Alto de Santa Ana, in Cangas del Narcea, has been this morning the scenario of a prevention exercise carried out by EDP in collaboration with the Emergency Service of the Principality of Asturias (SEPA, by its initials in Spanish) and the fire station of Cangas del Narcea. With this exercise, EDP reinforces its cooperation with the emergency services.

The exercise consisted of a fictitious scenario in which an EDP maintenance brigade was readying itself to repair network elements in the high voltage metallic support (24 kV), in a hard-to-access area with abundant vegetation when, supposedly, one of the workers felt indisposed and lost consciousness. Therefore, his rescue was requested alongside immediate medical assistance.

The SEPA's medicalized helicopter, based at La Morgal, took part in this instruction operation along with four vehicles from the fire station of Cangas del Narcea, including a ladder truck and a multi-emergency van. A mobile ICU with medical and technical personnel also lent their aid in the exercise. In addition, personnel from Semi, a company specializing in high voltage work, and IntecoAstur, an emergency plan support company, both EDP collaborators, as well as EDP's prevention (Health, Safety and Environment) managers and staff, intervened.

In total, about thirty people participated in the exercise during an enriching working day in which they shared techniques and their best practices in prevention.

This type of training operations are carried out periodically in the high and medium voltage overhead grid and in different autonomous communities in which EDP operates. The jobs in the electrical distribution grid are safe and the staff has sufficient technical means, education and training, which is complemented by a wide experience and self-rescue procedures. However, this emergency training makes it possible to rehearse coordination between these different teams and anticipate extreme situations that may arise, which is essential to guarantee cooperation with the emergency services.

Work health and safety are crucial for EDP, which has a rigorous Plan of Excellence to meet its goal of zero accidents and no staff injuries, and promotes a safety culture among all its employees. In this sense, different safety-related activities are planned each year to cover all types of facilities and scenarios.