11

Hazardous

Materials

Section Four: Planning and Implementing a Response

Analyze

Plan

Implement

Evaluate

22

33

Identification

No action should take place until the identity of the hazardous material is confirmed

Identification tools: Placard/Markings/Labels/704 Diamond Shipping papers DOT-ERG MSDS NIOSH Guidebook CHEMTREC

44

NIOSH Pocket GuideSeptember 2005

55

NIOSH Contents

Roman numeral pages contain information keys

Multiple opportunities to indentify chemical Name, Chemical Abstracts Services (CAS) #,

Synonym/trade name list Affords responders more detailed

information to assist in planning Use after material identification and DOT-ERG

application

66

77

Identification

When researching a chemical use readily available resource information sources DOT-ERG/NIOSH Pocket Guide/MSDS Consult at least three different sources if

possible On-scene research should continue

throughout the incident

88

Identification

After identification, operations-level responder should ONLY perform DEFENSIVE actions that do not involve contact with the material

If unable to identify: The most conservative response strategy and

tactics must be employed Use DOT-ERG Guide 111

99

What to Report

Report the information clearly, concisely, and accurately

An error in spelling, an incorrect measurement, a mispronunciation of a chemical name, or incorrect identification of a hazardous material can be disastrous

1010

What to Report

Keep information as simple as possible Spell names that are complex or potentially

confusing Ethanal or ethanol?

Have the receiver of the information repeat back what was heard

1111

What to Report

Information to report includes: Exact address and location of spill or leak Identification of indicators

and markers of hazardous materials All color and class

information obtained

from placards

1212

What to Report

Four-digit UN/NA numbers Hazardous material identification obtained

from shipping papers or MSDS and the potential quantity of hazardous material involved

Description of container, including size, capacity, type, and shape

Amount of chemical that could leak and amount that has leaked

1313

What to Report

Exposures:• Of people and the presence of special

populations (children/elderly)• Environment of the immediate area

Current weather:• Including wind direction and speed

A contact:• Or callback telephone number and two-

way radio frequency or channel

1414

Plan an Initial Response

The first priority is the safety of responding personnel Responders are there to isolate the problem, not

to become part of it Proper incident planning will:

Keep responders safe Provide a means to control the incident

effectively, preventing further harm to persons or property

1515

Plan an Initial Response

Planning response options begins with: Preplanning and SOG’s (your best tools)

Followed by the initial call for help

Information is used to determine the safest route to the scene

1616

Plan an Initial Response

Choose a route that approaches the scene from an upwind direction whenever possible

Choose a route that places the responders uphill of the site

1717

Plan an Initial Response

Responders need to know the type of material involved Is the material a solid, liquid, or gas? Is it contained in a drum, barrel, or pressurized tanker?

1818

Plan an Initial Response

Response to hazardous material spill

Releases will differ from solid-liquid or gas

1919

Plan an Initial Response

A solid is local and can be easily contained*

A gas can be widespread and constantly moving depending on the gas characteristics and weather conditions

* Unless it is a dust or small particles

2020

Plan an Initial Response

Characteristics of the affected area near the location of the spill or leak are important factors in planning the incident response

If an area is heavily populated: Evacuation procedures and a

decontamination process need to be established very early in the incident

2121

Plan an Initial Response

If the area is sparsely populated and rural: Isolating the area from anyone trying to enter the location may be the top priority

A high-traffic area such as a major highway would necessitate immediate rerouting of traffic

2222

Plan an Initial Response

There may be more than one way to solve the problem

A thorough risk based response analysis must be performed

There are times when

no action may be the

safest course of action

2323

Plan an Initial Response

Understand product control options Identify physical and chemical properties of the

released substance Decontamination should be

performed when and where appropriate

2424

Planning a Response

Incidents may be categorized by SOG: Level One:

• Small product release/no life-environmental hazard

Level Two:• Special resources needed/local area/moderate

environmental impact potential Level Three:

• Uncontrolled release/large area evacuation/severe environmental impact possible

2525

Tier Response 1- TOMs Unit

(ORU Optional) (5 Techs)

2- TOMs Unit & ORU(1/2 Team)

3- TOMs Unit & ORU(s)(Full Team)

4- Multi-Team

5- Full Hazmat System, plus Bomb Squad and CST activated

SituationHazard & Risk Assessment or Suspicious Substance Investigation

Short Term Entry Operation

Long Term and/or Immediate Life Safety Risk

Major Release or Extended Operation

WMD or Mass Casualty Event

Massachusetts Chemical/Radiological/Biological Incident

Response Activation Levels

2626

Massachusetts Chemical/Radiological/Biological Incident

Response Activation Levels

Statewide Mass Decontamination Response System

Level Response Situation State HM Response

Mass Decon I/C requests specific Limited/controlled event Tier 3 MDUs

(deployment not pre-planned)

