Always on the alert: competitions of voluntary emergency rescue teams held in Nizhnekamsk
Annual competitions among teams of voluntary emergency rescue teams of TAIF-NK were held at the training ground of the Gas Rescue Squad. Participants demonstrated their readiness to act to localise and eliminate the consequences of accidents at hazardous production facilities. The fighters had to quickly and without violating labour safety requirements pass four tests.
To be the first
This year, 14 teams, five people in each, took part in the competition among voluntary rescue teams. They included excellent production workers, strong, courageous people who always ready to help. Before the start of the competition, the rescuers were greeted by Deputy Chief Engineer of company Anton Nikolayev. Addressing those present, he emphasised that this is an excellent opportunity to improve their professional skills, see the mistakes and shortcomings made and see how more experienced colleagues work.
“Today we are holding competitions to identify the strongest team among voluntary emergency rescue teams. Once in three years, our company confirms its certification in the industry commission of the Ministry of Energy of Russia. Today, the joint stock company has 383 certified rescuers. I want to wish everyone good luck, the one who prepared better will win,” he said confidently.
According to the plant workers, the rescuers have a great responsibility. They are the ones who are the first to respond to the incident in the event of an emergency at production facilities, provide assistance to people and minimise the consequences of accidents before the arrival of emergency rescue units.
“We hold such competitions to ensure that the rescuers are always in shape. Here they demonstrate their use of emergency rescue tools, skills in rescuing and evacuating people from a gas polluted zone, and also provide first aid. In addition, throughout the year, the rescuers conduct training sessions on the territory of their workshops. They equip themselves with protective suits, put on breathing equipment and head to a conditional gas polluted zone to save a victim,” stressed head of the Industrial Safety Control Department Anton Vakhotin
“The competition is tough, but we are no slouch either”
According to a tradition, the teams had to complete four exercises in the shortest possible time and without violating labour safety requirements: remove and install a plug on a gas pipeline, remove a victim from equipment, locate and remove a victim from a gas polluted zone and provide first aid.
In their everyday work life, rescue team members are machine operators, machinists and representatives of other professions. Nikita Bychkov works as a forklift driver at the Heavy Residues High Conversion Complex. He is participating in the competition for the fifth time. This year, he arrived as the team captain. Before the start, he mentored the newly arrived fighters giving them relevant advice.
“Before the start of the competition, we repeatedly met for training. We tried to work clearly and harmoniously. Despite the fact that this year the team was renewed, everyone is in a fighting mood. The competition is tough, but we are not a failure either,” Nikita Bychkov shared his impressions.
Operator Azat Salikhyanov represents workshop No. 12 of the Heavy Residues High Conversion Complex. According to him, the best of the best are included in the non-staff emergency rescue teams. He is sure that being a rescuer is an honour and a responsibility.
“We will try to show the best result. In my opinion, difficulties may arise only at one stage — flange connections — the rest of the exercises are not difficult,” said Azat Salikhyanov.
Albert Valeyev, the head of the installation of workshop No. 1 of the Heavy Residues High Conversion Complex, came to cheer for his colleagues. While the participants were undergoing tests, he watched his team with excitement.
“We are among the top five teams of the enterprise. We have been training hard for a year. The team consists of six rescuers, all of whom come from the gas separation unit. They show excellent results both at work and in competitions. It is exciting to participate, and watching your people perform is even more exciting. I am even more worried than they are,” admitted Albert Valeev.
“There was tension until the very end, the teams were neck and neck”
Following the competition, five teams that showed the best time in three stages. According to the scenario of the exercise, the victim received chemical poisoning. Before the arrival of the medics, the rescuers had to stabilise his health condition and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
After the competition, third place was taken by the workshop No. 07 of the refinery, second was by the workshop No. 08 of the refinery, and the best of the best, like in the previous year, was the team of the workshop No. 2 of the complex. From year to year, these rescuers show brilliant results.
“Everything went well, despite the fact that there were some difficulties. This year the competition was tougher. There was tension until the very end, the teams were neck and neck. Everything was decided at the last stages. I believe that our strength lies in constant training and the desire to win,” shared his impressions after the award ceremony the team captain, shift foreman of the workshop No. 02 of the complex Ramil Shayakhmetov.
The winners and medallists were awarded cups, certificates and prize money.