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Jun 1, 2000 12:00 PM

THE National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) and American Law Firm Association (ALFA) used a humorous skit to emphasize the importance of tank entry safety programs. The farce was staged to show a worst-case incident scenario and was presented at the NTTC annual Tank Cleaning Council seminar April 17-18 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Volunteers from the two associations were cast in the roles. The group presented a fictional trucking company and its tank cleaning facility, both with extremely inept managers.

When two men enter a tank with an improperly functioning air supply pump and no respirators, they are overcome by toluene residue. A third man enters the tank to rescue them and also is killed. The resulting chaos demonstrates how the inept managers were unable to handle the emergency response, publicity, and public outcry.

Although the characters were played with abandon by the actors, the purpose of the script was to show the importance of having competent safety managers and good safety programs.

After the finale, the audience divided into study groups to identify mistakes and determine a correct course of action.

Starring in the farce were Jay Lagness, QSI Environmental Services; John Conley, NTTC vice-president; and Mark Granger, Scott Vandenhouten, Michael Pacana, Trey Williams, Kerry Haliburton, Ed Laird, Steve Hoch, Chris Mattison, and George Fagan, all of ALFA.