Mass Decon 1-2 District MDU’s Moderate; single facility Tier 3 to scene& MDUs to limited occupancy

local hospitals (office building)

A

B

2727

Massachusetts Chemical/Radiological/Biological Incident

Response Activation Levels

Statewide Mass Decontamination Response System

Mass Decon 5 - 7 MDUs to scene Major: Shopping Mall, Tier 5& hospitals in effected Public Arena or

& surrounding fire multiple buildings districts covered by MDUs

Mass Decon Up to 17 District MDUs Extreme: Wide geographic Tier 5 to scene. Most hospitals area or major event in the state covered by MDUs

Level Response Situation State HM Response

C

D

2828

Response Objectives

Operations-level responders develop defensive, non-product contact objectives

Some effective defense actions can be taken safely at a distance

2929

Defensive Objectives

Isolate the area affected by the leak or spill Evacuate victims who could become

exposed Control where the spill

or release is spreading Confine the spill to a

specific area

3030

Defensive Actions

Diking and damming Absorbing or adsorbing

material Stopping the flow remotely

from a valve or shutoff Diluting or diverting material Suppressing or dispersing vapor

3131

Proper Personal Protective Equipment

PPE is needed based on the hazardous material involved Physical/chemical properties

At a minimum, fire fighters should wear full protective gear with no skin exposed and use SCBA

Standard structural firefighting PPE offers limited hazardous material protection

3232

Identify Emergency Decontamination Procedures

There must be a procedure or a plan in place to decontaminate any responder who accidentally becomes contaminated

Victims removed from a contaminated zone must be decontaminated Personnel who perform decon need to be

trained in proper decon methods• Rapid Access Mass Decontamination

(RAM Decon)

3333

Gauging the Potential Harm or Severity of the

Incident

Based on the toxicity and the concentration of the hazardous material, responder may be able to gauge how the incident might progress

3434

Resources for Determining the Size of

the Incident DOT-ERG

Identifies and outlines predetermined evacuation distances and basic action plans, based on spill estimates, for thousands of chemicals

Computerized or hard-copy pre-incident plan Includes reports submitted to the fire

department and topographical mapping information

3535

Reporting the Size and Scope of the Incident

Reporting the estimated incident size is done by using information available at the scene If a container (vehicle) is transporting a

known amount of material, the size of the release may be estimated

Units can be as small as square feet or as large as square miles

3636

Determine the Concentration of a Released Hazardous

Material How may an OLR determine a

material’s concentration? Litmus paper use is not an OLR action

Monitoring instruments are used to analyze the atmosphere from a safe distance

3737

Determine the Concentration of a Released Hazardous

Material

Once the concentration is known, the IC can evaluate the incident response plan A high concentration of an

acid would call for a high level of PPE

May also require the evacuation of civilians

3838

Incident Command System

Consists of five functions: Command/Operations/Planning/Logistics/Finance ICS can be expanded to handle an incident of any

size and complexity Hazardous materials incidents can be complex Local, state, and federal responders and

agencies will be involved in many cases of long duration

3939

Incident Command System

It is Federal Law that an ICS must be used at all hazardous materials incidents A written incident action and site safety plan must

be developed for the incident A special technical group, under the

Operations Section, called a Hazardous Material Branch, may be developed for the incident

4040

Incident Command System

Haz-Mat Branch

Operations Section

Science Unit

HM Safety Officer

Entry Group

Decon Group

Entry Unit

B/U( RIT) Unit

4141

The Command Post

The main hub of the ICS ICP is the collection point for all

information and resources Must be located in the

cold zone upwind and upgrade from the spill or leak to keep it from becoming contaminated

4242

The Command Post

If the ICP and personnel became contaminated, the personnel would no longer be able to control the operation

The command post could be as close as one block away or as far as miles away from the hot zone

4343

Summary

An important early notification to make is the request for additional response personnel, hazardous materials response teams staffed by trained technicians, and technical specialists

The approach to the incident should be from upwind, and from a direction that ensures that released liquids and/or vapors flow away from responders

Possible defensive actions include stopping the release with a valve or shutoff; absorbing, adsorbing, diking, damming, diverting, or diluting escaped material; and suppressing or dispersing vapor

4444

Summary

The type of personal protective equipment required depends on the material involved and the nature of the incident

The Incident Command System must be used at a haz-mat incident In a hazardous materials incident, a Hazardous

Materials Branch develops under the Operations Section in the Incident Command System