CON EDISON/9-11 • NEW YORK, NY
GROUND ZERO, SEPTEMBER 11TH
Con Edison Workers Turn On the Power in Record Time
Environmental and Safety Issues Faced Workers Responding to the 911 Terrorist Attack
On Tuesday September 11th, immediately following the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, Con Edison of New York’s EHS Department convened a team of company environment, health and safety experts to identify and address two great issues: how to deliver electrical power to downtown Manhattan and Ground Zero; and how to effectively deal with the potential environmental and safety issues facing employees who would be working in the disaster area. Mind Mapping was used to develop the EHS action plan and to manage the enormous volume of data and documentation this event generated. By late in the day on September 11th, an extensive sampling, testing, and monitoring effort was underway. Al Homyk* was one of the leaders of this effort.
*Al Homyk is now a vice president with Dottino Consulting
CHALLENGES
- Get electric power to Lower Manhattan as soon as possible. Estimates to restore power to ground zero area ranged into months
- Take measurements of asbestos, respirable dust, carbon monoxide, combustible gas, hydrogen sulfide, oxygen, noise, and volatile organic compounds at various work locations and share this information with government agencies
- Determine the level of protection needed to assure the safety of Con Edison employees and their contractors working in the area to re-establish electric, gas and steam service
SIGNATURE SOLUTIONS
- DCG had introduced Mind Mapping into Con Edison and trained hundreds of their executives, managers and staff
- Con Edison used Mind Maps to plan every aspect of their project
- Con Edison’s Chemistry Lab was placed on a 24-7 schedule to support this work
- Showers and vehicle wash-down facilities were set up in the work area and medical vans were moved into the area to support the respirator protection effort
- Additional respirators and personal protective equipment was procured to meet the needs of the many additional workers
coming into the area - Numerous safety tours and inspections were conducted to encourage individuals to use good work practices
RESULTS
- Electric service to lower Manhattan was restored within one week
- Con Edison workers were appropriately monitored and provided with personal protective equipment
- Long term health effects have been reduced due to proactive measures taken by the Company
