanding Crowd Behaviours: Supporting Evidence [PDF 6.2MB] – This report sets out the literature behind the good practice guidelines for crowd management, emergency situations and evacuations and crowd simulation techniques. It is expected that readers will want to explore this report as a supplement to “Understanding Crowd Behaviours: Guidance and Lessons Identified”, in order to better appreciate the derivation of the guidelines.

    * Understanding Crowd Behaviours: Simulation Tools [PDF 2.7MB] – This report contains a detailed review of three of the leading agent-based simulation tools currently available. It is particularly relevant to those already involved with simulating crowd behaviours, or those who are looking to use simulation tools to assist with event preparation.

    * Understanding Crowd Behaviours: Supporting Documentation [PDF 2.1MB] – This report sets out and references in detail the sources of the literature underpinning the guidance and lessons identified. As such it is a resource for readers wishing to further explore aspects of the literature in which they are most interested and researchers in the crowd behaviour field.

Stockline Explosion Report Issued

by Jim Bennett

Key Points:

• The inquiry found the plant’s underground liquid petroleum gas (LPG) pipe was viewed as “out of sight, out of mind” by the owner.
• Management at ICL “lacked knowledge and understanding” about LPG.
• There were deficiencies in the HSE’s oversight of ICL in failing to appreciate the significance of buried pipework.
• When the yard was raised in 1973 and the floor was laid over the open pit area, safety implications were overlooked.
• Laying a chequer plate floor over the open pit area in 1982 effectively put the pipe entry to the building out of sight.
• Weaknesses in the regulatory regimes existed in the 1980s and they failed to highlight the problems
  Lord Gill says sites with underground metallic pipes between LPG tanks and appliances should have the piping replaced with polyethylene.
• An early inspection should take place of all buildings with LPG supply

Details of the FULL report please click here.  (190 pages, summary – 5 pages)

HSE’s reponse to Lord Gill’s report – please click here.

2009 AGM, Conference and Exhibition

18 July 2009 by Jim Bennett

1-2nd July 2009  our annual AGM and confernce was held in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow.

Conference theme: Fire and Life Safety Engineering – The Impact on Global Communities. Our International president, Bill Stewart,  welcomed key thinkers from around the world to Glasgow and a dynamic event that included: Australian Wildland Fires, Human Fire Behaviour, Wind Driven Fires, Fire Problems in Europe, the 21st century Fire Safety Engineer, Community Fire Safety in Scotland, the Channel Tunnel Fire, Fire Engineering for Life Safety, Field Research for Cyclic Performance of Fire Resistant doorsets, NFPA Global Inpact on Fire Engineering.