Hazardous Materials

R.L. HunterChief, CLEMC

The Objective of the class is designed to make EMS personnel more aware of the potential that hazardous materials may be involved in any emergency to which they respond and the importance of recognizing the presence of a hazardous material so that they do not become victims.

HAZMAT Definition (USDOT)

“Any substance which may pose an unreasonable risk to health and safety of operating or emergency personnel, the public, and/or the environment if not properly controlled during handling, storage, manufacture, processing, packaging, use, disposal, or transportation.”

EMS HAZMAT Training Levels Awareness Operations Technician Specialist Incident Commander Level

Requirements and Standards

OSHA: CFR 1940.120 EPA: 40 CFR 311 NFPA: Standard 473

First Responder Awareness Level Recognize potential incident Call for assistance and standby Take no further action Not part of emergency response

First Responder Operations Level Defensive operations - outside

release area Damning, diking, decon assistance Dispatched as part of initial response

Technician Level Offensive operations Perform duties if properly equipped,

trained, protected, and with backup personnel

Usually member of hazmat team

Specialist Level Enhanced or specialized training

Incident Commander Level Trained to operations level Background in ICS

Potential for Involvement Responding to an alarm where hazardous

materials may cause the victim to become sick or injured Many hazardous materials emergencies

are initially dispatched as a person down or person sick

Ems personnel may be in the area of immediate release before realizing it

Remember to make sure that the scene is safe

Recognition and Identification

Containers Shape and type Tank - truck, train, fixed facility Cylinder Drum Bag Box

Vehicle/Container Shape

External ring stiffeners frequently are present on vehicles transporting corrosives or poisons.

Vehicle/Container Shape

Rounded ends on highway transport vehicles suggest presence of pressurized contents.

Vehicle/Container ShapeDome covers on rail tank cars suggest that the contents are under pressure.

Tank cars with flat ends have been insulated to control product temperature changes.

Markings Placards - rail and road transportation only

Placards requirement on any quantity of poison gas, poison, explosives 1.1, explosives 1.2, explosives 1.3, radioactives, and dangerous when wet products being transported

Placards only required for 1,000 lbs. or more of other products being transported

Labels - on packages or containers Signage, stenciling Color coding - not always reliable indicator No marking requirement for fixed facilities

DOT Hazard ClassesHAZARD CLASS HAZARD TYPE1 Explosives2 Gases3 Liquids4 Solids5 Oxidizers, organic peroxides6 Poisons, etiologic agents7 Radioactive materials8 Corrosives9 Miscellaneous (ORMs)

Explosives

Explosives: Designed to function with instantaneous release of gas and heat (i.e., by exploding).

Blasting Agents: Designed to explode, but require a blasting cap to trigger the explosion

Gases

Anhydrous Ammonia is classified as a non-flammable gas However, it is flammable and highly toxic!

Chlorine gets its own placard because it is toxic, corrosive, and an oxidizer!

Poison A: Gases or liquids producing vapors highly hazardous to human health.

Liquids

Flammable Liquid: Flash point < 100oF

Combustible Liquid: Flash point > 100oF

Solids

Any solid material other than an explosive that is liable to cause fires through friction, through retained heat from manufacturing, or which can be ignited readily and when ignited burns vigorously and persistently.

Oxidizers

Liquid oxygen is an oxidizer and a cryogenic agent.

Oxidizers will readily give up oxygen and support combustion. Organic oxidizers will readily give up oxygen, support combustion, and will burn!

PoisonsClass B Poisons: Solids and liquids known to be so toxic as to afford a risk to human health or which, in the absence of adequate data are assumed to be toxic to man.

Irritants, substances that give off irritating fumes when heated or exposed to air, are included in Class 6, but are placarded only as DANGEROUS and only if >1000 pounds is present.

Etiologic agents are included in Class 6 but are not placarded.

