Hazardous Materials Response: Containers, Regulations, and Safety Protocols

substances that combined in wrong containers can produce what kind of reactions?

Agressive - ex. acid and base

CBRNE

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear weapon/material, Explosive.

Regulations

Mandates that are issued and enforced by governmental bodies.

Drums

Barrel-like storage vessels used to store a wide variety of substances including food-grade materials, corrosives, flammable liquids, and grease.

Carboys

Glass, plastic, or steel containers that hold 19-60 L of products, such as corrosives or other chemicals.

Cylinders

Containers with circular cross-sections designed to store gases under pressure above 276 kPa.

Dewar containers

Cylindrical, low-pressure containers designed to hold cryogenic liquids (boiling point below -90°C at 101.3 kPa).

Incident Action Plan (IAP)

Written or oral plan containing incident objectives and overall strategy.

Emergency zone

Cold zone.

BLEVE

Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion that can occur when valves activate and release pressure.

NFPA diamond

A color-coded system indicating health (blue), flammability (red), reactivity (yellow), and special hazards (white).

UN numbers

Used numerically to identify hazardous materials.

Routes of exposure

Inhalation, absorption, ingestion, injection are primary routes of exposure.

Chemical and physical properties

Characteristics of a substance that are measurable.

States of Matter

Solid, Liquid, Gas/Vapour.

Flammable liquid characteristics

Flash point, ignition temperature, flammable range (LEL/UEL).

Lower flash point

Indicates higher flammability.

Lower vapour pressure

Indicates lower volatility.

Container stress types

Thermal, Chemical, Mechanical.

270:1 ratio

When gas is compressed into a liquid, 270 L of gas becomes 1 L of liquid.

Solubility

The ability of a substance to dissolve in water.

Concentration

Relative amount of a substance.

pH

Measured with paper or meters; determines corrosivity.

Acute exposure

Causes immediate health effects.

Chronic exposure

Causes long-term health effects.

Vapour pressure

The pressure above the liquid (headspace) in containers.

Response objectives

Should focus on protecting life, property, and the environment.

Incident Commander (IC)

Decides if entering contamination zones is necessary.

PPE

Has greatest impact on responder safety

Respiratory protection

Is a key PPE element.

Air-purifying respirators

Cannot be used in IDLH atmospheres.

Technical decontamination

Normal decon method.

Emergency decontamination

Used when immediate decontamination is required.

Size-up methods

Include observing substance, asking observers, inspecting labels, surveying surroundings, staying skeptical, and reporting findings.

What is an incident action plan?

It is the result of analyzing information and arriving at a final plan.

What is the first priority of an incident action plan?

To protect life.

What is the starting point for implementing a response in an incident action plan?

Scene control.

Steps in scene size-up

Include detecting hazardous material, estimating likely harm without intervention, choosing response objectives, identifying action options, doing best plan, and evaluating your progress.

What are protective actions in emergency response?

Actions taken to control the scene.

What technical reference can be consulted for initial isolation distance?

The Emergency Response Guide (ERG).

CAN report

Includes Condition, Action, Needs.

What is span of control?

The number of people one person can effectively supervise, generally 1:5.

When is incident command reestablished?

When the first unit arrives on scene.

When is incident command maintained?

Until the last unit leaves.

Level A fully encapsulated suit

One-piece ensemble with attached boots for SCBA use.

Wearing PPE

Causes mental and physical stress, can make things difficult to read

what happens due to PPE making things difficult to see?

Hard to read labels, Hard to see other responders, Hard to see screens, Hard to find escape routes

what are the types of communication? ( main and backup)

Hand signals should be used as a backup for radio communication.

Choosing PPE

The best level of protection is the one that is most appropriate for the hazard and mission.

Single-use PPE

Is most common type of ppe

PPE maintenance

Must be cleaned, inspected, tested, and maintained after each use.

AHJ standards

Provide the exact standard for reporting after a WMD incident.

NFPA 1990

Provides information for PPE performance and testing.

Chemical protective clothing

Isolates the responder from hazards but does not provide adequate protection from prolonged exposures to thermal hazards.

Permeation

Occurs when a chemical passes through a material at the molecular level without visible openings.

What is a recommended strategy for product control in hazmat situations?

Confine the problem to the smallest area possible.

What type of calls will most hazmat incidents require?

Some product control measures.

When might a 'no action' option be safer in hazmat incidents?

If risks outweigh the benefits.

Containment techniques

Include dilution and covering hazardous materials with foam or another agent to suppress vapors.

Recovery phase

Involves returning the area to pre-incident condition and could take months.

What should guide your product control measures?

AHJ SOPs

What does confinement do?

Keeps material to one area

What is the purpose of containment?

Stops the leak itself

What should you follow regarding policies and procedures?

Your AHJ's SOPs and policies

i sit better to make fast and reactive decisions or slow and thought out decisions?

you must make a conscious effort to change your perspective; slow down, think about the problem and probable consequences

what is the difference between hazardous material/weapons of mass destruction incidents and other emergencies?

hazardous material/ weapons of mass destruction incidents involve substances that can cause widespread harm to people, property, and the environment — meaning that they require a highly cautious and thought out response

those responding to weapon of mass destruction incidents should work ( within their level of training ) or ( to their highest ability)

within their level of training

what should you find out about emergency response plan first?

it's location

what is the safest way to approach a scene?

safe direction/location ex. uphill, upwind, upstream

when formulating a plan for addressing a weapons of mass destruction situation what 3 things do you need to do?

Safety, Isolate, Notify

strong acids are stored in what type of container?

carboys

- Cryogenic liquids (liquid oxygen, helium, hydrogen) marked with what kind of shape?

with diamond-shaped symbols

air transport

Shipping papers kept in cockpit

placards are required on how many sides of transport veciles?

all four

natural gas (rises or falls)

rises

propane ( rises or falls)

falls

Steps after a container breach

Form hypothesis, establish incident objectives, develop an action plan.

non ionizing radiation

low energy, causes heating

ionizing radiation

high energy, causes ionization and potential biological damage

does water have a flash point?

no

what determines corrosivity?

pH

what helps control chemical releases by knocking down vapour clouds

water

what two things must you understand before taking action?

nature of the incident and hazards

if there is a life threat do you wait to assess before action?

no

evacuation procedures should be pre-established in what type of areas?

dense areas

what is the "goal" of ppe?

Make personnel and equipment safe by reducing exposure

what is a trigger of decon procedures?

contamination

Liqified gas can cause what type of exposure hazard?

cold exposure hazards

what type of tool could be used to detect material releases?

thermal imagers

where should ppe be stored?

PPE shall be stored in a cool, dry place with no temperature extremes and out of direct sunlight

Repairing or modifying PPE without consulting the manufacturer may result in what?

risk that the garment will not perform as expected

Minimum level of protection in an unknown environment - is what level?

level B

NFPA documentation

Responders need to understand that older NFPA documents have been consolidated and know what that means