Honolulu CC students to conduct mock emergency response to chemical spill

Participation is part of final exam for student responders

Honolulu Community College
Contact:
Ralph Kam, (808) 845-9110
Dean
Chulee Grove, (808) 845-9434
Occupational & Environmental Safety Management
Posted: Oct 31, 2007

HONOLULU - Honolulu Community College (HCC) students enrolled in the Emergency Response to Hazardous Materials class will respond to a mock chemical spill as part of their final exam on Saturday, November 3, from 9 to10 a.m. HCC‘s Building 5 courtyard will be littered with 55-gallon drums, flour, shaving cream and semiconscious "victims," all posing as obstacles and potential scenarios for the students to manage during the response.

The 16 students involved in the exercise will don chemical protective suits, nicknamed the "moonsuit." The "moonsuit" is an encapsulating suit with a self-contained breathing apparatus used to assess hazards, conduct sampling, control spills, and rescue victims. During the mock spill, students will be expected to demonstrate competencies in the use, care, and decontamination of the moonsuit, as well as proper emergency response procedures. They must properly remove the contaminated "victims," stop the spill, and mitigate any immediate public threat.

Occupational and Environmental Safety Management Professor Chulee Grove will coordinate a group of volunteers to play the role of reporters and bystanders in order to simulate as realistic an incident as possible. The class meets OSHA‘s standards on training requirements for hazardous waste operations and emergency response.

For more information, contact Chulee Grove at (808) 845-9434 or chulee@hcc.hawaii.edu.