Saftey again: the "sock" test

In few weeks, once fuelled, MSG-3 will be moved to the BAF (Batiment Assemblage Final/Final Assembly Building) where it will be mated on the Ariane 5 rocket. The few MSG-3 team members that will be authorised to operate in this building do have to follow a safety training. One of the practical tests is to train people to quickly escape from the top of this facility in case of danger.
As it can be seen on the picture below, the BAF, which accommodates the rocket is in fact a tower. The staff operating on the payload are working on the PFEI (PlateForme Elevatrice Inférieure) at the 9th level which is located in the upper part of this building. You may then take an external staircase, or even better:
are you ready for the big jump?

In case of alarm, the staff shall have to move quickly into a shelter located on the ground floor or even to leave the BAF. In both cases, if staff are operating on the PFEI, they imperatively need to use a (very) long "sock" to evacuate.
Posted signs indicate the way to follow... up to this closed door.

Then, you just open it to discover the sock in which you will have to jump in.
By walking on the grid, you get a shower, not to wake you up, but to decontaminate or put out your clothes in case of need.

Before jumping, have a look upstairs to make sure that nobody is already on its way. First, he/she may fall on your neck and second it is not sure that jams in socks have ever been tested...

Once on your way down, the speed can easily be regulated just by spreading elbows and/or knees. The trip from top to bottow will anyway last few seconds. So no time to be scared by local bugs that will be slightly surprised but for sure disturbed as the sock is fortunately extremely rarely used.

The training for the "sock" test  is performed in a dedicated tower in order not to disturbed operations in the BAF. In such a case members of fire brigade helps the trainees landing on the ground floor or those who may get stuck to get out...

In any case, Christian was ready to wake up fainting or shocked colleagues.

Finally everything went very well, all MSG-3 team members successfully passed the test and qualified for BAF operations.

A special thank you to Vincente (who took the picture), our training manager today, and the two firemen (members of the Paris Fire Brigade).