Mock drill provides useful learning experience
Published on: Thursday, November 27, 2014
JOHOR BARU: It's a heart thumping experience! This is the description provided by an employee of Felda Global Ventures (FGV) who was trapped in a wrecked car and was awaiting to be rescued.Though he was enacting an accident scene, being trapped in a wreckage for almost half an hour in 'bloodied' condition under the hot sun left the actor and everyone at the mock scene on the edge.On and off there were people who went to "the victim" trapped in the car to inquire how he was getting on and one asked him to bring down the driver's side windscreen so that he does not faint under the heat or suffer a heat stroke.
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"When your hear the ambulance siren, wind up the windscreen," said the employee to the actor in preparation of the next move during the exercise.This mock drill was jointly conducted by Lafarge Malaysia and Felda Global Ventures (FGV) to enact an accident involving five vehicles – a 55-tonne palm oil laden transporter truck, two cars, motorcycles and a lorry carrying dangerous chemical. In the mock drill there were five accident victims, with one dead and four injured. As for Saharudin Mun, 29, who playing dead on the road was no easy task yet the crowd observed he managed to take on the dead man's role reasonably well.He was the victim who was thrown out of the car and soaked with the dangerous chemical. He was lying down still at the 'crash site' under the scorching sun.
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"This is the first time I took the role of an accident victim. Despite of the unbearable heat, the role provided me a valuable experience in managing with emergency response under such situation," said Saharudin, who is also an emergency response team member with Felda Transport.The clerk who has been with the plantation conglomerate for the last seven years also admitted that it was a heart wrenching moment as for once he thought this is how it would have been he came to face mortality.
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This mock drill exercise was also participated by the Fire and Rescue Services, Civil Defence Force and the police personnel.Pasir Gudang Fire and Rescue Services Chief Jamaludin Mohd noted that 32 firemen, including from the Emergency Medical Response Service (EMRS) and Hazardous Material Team (HAZMAT) were in 'action' at the scene."This time the mock drill exercise simulated a complex road accident involving a number of vehicles. Though this cannot be considered as a major disaster, yet it is a complex situation that called for coordinated emergency response," he said.Meanwhile, a fireman at the drill Shahripudin Mohd Kifli noted that the fire services' Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is that the fire engines should have left the fire station within 60 seconds after receiving distress call."If the incident occurs within a five-kilometre radius from the fire station, the firemen have to be at the scene within 10 minutes," he added.As for Lafarge Malaysia, the accident drill is an annual exercise to improve the company's SOP in dealing with industrial accidents.The company's Vice President for Supply Chain & Strategic Sourcing Paul Yap noted that the mock drill allowed the company to fine tune its readiness in facing emergencies.Meanwhile, FGV's Senior Vice President for Transport and Logistics Wan Mohd Zain Wan Ismail said being ready to face emergencies is the priority for the company's operation. "We are ready to work with others and government agencies to try and evaluate the emergency response plan and adopt best practices," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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