Site Emergency Response Plan

Purpose. Sets out how Hydra responds to emergencies at the Kwinana plant and terminal including chemical releases, fires, injuries and events with potential offsite effect, and how it coordinates with emergency services and the community.

1.Scope and emergency types

This plan applies to all emergencies at the Kwinana plant and the Kwinana Beach terminal. It is the plan the safety case commits to and it must be exercised at least twice a year including one exercise with emergency services. The Karratha depot has its own emergency plan.

• Toxic release of hydrochloric acid or ferric chloride vapour
• Flammable solvent fire or explosion
• Runaway reaction or vessel overpressure
• Tank overfill or bund failure
• Injury or medical emergency involving chemical exposure
• Fire in the terminal loading bay or a vehicle
• Events with potential to affect neighbouring sites or the community

2.Alarm and notification

The site emergency alarm is sounded from the control room or any alarm point. On hearing the alarm all personnel not in an emergency role must proceed upwind to the muster point shown on the wind direction indicator and report to the muster warden. The control room must notify emergency services, the Site General Manager and the neighbouring sites in the mutual aid group in the order on the notification card.

3.Emergency organisation

The shift supervisor is the incident controller until relieved by the duty manager. The emergency response team is drawn from the operating shift and trained in fire fighting, chemical rescue and first aid. The emergency control centre is in the administration building with a backup in the terminal office. Roles, contact rosters and checklists are held in the control centre and in this plan.

4.Response to a chemical release

The incident controller must establish the hazard zone from the gas detectors, the wind direction and the release estimate, stop the source where it is safe to do so by remote isolation, activate water curtains or scrubbing where provided, and keep all personnel upwind and outside the zone. Entry to the zone is only for the emergency response team in the protective equipment for the chemical and under the control of the incident controller.

5.Response to fire

The emergency response team must attack a fire only where it is safe to do so and with the agent for the chemical involved. Firewater must be contained within bunds and the firewater retention pond. Adjacent tanks and vessels must be cooled where the incident controller judges there is a risk of escalation. Emergency services take control of fire fighting on arrival.

6.Offsite and community

Where a release or fire could affect people outside the site, the incident controller must notify emergency services and the regulator immediately and must issue the community alert through the arrangements in the plan. The Site General Manager is the only person authorised to speak to media.

7.Recovery and review

The all clear must be given only by the incident controller after the hazard zone is confirmed clear. Every emergency and every exercise must be reviewed within ten days, the findings recorded as actions in the incident register and this plan updated where required.