Han Admiraal has been appointed as Tunnel Safety Officer for the Kil Tunnel, near Dordrecht in the Netherlands. The appointment of an independent Tunnel Safety Officer is mandatory in the Netherlands and is based on the Law on Additional Regulations for Safety of Road Tunnels, which is the national implementation of the EU Road Tunnel Safety Directive.
The Kil Tunnel is a special tunnel in that it provides a critical link between the island of the Hoeksche Waard and the island of Dordrecht. It is the only link providing direct access from the Hoeksche Waard to schools and the hospital in Dordrecht. The tunnel lies under the Dordtse Kil river and as such replaces the ferry service that used to cross the river between both islands. The Kil Tunnel is a toll tunnel for road traffic and also provides access t o cyclists and pedestrians.
As a Tunnel Safety Officer, Han Admiraal, oversees all safety measures that are taken by the Tunnel Operating Authority. He is also the linking pin between the Tunnel Operating Authority and the Emergency and Rescue Services. One of the tasks the follows from this is assisting in organising regular emergency exercises for the emergency services. These exercises aim at testing both the procedures and preparedness of the Tunnel Operating Authority and the emergency services.