Multi-agency exercise tests emergency response at LNG Terminal

Emergency services, Gibraltar Government departments and other agencies took part in a live exercise at the LNG Terminal on Thursday last week to test the coordinated response to a simulated major incident.

The exercise, coordinated by the Office of Civil Contingencies, simulated the release of a flammable vapour cloud and tested arrangements for isolating and containing the incident, as well as rescuing and treating injured personnel.

The Gibraltar Electricity Authority, px Group Ltd and other stakeholders also took part in the exercise.

Participants rehearsed contingency arrangements, joint command procedures and inter-agency coordination as part of the Gibraltar Government’s ongoing emergency preparedness programme.

The Minister for Civil Contingencies, Leslie Bruzon, said: ““Exercises of this nature are essential to ensuring that our emergency services, Government departments, agencies and critical infrastructure operators are prepared to respond effectively to a major incident. Thursday’s exercise demonstrated the importance of coordinated planning and provided a valuable opportunity to test our collective response in a realistic environment. I would like to thank everyone involved for their professionalism and continued commitment to protecting our community.”

Civil Contingencies Coordinator Ivor Lopez said the exercise tested the practical application of emergency response arrangements at the LNG Terminal, including command and control, communication between agencies and coordination at the scene.

A Tactical Coordination Group was also activated to consider the wider consequences of the simulated incident and coordinate the broader multi-agency response.

Mr Lopez said: “The exercise was designed to test the practical application of the emergency response arrangements for an incident at the LNG Terminal, including command and control, inter-agency communication and the coordination of activity at the scene. It also involved the activation of a Tactical Coordination Group to consider the wider consequences of the simulated incident and coordinate the broader multi- agency response. Regular exercises are essential to ensuring that all responding agencies remain familiar with their roles and responsibilities and are best prepared to deal effectively with all eventualities.”

Chief Environmental Health Officer Christopher Segovia said the Environmental Agency, as the Competent Authority for the LNG Terminal as a COMAH site, had a role in overseeing arrangements to prevent major accidents and mitigate their potential consequences.

Mr Segovia said: “As the Competent Authority for the LNG Terminal as a COMAH site, the Environmental Agency has an important role in overseeing the arrangements in place to prevent major accidents and mitigate their potential consequences. Exercises such as this allow us to assess how those arrangements operate in practice, including the coordination between the operator, emergency services and relevant authorities. The findings from the exercise will inform the ongoing review and continuous improvement of safety and emergency preparedness at the site.”

Mark Kenrick, Group Director Safety and Technical Services with px Group, which operates the site, said: “As an organisation committed to safety and preparedness, it was good to get our first experience of such a comprehensive exercise at the Gibraltar LNG plant. It was encouraging to see the levels of readiness and co-ordination between all parties involved and to consolidate the response process in the event of a real incident.”