Nitrogen leakage drill tests emergency response skills of transport company drivers

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Staff members of Min Soon Transport in a group photo with the firefighters.

KUCHING: An on-road emergency drill was conducted at Jalan Keruing here on Sunday, which re-enacted a scenario where the tyre of a gas tanker caught fire causing the spillage of liquid nitrogen from the tank.

The exercise, run by Min Soon Transport Company Sdn Bhd (Min Soon Transport) in collaboration with Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Tabuan Jaya, was part of the company’s annual activities.

It was meant as an assessment for Min Soon Transport’s Emergency Response Team (ERT), focusing on its drivers’ response to any road emergency situation in accordance with the emergency response procedures.

“Min Soon Transport specialises in transporting all types of gas cargoes throughout the state; therefore it is important that all staff, especially the drivers, are well-equipped with the knowledge on emergency response procedures to minimise risks and hazards in the unlikely event of an emergency,” explained the company’s managing director Calvin Chong in a statement yesterday.

The drill began with members of Min Soon Transport’s ERT – led by emergency manager Thien Hoong Yee – arriving at the scene of the accident where they immediately secured the site before handing it over to the firefighters, led by Tabuan Jaya station assistant chief Mohd Shahrir Abdul Alim, who arrived 10 minutes after the alarm was raised.

The firefighters then proceeded to put out the fire and cool the tanker down. They used water to disperse the cloud of nitrogen, which was triggered by the contact with fire.

On the exercise, Shahrir believed that although Min Soon Transport had trained its drivers and staff members in general aspects – including product knowledge – related to emergency response and situation, there was still room for improvement.

Linde EOX East Malaysia business manager Jimmy Tan and transport manager Roy Leong were also present at the exercise.