Recognizing and Identifying the Hazards

Introduction

Chemicals in the United States are prevalent and shipped through various modes.
New chemicals are continuously introduced for industrial, household, and lawn care purposes.
Hazardous materials incidents are possible, requiring awareness personnel to understand their role and responder status.
Awareness-level personnel should be familiar with emergency response plans.
Proper use and storage of chemicals are crucial, with specific storage locations and identification requirements.
The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) plays a significant role; emergency response plans, SOPs, and drills are essential.

Risk-Based Responses

Risk-based responses are used when developing emergency responses.
It's a systematic process that analyzes problems, develops Incident Action Plans (IAPs), and reevaluates the plan's effectiveness.

Approaching a Hazardous Materials Incident

Approach from a safe location and direction, staying uphill and upwind.
Use binoculars to assess the scene and question everyone involved.
Assess the scene for clues like dead animals, discolored pavement, dead grass, and wet areas.
Firefighters, law enforcement, and representatives from allied agencies should analyze from a safe distance.

Detecting the Presence of Hazardous Materials

Sources of information include dispatch, persons on scene, and personal knowledge of the response area.
Take precautionary measures and identify observable clues.
Use the senses to assess the scene.
A thorough size-up clarifies the problem and determines appropriate actions.

Forming a Plan for Addressing the Incident

Foundational information needed includes understanding what happened and the present danger.
Focus on SIN: Safety, Isolate, Notify.

Maximizing Safety

Scene size-up is essential for making informed decisions; pay close attention to the scene.
Situational awareness involves looking and seeing to understand the collective value of clues.

Chemical Incident at a Fixed Location

Locate key personnel, especially the Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) department.
EH&S employs safety professionals who can provide valuable information and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
Timely, accurate, and actionable information is crucial; find the right people with the right information at the right time.
Identify chemicals using proper source materials; responders must know what actions to take when identifying chemicals.

Initial Actions for Awareness Level Personnel

Stay upwind, uphill, and out of the problem area.
Obtain briefings from those involved and make a positive identification of the substance.
Obtain the SDS, identify markings, consult the ERG, and consult the AHJ.

Isolating the Scene

Prioritize safety, then isolation.
Establish hazard control zones to separate people from the problem.
Address life safety issues and secure hazard zones.
Establish a clear, visible command with a designated command post location and staffing.
Identify response objectives and a basic IAP.
Identify ignition sources and set isolation objectives for flammable liquids.

Notifying Other Responders

Other responders might be notified or provide help.
Notification procedures for large-scale incidents involve reporting hazardous materials emergencies.
Request assistance from local and regional authorities.
The AHJ emergency response plan should include a contact list and key players in the jurisdiction.
Familiarity with AHJ-provided resources and SOPs is essential for needed notifications and points of contact.

Basic Container Recognition

Containers provide clues about substances through their characteristics.
Common containers include 55-gallon drums, compressed gas cylinders, stainless steel containers, and Dewar containers.
Look closely at containers for the use of wrong containers and lack of markings.

Drums

Drums vary based on the nature of the chemical.
Materials include steel, polyethylene, cardboard, and stainless steel.
Closed-head drums have permanently attached lids with bungs, while open-head drums have removable lids and contain solid products.

Carboys

Used to store and transport 5 to 15 gallons of product, often corrosives.
Made of glass, plastic, or steel, with glass carboys requiring packaging to prevent breakage.
Thick glass carboys are used for strong acids, with packaging materials to prevent breakage.

Cylinders

Cylinders are used to store nitrogen, argon, helium, and oxygen.
They come in a range of sizes and pressures.
Uninsulated compressed gas cylinders can turn into a missile if they explode.
BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) can occur with rapidly applied heat; pressure-relief valves have limitations.
Liquified materials in propane cylinders can pose a BLEVE hazard.

