Fire, Vapor, and Liquid Spill Control

Flashcards covering procedures, precautions, and materials for fire control, water-reactive substance management, vapor suppression, and liquid spill containment.

How are fires involving a spill of flammable liquids usually controlled?

By applying a firefighting foam to the surface of the burning material.

What three elements are required to fight flammable liquid fires using foam?

Foam concentrate that is chemically compatible with the burning material, correct mixing of the foam concentrate with water and air, and careful application and maintenance of the foam blanket.

What are the two general types of firefighting foam?

Regular and alcohol-resistant.

What are three examples of regular firefighting foam?

Protein-base, fluoroprotein, and aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF).

What are polar solvents, and which type of foam must be used to control fires involving them?

Polar solvents are flammable liquids that are water soluble (such as alcohols and ketones); alcohol-resistant foam must be used because regular foam cannot easily control them.

Which standard should be referenced for information regarding higher foam application rates for polar solvent fires?

NFPA Standards 11.

What type of firefighting foam may be effective for flammable liquids with subsidiary corrosive or toxic hazards?

Alcohol-resistant foam.

What factors determine how to decide to control a fire at an incident scene?

Incident location, exposure hazards, size of the fire, environmental concerns, and availability of extinguishing agents and equipment at the scene.

What immediate action should be considered for water-reactive materials before technical advice is obtained?

Consider letting the fire burn or leaving the spill alone, except to prevent its spreading by diking.

Why is technical advice required when dealing with water-reactive materials?

Water inside a leaking or ruptured container may cause an explosion, adjoining containers may need cooling to prevent rupture or fire spread, water is only effective if applied at a sufficient flooding rate for a long period, and reaction products may be more toxic, corrosive, or undesirable.

What operational conditions must be taken into account when responding to water-reactive materials?

Existing conditions (such as wind, precipitation, location, and accessibility to the incident) and the availability of agents to control the fire or spill.

What four elements are required to conduct vapor control on flammable or corrosive liquid pools?

Proper protective clothing, specialized equipment, appropriate chemical agents, and skilled personnel.

What are four methods or agent types used to minimize vapors escaping from pools of spilled liquids?

Special foams, adsorbing agents, absorbents, and neutralizing agents.

What precaution must be taken when using water spray to form a vapor seal over a liquid spill?

Care must be taken not to churn or further spread the spill during application.

How can vapors that do not react with water be directed away from the incident site?

By using the air currents surrounding the water spray.

What are three common methods used to deal with a liquid spill?

Diking, damming, and absorbing.

What are the four most common types of granular inert absorbent materials?

Sand, diatomaceous earth, vermiculite, and clay.

What is diatomaceous earth?

A fine powder made from sedimentary rock.

What synthetic materials are commonly used to make non-combustible absorbents?

Polypropylene, polyethylene, or other synthetic fibers.

Why should sawdust not be used to absorb flammable liquids or oxidizers?

Because it can catch fire.

Why should clay litter not be used to absorb acids?

Because it may contain baking soda, which will react with acids.