In February, 2009 the QB and PE DCX Plant put into operation a new emergency communication
alarm system using pneumatic horns instead of the previous PA system that had some
"deaf" spots in parts of the plant. This new system is made up of 3 pneumatic horns
installed at the highest point of the Polyethylene Plant.
The system is activated from the Main Control Room by the General Emergency Coordinator
and has three patterns:
| Warning | Short intermittent alarms. | Signals to stop work and await instructions calmly and quietly. |
|---|---|---|
| Evacuation | Long intermittent alarms. | Signals to abandon work stations calmly and in single file proceed to one of the plant's Meeting Points. |
| End of Emergency | One continuous alarm for 30 seconds | Indicates the end of the emergency and that work may resume. This alarm system is tested every Tuesday at 2 PM. |
| Plant Evacuation | This instruction is provided via the PA and radio systems by the General Emergency Coordinator from the Main Control Room. | Warns people to proceed to Meeting Place No. 1 next to the Plant's main entrance and to board the busses parked there. |
PAM-CE (Elysian Fields Mutual Assistance Plan) - Quattor QB and PE were elected as program coordinators for 2009. Monthly meetings are ongoing and unannounced severe emergency drills are held monthly, in accord with the annual plan. APPELL-CE - Like PAM-CE, Quattor QB, and PE coordinate this program since 2006. This year's opening event, in November, sponsored by TermoRio, a thermo-electric plant, and neighbor of Quattor QB, PE, and PP DCX. Several training activities that include the community are taking place according to the annual plan. The materials for planning the exercise activities have already been delivered to TermoRio for the development of the training sessions. Meetings with representatives from the cities, states, hospitals, schools, and other parties involved in the exercises will start in July.