Cryogens

Low-pressure Dewar containers are used for cryogens, which have low boiling points.
Examples of cryogens and their characteristics must be understood.
Threats include skin exposures and thermal burns from contact because cryogens are stored in a liquid state.

Transportation and Facility Markings and Information Sheets

Chemical-identifying markings are found in common locations.
Substances are identified by transportation markings.
Information sheets are valuable for identifying the material.

Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

SDS are invaluable sources of information on chemical makeup, potential hazards, first aid, and safe handling.
They are key to understanding but not definitive response tools.
OSHA requires the availability of SDS, often located in a computer database or provided by other sources.

NFPA 704 Marking System

This is an NFPA-specific system with characteristic diamond markings used in fixed facilities.
It identifies broad hazards, with colors representing chemical properties and characteristics (red, yellow, white, blue).
A 0–4 scale is used to identify the hazard level.
The most severe characteristic determines the basis hazard level.
Designations vary for red, yellow, blue, and white diamonds.
There are key differences between NFPA 704 and the DOT marking system.

Hazardous Materials Information System (HMIS)

This color-coded marking system identifies the hazard level of chemicals.
It is a voluntary system similar to one used in Canada, using numbers and colors.
HMIS in the workplace helps with information sharing and provides hazard training.
Employers can opt-out for another OSHA-compliant system.
PPE guidance uses letters and icons.
NFPA is intended for emergency responders, while HMIS is for workplace employees.

Military Hazardous Materials Markings

This system is specific to the U.S. military.
Categories identify detonation and fire hazards (Division 1, 2, 3, 4).
Colors identify chemical hazards (red, yellow, white).
Pictograms are used, with DOT placard exceptions.

Shipping Papers

Required by the DOT, these papers provide information identified by the papers.
They are required for road and highway transportation, with a required location and availability.
Additional information is provided, including the packaging group designation.
They identify special handling requirements or hazards, flash points, and toxicity.
Three packaging group designations exist.
Types of shipping papers include waybills, consist or train lists, dangerous cargo manifests, and air bills.

Pipelines

Pipelines are high-volume and may be underground or above ground.
Large-diameter pipelines transport natural gas, gasoline, diesel, etc.
Unique challenges arise when dealing with pipelines.
Subject matter experts must be sought out to help assist with emergencies.
Pipeline right-of-ways define the rights and responsibilities of the company that owns the pipeline and pipeline warning signs should be heeded.
Vent pipes provide information about the pipe’s contents.
Pipeline emergencies are complicated events requiring specially trained responders and specific steps in the event of a suspected incident.

U.S. DOT Marking System

The DOT system identifies hazardous materials that are transported, also used in Canada by Transport Canada.
Placards are diamond-shaped indicators placed on vehicles.
Labels are smaller versions of placards placed on individual boxes and packages.
Used to indicate the general idea of hazards in a container or cargo tank.

DOT Chemical Families

DOT Class 1: Explosives
DOT Class 2: Gases
DOT Class 3: Flammable liquids
DOT Class 4: Flammable solids
DOT Class 5: Oxidizing substances and organic peroxides
DOT Class 6: Toxic substances and infectious substances
DOT Class 7: Radioactive materials
DOT Class 8: Corrosive substances
DOT Class 9: Miscellaneous hazardous materials/products, substances, or organisms
Includes Poison, Poisonous, and Toxic substances as well as the “Dangerous” placard.

United Nations (UN) Identification Number

A four-digit number identifying the specific material being shipped.
The UN number is included in the ERG.
Uses UN/NA designations.
UN and other information are found on shipping papers.

Requirements for Placards

The placard must be visible with binoculars.
A certain amount of hazardous material must be present.
The absence of a placard does not equate to an absence of hazardous materials.
Materials are included in the “1000-pound rule.”
Certain extremely hazardous chemicals always require labels or placards.

Gathering More Specific Information

Consult response agencies or an emergency response number.
Consult as many sources as possible.
Three sources are preferred.
Know the available information sources before an incident.
Ensure regular review of sources and engage in hypothetical situations.

