CSG Respond to Pilot Boat Emergency

01 August 2011 by Daryl Tunningley

When two batteries exploded on the Port of Southampton’s pilot boat Haslar, Babcock International Group, who maintain the craft for ABP (Associated British Ports), called on the services of Cleansing Service Group’s ecoResponse team to clean up the spill of highly corrosive sulphuric acid.

“It was important that the spill was neutralised and pumped out of the compartment’s bilge as quickly as possible thus allowing the damaged batteries to be contained and removed from the boat for safe disposal,“ said Martin Aldridge, Babcock’s critical assets’ team leader.

Although the two 12 volt batteries were fitted in a bund, the force of the explosion meant that the acid had not been contained by the bund and the whole compartment needed to be de-contaminated to ensure that no trace of acid remained.

CSG’s ecoResponse spills manager Hugh Neatherway said: “The batteries were in a fairly confined space so it was important our team complied with all the essential personnel and environmental safety precautions. They were fully equipped with anti-chemical suits and respirators.

“The extensively damaged batteries were removed and have been sent to specialists for forensic examination in an effort to determine the cause of the explosion.”

Babcock International Group is the UK’s leading supplier of engineering support services, working with a wide range of government and key industrial organisations.

CSG’s specialist ecoResponse team operates a 24-hour, year-round call-out service dealing with a comprehensive range of emergency situations from flooding to chemical spills.