ELKO — There was an accident at the exploration site.
The backhoe operator failed to notice the drill platform next to him and swung into it, propelling several large drill pipes into a nearby pickup truck.
One miner died. Several others were injured.
And mine rescue teams only had 30 minutes to secure the scene.
The scenario was fictional, however. The corpse was a mannequin, the vehicles were pre-damaged, and the injured victims were actors. Everything was staged — except for the rescue teams’ performances.
Fifteen mine rescue teams from across the western states individually faced this scenario head-on Saturday as part of the annual Safety Olympiad, held outside the Elko Convention Center.
The accident on Saturday was just one of the many emergency situations during the two-day event.
Teams responded to scenarios involving fire, medical assistance, trauma, rope rescue and hazardous material, said Kory Soderquist, Safety Olympiad organizer and Emergency Response coordinator.
“This training provides a learning experience for everyone involved,” Soderquist said. “These are all situations that could happen ... and it not only bonds team members together, but all the rescue teams together as well.”
The teams were scored based on certain criteria for each scenario, Soderquist said.
As Barrick Gold Corp.’s Cortez Mine Rescue team rushed to treat the injured at the simulated accident site on Saturday morning, new challenges continued to pop up.
Rescue members investigated one man’s odd behavior only to discover he had explosives. One random man burst onto the scene and wandered from one situation to the next, sometimes talking with the injured.
Spectators sitting in the bleacher seats watched the Cortez Mine Rescue team try to contain the accident, which frequently became disorganized with hysterical crying and erratic behavior.
“You never know what can happen,” said Randy Miller, who watched the rescue team from the sidelines. “All these scenarios are possibilities and can be real dangers.”
Miller is the lead man and shovel operator for Newmont Mining Corp.’s Emigrant Mine. He’s been with the company for 25 years, he said.
“Everything has to be considered,” he said, noting that a staged gas canister at the far end of the scene posed a fire threat. “You have to look for hints and clues (of potential risks) — they all tie in (to the bigger problem). Anything can be a real threat in this day and age."
This was the article that the newspaper out of Elko wrote about the competition. I am so proud of Todd's team they did awesome, they have come a long ways from last year. If you look close in the picture on the right side I am sitting in the bleachers I am the one in the red shirt, I made the paper lol:)
