With the onset of aggressive military actions in the country, Metinvest's enterprises in Kryvyi Rih have intensified their focus on training for the elimination of consequences of crisis situations. A few days ago, a comprehensive training exercise was conducted at the pelletising plant of Metinvest Central Iron Ore.
The training exercise, which involved employees from several departments of the mining and processing enterprise, was preceded by thorough preparation. First and foremost, the training location and the key elements of the scenario of the simulated emergency situation were agreed upon. The managers and observers who took part in the exercise underwent theoretical training, during which they refreshed their knowledge of communication protocols, roles, responsibilities, and the sequence of actions in the event of disaster response.
"During the preparation for the training, locations were meticulously selected, the area was inspected for hazardous objects, a detailed plan and scenario of the simulated emergency situation were developed, equipment and simulation tools were prepared, and coordination between the structural units and the enterprise’s emergency and rescue services was thoroughly discussed. One hour prior to the start of the comprehensive training exercise, participants and observers were briefed on safety rules as well as their rights and responsibilities according to the scenario,” said Valerii SAVEIKIN, Lead Expert of HSE Directorate of Metinvest Iron Ore Plants.
The activities took place at the pelletising plant of Metinvest Central Iron Ore and in the adjacent area. According to the scenario, as a result of combat actions and the fall of debris from an enemy UAV, the substation supplying electricity to the firing building was left without power. This led to the suspension of the technological process. The loader operator sustained a shrapnel wound to the leg. A fire broke out on the western side of the building, and debris from the aerial vehicle fell onto the roadway leading to the refractory materials warehouse. The training exercise involved 35 participants.
The first aid team of the pelletising plant responded promptly and efficiently in rescuing the “wounded” individual located near the pelletising building. Before the arrival of medical personnel, the employees, acting strictly according to the protocol, applied a tourniquet to the colleague’s simulated leg injury to stop the bleeding. At the same time, they verbally explained each of their actions aloud. An ambulance arrived at the scene in less than 10 minutes from the moment the call was made. The observer praised the correctness of the employees’ actions.
Likewise, the technical personnel acted in a coordinated manner and adhered strictly to the timeframes during the power outage. Lockout devices and informational LOTO tags were installed on all sources of electricity that were disconnected, in accordance with the regulations.
Members of the fire response teams received high praise for performing their duties to the fullest during the fire containment efforts. They promptly arrived at the scene, first identified potential hazards that could threaten their safety, and then proceeded to extinguish the fire using extinguishers from the fire safety station. They also ensured the reception and escort of professional rescuers from the Fire and Rescue Station, directing them to the location of the nearest fire hydrant.
The team that identified a suspicious, potentially explosive object performed their task without any remarks from the observers. In accordance with the action algorithm for such situations, personnel were notified and promptly evacuated from the zone of potential impact by the explosive device. The hazardous area was cordoned off, and an escort was arranged to guide the rapid response unit of the State Emergency Service to the location of the object.
The work at the emergency response headquarters was no less intense. All members of the headquarters were fully engaged in managing the training exercise. According to Andrii Zhilkinskyi, Head of the Pelletising Plant at Metinvest Central Iron Ore and the person in charge of the accident response and containment, the headquarters team received initial information from the incident sites in a timely manner. Various means of communication were employed to maintain contact with the participants of the training exercise. Overall, the pelletising plant team commendably fulfilled the task, demonstrating both knowledge and coordinated action.
At the conclusion of the comprehensive training exercise, a meeting was held to summarise the outcomes and review the evaluations of the employees’ actions in the following areas: first aid, fire-fighting operations, explosive objects, power resource shutdowns, and headquarters operations. The head of the headquarters, Dmytro Malykh, expressed his gratitude to all participants for the well-organised and successful conduct of the exercise.
“The overall assessment of the training exercise indicated a 97% readiness of Metinvest Central Iron Ore to respond to emergency situations of a military nature. We will address the minor shortcomings with the personnel in the near future. This is a very high indicator of the skills possessed by our employees. I am confident that such a result was made possible thanks to the systematic efforts in training personnel in safety skills. This is a necessity in the context of life during a full-scale war. The primary goal of such training exercises is to save lives and mitigate the consequences of crisis situations,” stated Yurii ROVINSKYI, HSE Director of Metinvest Iron Ore Plants.
