Safety at the Petrojam refinery in Kingston has been strengthened, following the commissioning into service of an automotive foam fire truck and an ambulance.

Delivering the keynote address at the ceremony, held at the entity’s Marcus Garvey Drive headquarters on Tuesday (January 23), Science and Energy Minister Daryl Vaz said fires do not occur often in the oil industry, but when they do occur, they have “devastating consequences and negative publicity”.

“Accidents will happen, and Petrojam has seen its fair share of incidents with fires threatening the refinery in August 2017 and April 2022. In each instance, the refinery was quick in its response to contain and extinguish these fires with minimal damage to equipment and near-zero disruption in services,” the minister said.

He pointed out that refineries handle large quantities of highly combustible materials, and that fires and explosions are “constant risks” that must be managed, and the processing plants are designed to minimise the risks through “proper specifications” and fire-prevention measures.

“With the addition of this automotive foam fire truck and ambulance to the Petrojam firefighting fleet, we are equipped with an added layer of protection against fires, thereby honouring the commitment to fulfilling the refinery’s role in advancing Jamaica’s energy security,” Vaz said.

He informed that foam has proven to be the “best medium” to extinguish fluid fires, and it typically consists of the components water, foam concentrates and air, noting that the foam concentrate is mixed with the extinguishing water at a “precisely defined rate” and is then added to the premix to generate the foam.

“Depending on the foam concentrate and the quantity of air, different types of foam are produced to extinguish different types of fire,” the minister added.

The refinery currently uses the fire water system as the primary firefighting tool, and the water source is the Kingston Harbour (sea water). There are two pumping stations adjacent to the harbour that supply water to the fire water system. The automotive foam apparatus is equipped to handle a variety of emergencies, particularly those involving flammable liquids and chemicals.

“Naturally, accidents are often accompanied by injuries and other health risks. So, it is fitting that the new additions to the safety apparatus include an ambulance to respond to emergencies. This unit includes a primary stretcher, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) machine, an automated external defibrillator device (AED) and a ventilator device that operates with the oxygen system which will provide, at the very
least, the reassurance that help is never too far away if an accident occurs,” Vaz said.

For his part, Member of Parliament for Kingston Western, Desmond McKenzie, said the safety upgrade of the refinery speaks volumes to the “joined up approach” of the Government.

He noted that the Jamaica Fire Brigade has been assisting the State-owned refinery in its emergencies, and as “Member of Parliament, I have a vested interest in the safety of Petrojam and the surrounding communities”.