BR-163/MT is the scenario for a simulated exercise with hazardous products

Nova Rota do Oeste is hosting the 8th edition of the Hazardous Product Incident Simulation on Wednesday (09/20/2023) at 9 am in Nova Mutum, with the participation of all agencies involved in responding to such incidents. The training will take place at the SAU 13 service base located at km 592 of BR-163 and will involve two cargo vehicles and one passenger vehicle, including victims. So, if you’re passing by the highway and come across a large-scale operation, don’t be alarmed: we are in training.

The primary focus of the training is to prepare teams for responding to incidents involving hazardous products in the section under the concession of BR-163/364, improve operational procedures, and generate synergy among the responsible entities to act in situations involving such products. The aim is to provide increasingly specialized assistance to those traveling on the highway, aligning actions since 2015 when operational responses began.

The Operations Manager of Nova Rota do Oeste, Bárbara Nathane, explains that dealing with incidents of this nature has always been a concern of the concessionaire, and with the increase in the circulation of vehicles carrying ethanol and the expansion of ethanol production plants in Mato Grosso, attention becomes even more critical.

“With the increased circulation of such products, the incidence of incidents also rises, and the response must be specialized. To give you an idea, from January to August of this year, we had a 27% increase in the number of incidents compared to the same period last year. When we record an accident involving hazardous cargo, it changes the dynamics on the highway: we need to activate resources from various involved agencies, especially the Fire Department, which takes charge of the operation. When there’s road blockage for safety, the flow is only released when the Fire Department determines that there are no more risks,” she explains.

In this edition, Nova Rota and the National Land Transportation Agency (ANTT) will create a scenario simulating a collision between two cargo vehicles carrying ethanol and fertilizers provided by Inpasa and TransCamila. Subsequently, a third driver in a car will attempt to avoid the first accident and overturn. This will initiate all necessary procedures, such as the immediate activation of Nova Rota do Oeste through the Operational Control Center (CCO), which will issue all commands and contact the relevant agencies.

The Fire Department plays the leading role in incidents involving hazardous cargo, as they have the training and necessary equipment to assess the affected area, the transported products, and to identify the safety measures that must be taken to protect everyone: the professionals working on the highway, those involved in the accident, and those traveling in the region during the incident.

The Federal Highway Police (PRF) has the mission, along with Nova Rota do Oeste, to signal the incident, close the road when necessary, and guide the users. The concessionaire is also responsible for operational services (such as cleaning the road, vehicle removal, rescue, among others), with authorization from the Fire Department.

Also participating in the response (and in the simulation):

Integrated Aerial Operations Center (CIOPAer): supporting and transporting victims when necessary;

Mato Grosso State Civil Defense: in case of cargo spills affecting water bodies, especially in densely populated areas;

Official Forensic and Identification Institute (Politec): in serious incidents and/or with fatalities;

State Department of the Environment (Sema): identifying any potential environmental damage;

Ambipar Response: a specialized company that also operates under a chemical emergency contract with transporters to handle decontamination and restoration of affected areas;

ANTT participates in the simulation both in its promotion and in the evaluation of all procedures adopted. As the overseeing body of the BR-163 concession contract, the Agency’s mission is to represent the interests of drivers, continually evaluating the measures taken by the concessionaire.

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