The Emergency Response Guidebook

A joint development effort between transportation agencies in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The ERG features guidance for operating at a hazardous materials incident.
Guidance on initial response actions and color-coded on-scene guidance.
Information on more than 4000 chemicals and has a 4-year revision cycle.

Using the ERG

Provides information needed to make initial decisions and PPE choices.

Sections of the ERG

The ERG has four color-coded sections: Yellow, Blue, Orange, and Green.
The Yellow section provides information on more than 4000 chemicals organized numerically by the four-digit UN number.
It can be used when the UN number is known or can be identified.
The chemical name is included with each entry and additional research is needed for substances highlighted in green.
The Blue section lists the same chemicals from the yellow section organized alphabetically by name.
It is used when the name of the substance is known but not the UN number.
Each entry includes an emergency action guide number from the orange section and the UN identification number.
Chemicals highlighted in green require additional research.
The Orange section describes the hazards associated with the chemicals listed in the yellow and blue sections, organized by emergency action guide number.
It includes additional information for chemicals.
The Green section lists chemicals are organized by UN number; it includes highlighted chemicals from the yellow and blue sections.
Any material listed in the green section is extremely hazardous, with isolation distances provided for certain materials.

Harmful Substances’ Routes of Entry into the Human Body

Chemical substances can enter the human body in four ways: Inhalation, Absorption, Ingestion, and Injection.

Inhalation Exposure

Occurs when harmful substances enter the body through the respiratory system.
The lungs provide direct access to the bloodstream for quick transfer to the circulatory system.
The lungs cannot be decontaminated.
Materials that pose a threat to the respiratory system include corrosives, solvent vapors, superheated air, and small particles.

Absorption Exposure

The skin is the largest organ and can be susceptible to damage with certain chemicals that can beat the skin’s shield, such as methylene chloride and hydrofluoric acid.
Substances can travel through body tissues into the bloodstream through the eyes, nose, mouth, and intestinal tract which are also routes of entry.
Protection against exposure requires continuous risk assessment of the hazard, and understanding the limitations of turnout gear.

Ingestion Exposure

Chemicals can be brought into the body through the gastrointestinal tract.
Exposure can occur when rotating out of an incident due to the inability to wash hands creating a source of contamination.
The scene must be constantly evaluated for exposure risks.

Injection Exposure

Is possible through open cuts and abrasions.
Protecting against exposure involves recognizing a compromised state, addressing cuts or open wounds, and avoiding situations where there is a risk for injection exposure.
Recognize that health effects can be immediate and pronounced.

Managing Exposure to Harmful Substances

Factors that determine the extent of damage: physical and chemical properties, release conditions, and duration of exposure.
Factors that affect release parameters and potential health effects include material characteristics, and the exposed person.
Medical care guidance is available in NFPA 470, chapter 46 and 47.
Provide care in cold and hot zones, with a role for EMS responders.

Summary

Approximately 182 million organic and inorganic substances are registered for use in commerce in the United States, with several thousand new ones being introduced each year.
Identifying the kinds and quantities of hazardous materials used and stored by local facilities should be an integral part of any comprehensive community response plan.
All personnel must interpret visual clues effectively to improve their ability to safely operate at an incident.
All personnel should be able to recognize the various container profiles and understand the general classifications of materials that may be stored inside each type of container.
All personnel should be able to name, understand, and locate the various types of shipping papers on various modes of transportation.
When used correctly, various marking systems indicate the presence of a hazardous material and provide clues about the substance. The DOT, NFPA, HMIS, and military have all developed marking systems specific to their level of response.
All personnel should be able to demonstrate proficiency when using the Emergency Response Guidebook.
It is important to know how to obtain SDS documentation from various sources, including one’s own department, the scene of the incident itself, or the manufacturer of the material.