B Double fuel tanker rollover in Hamilton

by David Harris, Region 5 Operations Officer

Incident Summary South West Area Incident: B-Double Fuel Tanker roll over Date: 29 July 2008 Type: HAZMAT Location: Intersection of Coleraine Road and Mount Bainbridge Road – Opposite Region 5 HQ First call: 1142 hours Brigades responded: Hamilton, Grange and North Hamilton Support Agencies: VicPol, VICSES, EPA, ASV, Shire of Southern Grampians, VicRoads and Scott’s Petroleum Incident Controller: Capt Bruce Snell Operations Officer: FF Richard Van Der Most RDO/Planning Officer: OO David Harris

At around 1140 hours on 29 July, a B-Double fuel transport carrying 55,000 litres of diesel overturned at the roundabout opposite the Region 5 HQ. During the accident the truck brought down a street light and powerlines.

The Captain of the Grange Fire Brigade and administration staff from the Region HQ who witnessed the crash were some of the first on scene. They assisted the driver, who luckily didn’t sustain any injuries in the crash.

The tanks of the transport had been damaged during the accident with diesel leaking. Prompt action by Hamilton brigade saw the spill quickly contained and leaks plugged in the tank. An IMT was also set up within the first hour of the operation. This allowed for adequate briefing and communications between the agencies involved.

Police, with assistance from VicRoads and the Shire of Southern Grampians, set up a traffic management plan that reduced the Glenelg Highway to two lanes around the accident. Regional staff arranged catering for all the personnel at the incident.

An Information Unit provided information to local media and also conducted a door knock of more than 50 residences within the first few hours of the incident.

A P-12 college, two primary schools, a kindergarten and Hamilton’s school bus interchange are all only a few hundred metres from the scene. Police contacted the schools and worked with teaching staff to re-route school buses and escort students across the Glenelg Highway.

The transport company dispatched an emergency trailer from Melbourne and staff from Mount Gambier. Once on scene they drilled into the tanks and decanted the diesel into a waiting B-Double. Discussions with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) indicated the contaminated soil would need to be removed from the site and stored at an approved land fill.

Because the decanting process took considerable time, the IMT, with help from police and shire staff, was able to arrange for an excavator and trucks with replacement soil to attend the scene. The IMT also arranged an approved site at the local land fill for the contaminated soil. A lighting unit from VICSES was called because the operation would continue past sunset.

The decanting was completed at around 1745 hours. The prime mover and trailers were then righted and transported to Mount Gambier. The traffic management on the Glenelg Highway remained in place until approximately 2100 hours when the removal of the contaminated soil was complete.

The operation was an example of the benefits that come from positive working relationships between services. By working as a team, all agencies were able to make the most of their resources. The foresight shown by the IMT, fireground and support agency personnel lead to an extremely streamlined operation.

All personnel should be proud of their efforts.