Injured stevedores that need to be evacuated from awkward locations were just two scenarios acted out during an emergency response exercise at Tauranga Container Terminal recently.

The exercise involved Port of Tauranga staff and the New Zealand Fire Service.

The New Zealand Fire Service and the Port of Tauranga were involved in an emergency response on Friday. Photo: File.

'Two scenarios, where injured stevedores needed to be evacuated from underdeck were played out,” says Port of Tauranga's corporate services manager Sara Lunam.

'These were designed to make use of the port's special ‘fit-for-purpose' evacuation platform, which can be attached to container crane spreaders.”

To enhance the reality of the exercise, it was conducted on-board the coastal container vessel Spirit of Endurance, operated by Pacifica Shipping.

The vessel's management was in full support of the emergency response exercise.

Staff from Independent Stevedoring Ltd (ISL), along with a fire-truck and personnel from the Greerton Fire Station, also participated in the exercise.

'The Port has a strong health and safety focus, and along with companies working in our environment, we are committed to undertaking pro-active training exercises,” says Sara.

'It's great to be able to collaborate with companies operating on the port and with emergency services, to provide invaluable learning opportunities from which we all benefit.”

Greerton Fire Brigade station officer Neil Patrick says a great deal was learnt from the live simulation exercise.

He says it encourages all parties to look to actively work together on more frequent occasions in order to promote communications and learning.

'Our team got an enormous amount from this exercise and looks forward to further collaborations,” adds Neil.