“Hello Down There!” - Bob Taylor, American Electric Power Company

“Hello Down There!”
Teachable Moments on Emergency
Preparedness and Response
Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response 1

FIRE ESCAPE
A Safety Moment

Escape from Fire

NFPA Fire Journal

Fire Escape
Stairs / Fire Escapes
• Exposure to flames
• Mechanical integrity
• Inspect frequently
• Ventilation – escape
from coal reclaim
tunnel

Fire Escape
Control Rooms
• Fire rated enclosure
• May lack direct escape
• Breathable air supply
• Emergency responders
know how to get them
out
• Fire doors not identified
nor maintained
Control Room

People do not know what they do not know!
• Where is an exit?
• What is on the other side?
• Is the emergency escape route out of a
reclaim tunnel properly designed?
• Where fire doors are located?
• Inspect and maintain fire doors?

OSHA STAKEHOLDER MEETING
Emergency Preparedness and Response

Do you know what you don’t know?
The “Public” The “Emergency Responders”

Do you known what you don’t know

CONFINED/ENCLOSED SPACES
Teachable Moments

First Day - Evaluation
Initially called for a Haz-Mat response.
Upgraded to a Technical Rescue over an hour
later.
Assigned to the top of the tunnel for rescue.
Reports of radio traffic with trapped
individuals shortly before arrival.

Round Trip Ticket
Pre-Entry
• 1200 feet of hard-line air and
communications.
• Backcountry team set up the rope system.
• Unable to use rebreathers (no thermal
protection).
• SCBA’s lowered into the tunnel.
• Can’t use SCBA’s – 1 hour max.

Day Two – Recovery of Human Remains
• Response is now non-code.
• We are no longer in rescue mode – slow down.
• Characterization of the space.
• Full permit process completed.
– Lock-out tag-out
– MSDS
– Atmospheric monitoring
– Rescue crews staged at entry

Goal
• Safely recover the bodies from confined space.
• Nobody wanted responsibility.
• OSHA and US Chemical Safety Board on Scene.
• OSHA has regulatory authority.
• USCSB is non-regulatory – complete root
cause analysis of chemical related incidents.

What We’ve Learned

What went Wrong?
• No Confined Space Permit.
• Flammable solvent used in the penstock.
• Multiple ignition sources.
• No contingency plan.
• Safety concerns continuously disregarded.

Findings
• Lack of effective planning.
• Inadequate safety policies.
• Single point of egress a ‘major concern’ but
not addressed.
• Lack of oversight.
• RPI & workers under-qualified with limited
training.
• No rescue available.

Preparedness
• 911 is not adequate.
• Are your local responders equipped and
trained for confined space rescue?
• West Metro was the closest team to Cabin
Creek – a 1-hour and 15-minute response
time.
• Adequate and effective resources must be on
site.

UNDERGROUND
Teachable Moments

What Went Wrong:
• A bulldozer operator
was pushing coal in
the stockpile when
the dozer fell into a
void (cavity) created
by a draw off feeder.

How this Situation could be prevented
The following list are good suggestions, but
site considerations may limit or negate their
effectiveness.
• Warning signs should be added near
points of underground feeders.
• Additional lighting should be
considered, with the caution that too
many lights can, in certain weather
conditions, make visibility worse.
• Consider emergency lighting sticks
or battery powered emergency
lighting inside the cabs. Either of
these would require PM's to maintain
their effectiveness.
• Consider the installation of GPS
System
Teachable Moments on Emergency Preparedness and Response
28

What’s Happening?
• Feeding material acts
like “quicksand”
• Edge of the drawhole
is unstable
• Poor visibility
– Unable to determine
location of feeder
– Lighting / Shadows
– Weather (fog, rain)

Coal Pile/Feeder Hazards
• Hidden cavity
created when coal
“bridged” over a
feeder
• Weight of equipment
contributes to
“bridge” collapse
and cave in

Cab Filled with Coal
• Coal has broken or pushed in the cab windows
• Coal engulfs the operator

Risk Reduction Methods…
• High strength windows
installed on equipment
that routinely operates
around coal feeders
– Conversion to a dozer -
cost of $13,000 USD
– This is high impact glass
rated at 40 psi
– All new purchases include
high impact glass

High Strength Glass

Risk Reduction Methods…
• Fixed radios for equipment that is reasonably
expected to be operating near feeders (i.e.
dozers, pans, etc.)
• Beacon lights should be added to let the
operator know when a feeder is running
– A sidebar to this is that these need to be maintained and on
some type of PM
– Add to “new safety design” standards
• Hazard Recognition & Awareness Training
shall be reviewed with all coal handling
employees
– Site specific JHAs developed for all feeder locations

Risk Reduction Methods
• Emergency breathers
should be installed in
the cab of the
identified units
– A 2-Hour rated,
recirculating/rebreather
such as the Ocenco
EBA 6.5 considered
– Employees trained

Work Planning
Hazards Resources Abilities Availability
Rescue
Plan

BOILER AND HIGH PLACES
Teachable Moments

Removable Handrails - Label

Planning
Falling Object Hazard Assessment and Resolution Tool

Floor and Wall Openings
Consider
temporary
removal of
barriers or
activities that
create falling
hazard

Help! I’ve Fallen and Can’t Get Up!

Do you know what you don’t
know…before you get dumped on!

Bob Taylor
812-629-4421
rdtaylor8880@att.net

“Hello Down There!” - Bob Taylor, American Electric Power Company

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“Hello Down There!” - Bob Taylor, American Electric Power Company