News

At the railway station Petrovice u Karviné stopped full train with containers loaded with white phosphorus. On one of the cars found worker ČD Cargo leak of an unknown liquid. The car was taken out of the train, but when moving to a blind track car derailed. White phosphorus is a very dangerous substance, so there were immediately informed all partts of the Integrated Rescue System (IRS).

Fortunately no accident in Petrovice near Karvina occurred. Leakage of hazardous substances was a topic of emergency preparedness exercise, which was attended by the Fire Brigade of Moravian-Silesian Region (FRB MSR), chemical laboratory FRB MSR, the RIA Fire Service and the Police of the Czech Republic.

The exercise was divided into two parts – theoretical and practical. The theoretical part took place in the building FRB MSR Karviná and Mgr. Alena Zátopková, security adviser to ČD Cargo, lectured here too. She explained to participants with the way of transportation, risks and potential disposal of leakage of white phosphorus.

The practical part included the closure of the defined danger zone around dead-end tracks, warning the population, sampling as well as their analysis. After finding that there was no leakage of fluid from the container, and that therefore there is no danger, the second part of the exercise – railing of the car back on track – followed. This operation has been conducted under the full control of the SŽDC Fire Rescue Service.

Exercise turned to the full satisfaction of all concerned. It demonstrated readiness and harmony in solving such emergencies such as the leak of phosphorus could mean. It should be added that ČD Cargo white phosphorus transports ensures to full customer satisfaction since December 2014.