15 tasks to be performed in flood and storm management; response to incidents, natural disasters and rescue in Vietnam

15 tasks to be performed in flood and storm management; response to incidents, natural disasters, and rescue in Vietnam (Illustrative image)

Article 21 of Circular 01/2010/TT-BGTVT stipulates 15 tasks to be performed in flood and storm management; response to incidents, natural disasters, and rescue as follows:

- Promptly disseminate flood, storm, incident, natural disaster warnings; issue warnings, alerts for floods, storms, incidents, natural disasters; make emergency mobilization decisions; make emergency measures decisions... concerning flood and storm management; response to incidents, natural disasters, and rescue to the railway units in the areas with floods, storms, incidents, or natural disasters.

- Ensure smooth command communications in the area affected by floods, storms, incidents, or natural disasters and with the Anti-flood and Storm Directive Committee; response to incidents, natural disasters, and rescue at all levels.

- Timely deploy forces and vehicles for flood and storm management; response to incidents, natural disasters, and rescue.

- Search and rescue victims; evacuate rail staff and the public from dangerous areas. Salvage vehicles, equipment, protect the assets of the State, units, and individuals (transportation means, goods, warehouses, items...).

- Protect and rescue railway constructions that are being destroyed or pose a risk of disasters from floods, storms, incidents, or natural disasters.

- Ensure security and order of the railway agencies and units within the areas affected by floods, storms, incidents, or natural disasters.

- Guide rail staff and the public to comply with ecological environmental hygiene and disease management in the areas affected by floods, storms, incidents, or natural disasters and in the evacuation areas.

- Arrange rail cars either on the tracks or in stations so that they are connected, and the doors of rail cars must be tightly closed. For rail cars not engaged in shunting or train operations, the hand brakes must be tightly squeezed, and they must be firmly secured.

- Facilitate rail transport services at the stations by allowing quick removal of goods, or loading them onto rail cars. Existing goods in depot yards must be elevated, covered, and firmly tied...

- Evacuate locomotives and rail cars from flood-prone station areas.

- Upon receiving information about road flooding, damage, or obstacles on the track, the controlling officer at the two adjacent stations of the affected line must hold all trains and locomotives heading into that section; also notify train operations to block the section, if train operations' phone service is unavailable, the officers at both stations are authorized to block the section; afterwards, report to local transport units, rail infrastructure management units, and signal information management units for them to check damages and obstacles to find swift remedial measures.

- If there is heavy prolonged rain, before allowing the train to run, the controlling officer must issue a warning for the train running into the section: “carefully proceed, speed not exceeding 15 km/h”;

- If strong winds can topple trees, electric poles causing obstacles on the track or if strong winds impede the safety of the locomotive, the controlling officer, train manager, and driver must confer and judge the situation; if it is deemed dangerous for train operation, they must hold the train at the station until the windstorm subsides.

- When the rainstorm subsides, the local infrastructure management unit must deploy personnel to immediately check and resolve any issues affecting train safety, and the station controlling officer can only allow the waiting train to enter the section when the local infrastructure management unit confirms that the tracks are clear and safe. If waiting for more than 60 minutes without notification from the local infrastructure management unit, the train may enter the section with the warning: “proceed with caution, speed not exceeding 15 km/h, pay attention to track after rain, flood, or storm.”

- In the event of heavy prolonged rain, strong windstorms (points a, b clause 12 of this Article) in special section areas already notified, the station controlling officer must wait for confirmation from the local bridge and road management unit or rail inspection cart about the clear and safe state of the tracks before allowing the train to proceed.

- If the train is running and the train manager or train driver finds that the windstorm is strong enough to threaten the train’s safety, they must stop and send personnel to safeguard both the front and rear of the train. When the windstorm abates, the train manager and driver will sound the whistle to call back the safeguarding personnel and confer with the driver to cautiously proceed at a speed not exceeding 15 km/h and be ready to stop if an obstacle is encountered.

- When the train is running, and the tracks are found submerged:

- If the water reaches the sleepers with waves higher than 5 cm, strong currents, turbid floodwaters (felt resistance when moving upstream), the train driver and manager must stop the train before the submerged section, dispatch safeguarding personnel as required, and immediately notify the nearest station (by phone or by sending personnel); the station must then report to the local bridge and road management unit. The train can only proceed through the submerged section once the local bridge and road management unit confirms safe passage.

- If the water submersion is due to heavy rain pool water, without strong currents or large waves, and the area is not prone to floods or storms, the conditions for the train to traverse the submerged section must meet the requirements for locomotives and rail cars. Specifically:

- When the train must stop, if the water level is rising or the track is eroding, sinking, or collapsing, thus threatening to block the train or pose an accident risk, the train manager and driver must make a decision to back up or move the train away from the danger. When backing the train to the station, the train manager and driver must implement all prescribed measures for train reverse operations according to the “Train Operation and Shunting Procedures.”

See more details at: Circular 01/2010/TT-BGTVT, effective from February 25, 2010.

Nguyen Phu

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