National Silicates Hazmat Exercise 2006

September 30, 2006
National Silicates Hazardous Material (Hazmat) Spill Exercise simulated an accident with an injured workman resulting in the loss of sodium hydroxide (caustic) during the unloading of a tank truck beside the plant. The "caustic", represented by water with a green dye was to escape the plant boundary and enter the storm sewer. Concurrent with the spill the injured workman was to be rescued. The Director of the Exercise was Carmen Romano, National Silicates, with input from the design exercise group including: Toronto Office of Emergency Management, Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Police Services (22 Division), Toronto Water, and Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE).
 
Office building on Kipling Ave., Toronto   West side of Plant   View of staging area from the plant
         
Briefing room Briefing room Preparation of radios linking the Controllers
         
Far view of spill site   Close-up of tanker where spill will occur   Company confering with MOE
         
The exercise begins as a workman is injured with a broken leg and caustic spills from a broken valve Injured workman replaced by a dummy as the caustic continues to spread Injured workman found by plant personnel
         
Workman pulled from caustic spill Caustic flows to street Caustic spill pools behind sand barriers at the catch basins
         
Police arrive at plant  
Early view of the spill entering a catch basin
   Police close Horner Ave., the side of the plant where the spill is taking place
         
The company continues to block the spill with sand   Catch basins are covered with membranes and sand   View upstream to source
         
Toronto Fire's Hazmat vehicle   Toronto Fire vehicles Toronto Fire vehicles
         
View of the north side of the plant, facing Horner Ave.
         
The spill is now contained with a sand barrier
         
Fire rescues the caustic contaminated workman   The workman is placed on the road   Fire flushes the caustic from workman and his clothes
         
Fire begins treating for the broken leg   The workman is covered and the broken leg is immobilized   Fire personnel begin their decontamination
   
   
         
Plant personnel confering   Plant personnel are questioned by police   Plant spokesperson questioned by Police
         
Company spokesperson questioned by a reporter   Toronto Water Environmental Monitoring & Protection (EM&P) staff vehicle   Toronto Water EM&P staff
         
Toronto Water Districts crew vehicle   Toronto Water Districts crew   MOE question plant staff and Police
         
Plant staff questioned by EM&P officer   Plant staff questioned by EM&P officer   Toronto Fire interviewed by EM&P officer
       
Districts crew member and Police Various agencies confering with the company   Outside the Toronto Fire command vehicle
       
After the exercise a BBQ The BBQ cooks   After the debriefing