Radioactive MaterialsVehicles transporting radioactive materials are placarded ONLY if the packages contains material measures >50 millirem/hr on the entire package surface or >3 millirem/hr at 3 feet. (Radioactive III package labeling)

Defense material being moved under authority of the Department of Energy or Department of Defense is NOT placarded.

Corrosives

Materials that attack and destroy living tissue or that produce severe corrosion of steel.

Frequently are also toxic and reactive.

DangerousClass C Explosives

Irritants

Mixed motor vehicle loads of >1000 but <5000 pounds of all HAZMAT except Poison A, Poison B, Solid Dangerous when Wet, Explosive A, Explosive B, and Radioactive

UN Numbers

DOT Placard Limitations

ALL product hazards NOT indicated Incorrect placards Absent placards

DOT Placard Limitations

Some products NOT placarded Rail flat car containers, motor vehicles, freight

containers containing <1000 pounds of:Nonflammable gasesChlorineFluorineLiquid oxygenFlammable gasesFlammable liquids

Combustible liquidsFlammable solidsOxidizers, organic peroxidesPoison BCorrosivesIrritating materials

DOT Placard Limitations

“DANGEROUS” Rail flat car containers, motor vehicles, freight

containers containing >1000, but <5000 pounds of:Nonflammable gasesChlorine, FluorineLiquid oxygenFlammable gasesFlammable liquids

Combustible liquidsFlammable solidsOxidizers, organic peroxidesPoison BCorrosives

DOT Placard Limitations

“DANGEROUS” Irritants Class C Explosives

NFPA 704

Used at fixed facilities

Health

Fire

Reactivity

SpecificHazard

NFPA 704HEALTH

4 = Too dangerous to enter

3 = Extreme danger—Full protective clothing

2 = Hazardous—Breathing apparatus

1 = Slight hazard

0 = No hazard FIRE

4 = Extremely flammable

3 = Ignites at normal temperatures

2 = Ignites when moderately heated

1 = Must be preheated to burn

0 = Will not burn

NFPA 704REACTIVITY

4 = May detonate—Evacuate area if fire present

3 = Shock, heat may detonate—Take cover

2 = Violent chemical change possible

1 = Unstable if heated

0 = Normally stable SPECIFIC HAZARD

OX = Oxidizer

ACID = Acid

ALK = Alkali (Base)

COR = Corrosive

W = Use NO Water

NFPA 704

DOT Labels

Placed on packages/containers

Emergency Response Guidebook ERG Introduction

First produced in 1980 Updated every 3-4 years First North American ERG produced in 1996

- joint effort with Canada and Mexico Produced by the U. S. Department of

Transportation Information applicable to hazardous

materials in transport Produced as the result of an explosion at

a construction site in Kansas City that killed several firefighters

Designed to provide general information during the first 30 minutes of the incident

ERG Outline

Inside Cover Important Shipping Paper Items Placard Example

Basic guidelines Resist rushing in Approach from upwind Stay clear of spills, vapors, fumes, smoke

Using guide for dangerous goods Identify material

Four-digit ID number on placard Four-digit number on package or shipping documents Product name on shipping document, package, or placard

Look up three-digit guide

Using the ERG

White pages Safety precautions (page 2) Placard charts (pages 6-7) Rail/road identifications (pages 8-9) Protective clothing (pages 361) Chemical/biological agents (pages 368 370)

Using the ERG

Yellow-bordered pages Numerical list Highlighted products - indicates special isolation

and evacuation information Multiple products, same ID number

Note: If you have an unknown product use Guideline #111.

Using the ERG

Blue bordered pages Alphabetical list Highlighted products - indicates special isolation

and evacuation information Correct spelling of product names - different

products may have similar spellings but totally different reactions

Orange bordered pages - guides 111-172 Potential hazards

Health Fire/explosion

Public safety Protective clothing Evacuation

Emergency response Fire Spill or leak First aid

Using the ERG

Green bordered pages Isolation distances Numeric order Small spill/large spill Day/night Water reactive products

Using the ERG