CSRO SERVICES            Shoreline Response Training - Trinidad Establishing security barrier to separate shoreline worker zone (dirty zone) from uncontaminated area Safety barrier placed by on-site safety officer to deny access to unsafe dock and prevent worker injury Removal of shoreline debris before oil comes ashore. Personnel wearing personal protective clothing. Deploying boom to simulate keeping floating oil from contacting shorelines Crew assembling sorbent boom in the "dirty zone" which is marked off by visible red barrier tape Supervisor & crew setting out sorbents with the tide rising for passive collection of any oil on the water Laying out hose for shoreline flushing High volume low pressure deluge flushing of shoreline Flushing with variable pressure sea water to simulate. Bulk removal of more persistent oils. Deflection boom set out to trap oil drifting along the shoreline A skimmer deployed to recover oil trapped against the shoreline by the boom Oil recovered by skimmer is pumped to a temporary oil storage tank and later removed by vacuum truck Vacuum truck takes recovered oil away to an government licensed disposal site Stores control person receiving equipment delivery Controlled materials stores at shoreline site Briefing of exercise observers by site safety officer Facility also used for crew briefings and pre-activity safety talks Observers separated from workers for safety reasons Food service area used by caterer hired to feed the exercise observers and the shoreline workers A CSRO member recently worked with an oil exploration client drilling offshore Trinidad and Tobago to design, organize and execute a shoreline response training module to develop their response capabilities. The personnel and equipment used were supplied by a local prime contractor specializing in waste management and shoreline response. The contractor was responsible for the operating integrity of the equipment and its operation as well as outfitting all personnel participating in the exercise (either as workers or as observers). No oil was spilled during the exercise. All activities were designed to simulate the components of a real response. The facilities and service functions that were set up as part of the training included: vehicle parking area equipment unloading/staging/loading area lifting and handling equipment site security and public liaison segregation of contaminated shoreline work area from clean public area three site safety officers a secure on-site material stores control unit for receiving and shipping functions worker shelter for work briefings and pre-activity safety briefings portable site office on-site command and control on-site communications (hand-held units with chargers, line of site) communications from the shoreline response site to clients emergency operations centre observer shelter for briefings and food services safe area for exercise observation first aid station and trained attendant on-site toilets and wash facilities, solid waste collection and segregation facilities, shoreline protection booming setting boom to deflect floating oil against a shoreline for recovery on-water floating oil recovery system (skimmer) portable tank for temporary storage of recovered oil vacuum trucks to transport recovered oil to licensed disposal site (full documentation required) documentation was required from safety, stores, security, communications, logistics and work team supervisors, with periodic progress reporting to client’s office personnel briefing before and during the exercise de-briefing of personnel at the end of the exercise preparation of an exercise report A site visit was conducted in advance of the training session for planning purposes. The training components were selected and deployment procedures developed in advance of the hands-on training. The associated safety hazards were identified and methods to reduce the risk to operations personnel were incorporated into the procedures. Prior to the field training, the contractor’s personnel attended an orientation/planning/discussion session provided by the CSRO member to discuss the planned training components, equipment needed, equipment and personnel mobilization requirements, site layout and equipment deployment strategies. Deployment procedures were modified to incorporate significant observations made during the site visit and the classroom training. Shoreline workers were outfitted with personal protective clothing. Command and control was established within the contractor’s personnel groups with company management, supervisors, group leaders, work group members, safety officers, and support personnel to provide security, stores and logistics support. Each work group was given a work order (field mission) to execute along with the personnel and equipment needed to achieve their assigned task. Each equipment deployment session included an operations/safety briefing before commencing deployment as well as a brief time-out on-site to discuss safety issues prior to each major equipment deployment step. For communications, hand-held radios were provided to each small boat and the work group supervisors on shore. Each small boat involved in the hands-on training was inspected for safety as part of the hiring process. Prior to any equipment deployments, the safety officers carefully inspected the beach and work site to identify any hazards to the workers or observers. The noted hazards were marked and discussed during the pre-training briefings. Pre-impact debris removal was included as a component of the training so that any debris found on the shoreline was moved above the high-water mark so that it would not be contaminated if floating oil were to become stranded on the shore. A section of oil containment boom was deployed using boats hired locally. The boom was anchored along the shoreline to keep oil (that is flushed off the shoreline) contained for oil recovery. Such boom could also be used to protect sections of shoreline from oil drifting in toward shore on the sea surface. Another section of oil boom was deployed on the sea to deflect oil drifting parallel to the shoreline in against the shore where it could be recovered using a skimmer. A skimmer was deployed onto the water surface and operated for a short time by pumping sea water into a temporary storage tank to simulate the recovery of oil. The recovered fluid was removed from the temporary storage tank by a vacuum truck and taken to a government licensed disposal facility with appropriate documentation completed. One group deployed shoreline flushing equipment to simulate deluge flushing for bulk oil removal (large volume low pressure) as well as a pressure washing system capable of flushing oil from the shoreline using variable pressure flushing. The material stores personnel set up their facility, received equipment and materials by truck, issued equipment and personal protective equipment to the different work groups and prepared documentation to maintain an inventory record and to track those items issued. Working personnel and equipment were carefully tracked and documented for safety reasons as well as for billing purposes later. The client oil company dispatched an on-scene commander to the training site to observe and report contractor’s progress to his company’s emergency operations centre located about 200 km away. After the training, any rental equipment was immediately put of contract to control unnecessary costs. The contractor’s equipment was demobilized to the contractor’s operations bases for cleaning and refurbishment. Contractor equipment was re-packed and returned to its original state of preparedness, ready to respond to a real spill. The CSRO member worked with the contractor to capture lessons learned during the exercise and to revise their equipment mobilization and deployment procedures. A report on the training was prepared for the client oil companies. Inshore Training on the Island of Tobago A second training session was conducted in the island of Tobago. It involved mobilizing personnel and equipment locally and between islands to simulate certain components needed to protect a small harbour with a tourist beach. The location was relatively remote and required long distance communications to reach the client’s offices in addition to the line-of-sight communications by radio used on site. Shoreline protection boom and oil containment boom deployed and anchored in the harbour. A pocket was set in the boom to allow oil floating on the incoming tide to accumulate against the wharf where a skimmer could be deployed for oil recovery. Local fishermen set the boom in its final configuration precisely as requested. The following items and services were mobilized: Transport trucks Personnel transport vehicles Crane truck for on-site lifting and handling Communications equipment Food services unit (with catering supplied by local restaurant) Shoreline protection boom Oil containment boom Oil recovery device (brush skimmer) Portable tank for temporary storage of recovered oil On-water deployment and anchoring of booms Deployment of water ballast booms to keep floating oil out of river estuary areas Deployment of sorbents along the water line for passive oil collection Local fishing boats and operators were used for boom deployment Boom deployment for shoreline protection Oil recovery system (brush skimmer) being deployed Boom deployed and anchored by local fishermen for shoreline protection and to deflect floating oil to a collection point beside the wharf where a skimmer could be deployed using a crane truck. Workers in local boats continue to adjust anchor locations to get the boom shaped in the desired configuration. Local fishermen preparing anchors and mooring lines to deploy the boom in the desired position on water Mobilization of boom equipment Boom assembled and prepared for boat deployment Shoreline worker recovering boom Boom recovered and stowed during demobilization Fishermen from the local community hired to provide their small boats and to deploy and anchor the booms and to deploy the oil recovery equipment Canadian Spill Response Organization © 2009 All Rights Reserved