Mock Safety Drill conducted at Wagon Depot, Vijayawada

Vijayawada Division of SCR conducted Mock Safety Drill in association with Civil Defense Organization, SCR under the supervision of Shri K. Srinivas, Sr. Divisional Mechanical Engineer, Vijayawada at Mineral Siding near Wagon Depot, Vijayawada today, i.e., 11th December, 2019. Dr.V.B. Manoj, Assistant Chief Medical Superintendent, Railway Hospital, Vijayawada, and Shri P. Raghunath Reddy, Sr. Divisional Safety Officer, Vijayawada also took part in the Mock Drill exercise. Self Propelled Accident Relief Medical Van (SPARMV) staff, Vijayawada and Civil Defense Organization, SCR personnel jointly performed the Mock Drill exercise.  

The basic objective of conducting this mock drill is to train the staff working in Medical Relief Trains to play vital role in extraction of passengers and move them to the nearest hospital for treatment, which will help in saving precious lives and minimize the casualties. Mock Drill Exercise started at 10.45 am with the ringing of alarm at the mineral siding and underwent till 12.15 hrs in the afternoon with a total of 100 Railway staff taking part in rescue and restoration operations. A condemned coach and Medical Relief Van were placed at the Mineral siding near Wagon depot for the purpose of mock drill exercise. This exercise is not only aimed at training the staff in using the state of art Hydraulic  Rescue Devices that are available in MRVs, but also to train them in entering the derailed coaches in typical situations where all possible ways of entering the blocked coaches.

Details of the Mock Drill Exercise:

• After the alarm siren rang loud, the Carriage & Works(C&W) team of SPARMV staff immediately rushed to the condemned coach and started cutting the window iron grills and the side bodies of the coach to split open the coaches and rescue the wounded passengers. 
• Heavy Hydraulic cutters, drilling machines, wood cutting machines etc were used by the C&W team during the exercise.
• Civil Defense staff rushed into the coaches for rescuing the injured passengers.
• Civil Defense staff demonstrated totally 17 methods in rescuing the passenger in various injured conditions. 
• They demonstrated multiple methods suitable for one rescuer and more than one rescuer like Human Crutch, Fireman’s Lift, Toe Drag, Rope Lift, Cloth Lift and blanket lift.
• For passengers stranded on the top of coaches and unconscious passengers, Chain Knot method and window rescue with stretcher were performed respectively.
• The injured passengers are rushed to the caravan arranged first Aid services are rendered and are rushed to MRV or ambulance depending on the gravity of injury. 
• Fire fighting staff demonstrated firefighting with different types of extinguishers in the advent of a fire breakout during any derailments or accidents.
• Hydraulic Splitters were used to free trapped passengers in the debris of derailed coach.

Addressing the staff, Dr. V.B. Manoj, ACMS,Railway Hospital, Vijayawada explained the various measures undertaken to minimize the human damage and timely treatment of the injured passengers. He said that Medical Relief Van contains one compartment solely for medical treatment which contains Opertaion Theatre with head lamp and a ward with 10 bed facility to treat the injured. Trauma induced minor surgical procedures can be done in the OT cabin. He said that MRV has a cabin stocked with emergency medicines, tablets, injections  IV fluids and the MRV also has foldable stretchers, portable generators and Dictaphone to record the statement of the injured passengers. ACMS appreciated the SPARMV and CDO staff conducting the mock drill efficiently. 

Speaking on the occasion, Shri. K. Srinivas, Sr. DME, Vijayawada Division said that it is a multiple department exercise,  as a part of periodical training to the staff of Mechanical, Safety, Medical and S&T Departments to help them be prepared in times of exigency for quick and swift response to undertake rescue operations in minimum possible time to reduce rail passengers casualties.