A mock drill on Fire Safety was successfully conducted at the pilot burner, mixed gas line of Caster area in the Steel Melting Shop-I of SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on 5th September, 2025. The objective of the drill was to reinforce disaster preparedness and emergency response mechanism.
The exercise was carried out under the close supervision of Mr. B S Kartha, CGM, SMS-I. Support and coordination for the drill was provided by the Fire Services team led by Mr. S A Thakore, Deputy Manager (FS) and Mr. C K Sahoo, Deputy Manager (SED). Senior Officers and a cross section of employees of SMS-I were present on the occasion. The mock drill was a part of RSP’s ongoing statutory and internal safety protocols aimed at testing the efficiency and readiness of its onsite disaster management system.
The mock drill scenario revolved around a simulated leakage of mixed gas, followed by fire, rescue of two injured persons activating a coordinated response from key departments including Fire Services, Occupational Health Services Centre (OHSC), Energy Management Department (EMD), Safety Engineering and CISF.
Three dedicated teams Rescue, Auxiliary and Combat comprising trained personnel from multiple departments, undertook real time actions to contain the simulated emergency. Key parameters such as response time, inter agency coordination and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were critically assessed.
Such mock drills are routinely conducted in strategic operational units of RSP to ensure high alertness and quick responsiveness in the face of industrial emergencies. The drill concluded with a debriefing and evaluation session identify learning and areas for improvement. The mock drill was coordinated by Mr. N Behera, DSO, SMS-I.
