Terminal Puerto Coquimbo (TPC) conducted a fuel spill drill in order to prepare its teams for this risk. The exercise recreated a scenario in which the tugboat Brigantia, while carrying out work in the port, detected a hydrocarbon spill into the sea.
Upon identifying the situation, the crew activated the corresponding protocols, informed the supervisor in charge, and initiated the emergency procedure.
The activity made it possible to verify that all those involved were notified in time and knew what to do in the face of an environmental contingency of this type. The correct activation of internal protocols and communication with the competent authorities was also verified.
The exercise involved the tugboat Brigantia, responsible for simulating the detection of the spill; the Port Captaincy, which supervised compliance with the protocols, while teams from Ultraport, TPC together with the support launch of Ian Taylor and other entities intervened in the containment and response tasks contemplated for events of this nature.
Daslav Watts, Deputy Manager of Planning at TPC, commented that “facing an emergency requires us all to act in a coordinated manner. That is why these exercises are so valuable, because they allow us to get to know each other, understand how each organization works, identify opportunities for improvement, and act as a single team when it is truly needed.”
From Ultraport Coquimbo, José Miguel Fuentealba, Branch Manager, stated that “at Ultraport Coquimbo we actively participated in the hydrocarbon spill drill at sea to measure our response times and verify that the contingency plans and operational procedures work in the face of environmental emergencies. The exercise allowed us to confirm the availability and good condition of the containment equipment and, above all, to reinforce in all teams the awareness of the ecological impact that these incidents generate in our sea.”
“As the Port Captaincy, we congratulate TPC for the excellent pollution response exercise carried out at the terminal, in which we were able to observe a substantial improvement in the coordination and speed of their procedures, which undoubtedly highlights the constant preparation they maintain to minimize the impacts that can be generated by port operations themselves. Likewise, we highlight the professionalism and good disposition of all the participants, who were fundamental in achieving the objectives set before the start of this activity,” commented Lieutenant Commander Daniel Sarzosa.
