Hot work for Hazmat crew

Narrabri Fire and Rescue crews are busy meeting the demand of fires in several places at present, but attended an accident closer to home on Friday.

A B-double rolled as it was proceeding north when the accident occurred near Bellata.

The driver was uninjured.

However, the response, clean up and work at the scene took about 10 hours and involved four NSW Fire and Rescue vehicles in conjunction with Bellata Rural Fire Service.

‘There were potentially dangerous goods on board which required Hazmat response to ensure it was rendered safe” said Narrabri NSW Fire and Rescue firefighter Gavin Hanna.

The highway was only blocked for a short time while the vehicle was righted back on to its wheels.

A specialised hazardous materials unit, Hazmat (one of 20 in the state) is based at Narrabri to attend incidents like that on Friday where caustic or otherwise dangerous materials present a potential hazard to crews.

The dangerous goods from the B-double were stowed into special bins for disposal.

The Hazmat team wore chemical splash suits, with breathing apparatus, which fully cover the operator to guard against exposure.

“But they are hot to wear particularly on a day like Friday – we rotated personnel around to ensure they didn’t over heat,” said Gavin.