Cargill Foods Hazmat Drill 2005

October 22, 2005
Cargill Foods Hazardous Material (Hazmat) Spill Exercise simulated a leak of ammonia refrigerant gas within the plant. The Exercise was led by Ariel Parent, Cargill Foods with input from the design exercise group including: Toronto Office of Emergency Management, Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Water (Environmental Monitoring & Enforcement Branch), Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and Fielding Chemicals.
 
Evacuated personnel
  
Early Emergency Command Center group
Plant personnel are evacuated to a safe distance from the plant. The Emergency Command Center is established nearby.
   
Staging area located away from the spill site
At a distant location emergency crews and their vehicles are waiting and will be staged into responding when needed.
 
Cargill Hazmat decom area
Cargill Hazmat decom area
Cargill Food's Hazmat crews begin setting up outside the plant.
   
Cargill hazmat suits   Fully enclosed within their suits

Receiving instructions Cargill Food's Hazmat specialists suiting up to enter an ammonia spill contaminated area within the plant.
   
Toronto Fire in front of Cargill plant Hazmat team entering Cargill plant
Working together the Toronto Fire and Cargill Foods Hazmat teams enter the contaminated area to recover a "downed" worker.
   
Hazmat team leaving Cargill plant
Hazmat team undergoing decon
After successfully recovering the worker the Cargill Foods Hazmat team leaves the plant and is decontaminated.
 
Nurse monitoring hazmat team member
   Radio communication with the hazmat teams inside the plant

A nurse is busy assessing the hazmat team in a van after the decontamination process is complete.

The hazmat teams in the facility were in constant contact through their radios with Toronto Fire and Cargill Foods.
 
Spill exercise participants

Many external parties are involved to assist, critique and help improve the drill process. Near the conclusion of the exercise the participants gather to compare notes and discuss what transpired.
 
Debriefing room Director Ariel Parent at the debriefing
After many hours of preparation and work the Cargill Foods spill participants undertake the debriefing process with Director Ariel Parent who thanked the many participants for their time and efforts.