Gas Infrastructure Emergency Response Plan

Purpose. This plan sets out how the business will prepare for, respond to and recover from gas infrastructure emergencies, including major escapes, loss of supply, facility events and third party damage.

1.Purpose and scope

This plan applies to any event on the network that threatens public safety, causes or threatens a loss of supply to 50 or more customers, or involves fire, explosion or gas inside a building. It aligns with the state emergency management arrangements and the safety case.

2.Emergency levels

Events are classified into three levels. Level 1 is a local escape handled by a first responder. Level 2 involves a main isolation, loss of supply to multiple customers or fire service attendance and is managed by the Emergency Response Coordinator. Level 3 is a major event with public evacuation, sustained loss of supply or a facility fire and activates the incident management team.

• Level 1: first responder manages on site
• Level 2: Emergency Response Coordinator manages with control centre support
• Level 3: incident management team activated, General Manager informed

3.Roles

The control centre shift leader is the initial incident controller until relieved. The Emergency Response Coordinator takes control at Level 2. The General Manager or delegate chairs the incident management team at Level 3 and is the single point of contact for the regulator and emergency services.

4.Response actions

Response follows the first response procedure: protect life, establish site control, stop the escape, isolate under permit, then repair and restore. The control centre must track every affected customer so that relights are completed and recorded.

5.Communication

The control centre will notify the fire service, police and the regulator as required by the level. Public information will be issued through the communications lead only. Retailers will be told of any loss of supply within one hour.

6.Recovery and review

After the emergency the business will confirm every customer is restored, will complete the incident report, will hold a debrief within five working days and will update this plan with any lessons.

7.Exercises

The plan will be exercised at least twice a year, once as a desktop exercise and once as a field exercise with the fire service where possible. Exercise findings will be recorded in the HSE Incident and Hazard Register as improvement actions.