As Port grows, emergency response stays one step ahead.
New Emergency Response Familiarisation Programme held in SOHAR
Three-day course designed to further improve response coordination
Port’s emergency planning, response, medical, fire-fighting teams attend
In line with continued growth in the Port and Freezone, this week saw the biggest ever training for emergency planners and responders from across departments, agencies and other organisations who work in or with the Port and Freezone. Training staff that are involved in emergency planning and response is fundamental to any organisation’s ability to handle any type of emergency, should it ever occur. The three-day course that runs from 30 May to 1 June is designed to validate emergency plans, develop staff competencies and give them practice in carrying out their roles in the plans, and to test well-established procedures.
Participants included the Port’s own HSSE and Marine Departments; the fire fighting, medical, emergency response, operational and planning teams, from the Port and the Port’s main tenants; senior members of the Public Authority for Civil Defence; the Royal Oman Police and Port Security; SOHAR Environmental Unit; and Oman Petro Environmental Services (Oman PESCO). Modules covered an updated HSSE induction, reviewed the current emergency response situation, and introduced an upgraded programme for emergency response planning (ERP). On-site visits to the Port and Freezone included the Port Control Centre, Port Exhibition Wing, PACDA Station, SOHAR Port Crisis Management Centre, and the Port and Freezone Emergency Gates.
SOHAR CEO, Andre Toet, said: “Without training, an organisation and its staff can quickly become overwhelmed by an emergency, unable to handle its impacts and recover from them. Regular raining like this is about raising the awareness of key staff
about what kind of emergencies they may face and giving them confidence in the procedures and their ability to carry them out successfully. As we continue to grow in SOHAR we ensure that our response planning is always one step ahead.”