29 Hazardous Materials: Recognizing and Identifying the Hazards

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Hazardous Materials: Recognizing and Identifying the Hazards

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Objectives (1 of 3)

• Describe occupancies that may contain hazardous materials.

• Describe how your senses can be used to detect the presence of hazardous materials.

• Describe specific containers and container shapes that might indicate hazardous materials.

• Describe tanks that could hold hazardous materials.

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Objectives (2 of 3)

• Describe apparatus that can transport hazardous materials.

• Describe how to identify the product, owner, and emergency telephone number on a pipeline marker.

• Describe how to identify a placard and label.

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Objectives (3 of 3)

• Describe how to use the North American Emergency Response Guidebook

• Describe the NFPA 704 hazard identification system.

• Describe the material safety data sheets (MSDS) and shipping papers.

• Describe CHEMTREC.

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Introduction (1 of 2)

• Scene size-up is important in any emergency.• Even more vital in a hazardous materials

incident

• Situational awareness • Ability to read the scene is a critical skill. • Must be able to identify sensory clues to be

useful and safe.

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Introduction (2 of 2)

• Not always possible to know the whole story before action is required

• May be possible to identify a hazardous materials incident based on:• Information from the dispatcher • Knowledge of response area • Visual, auditory, or olfactory clues

• SOPs and your training level should guide any initial actions.

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Hazardous Material

• Any material that poses an unreasonable risk of damage or injury to persons, property, or the environment if it is not properly controlled during handling, storage, manufacture, processing, packaging, use and disposal, or transportation

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Recognizing a Hazardous Materials Incident (1 of 2)

• Use binoculars and view the scene from a safe distance.

• Question anyone involved in the incident.

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Recognizing a Hazardous Materials Incident (2 of 2)

• Scan the scene and interpret visual clues. • Dead animals near the release • Discolored pavement • Dead grass• Visible vapors or puddles • Identifying labels

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Occupancy and Location (1 of 2)

• Not confined to chemical facilities or nuclear power plants

• Can occur almost anywhere

• Hazardous materials are stored in: • Warehouses • Hospitals • Industrial occupancies

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Occupancy and Location (2 of 2)

• Any response could have a hazardous materials component. • A fire in a pesticide storage facility could

release dangerous chemicals.

• Location and type of occupancy are two indicators of the presence of hazardous materials

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Senses

• Another way to detect the presence of hazardous materials

• Must be done carefully to avoid exposure • Getting close enough to exercise these

senses may expose you. • Clues that are seen or heard provide warning

information from a distance, enabling you to take precautionary steps.

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Containers

• Any vessel or receptacle that holds material including storage vessels, pipelines, and packaging

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Container Characteristics

• Container type, size, and material provide important clues about the nature of the substance inside.

• Do not rely solely on the type of container when making a determination about hazardous materials. • Sulfuric acid could be found in a drum or a

1-gallon amber glass container.

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Container Types

• Steel or plastic drums • High pressure cylinders • Railroad tank cars • Plastic buckets • Above-ground and underground storage

tanks• Truck tankers • Pipelines • Dewar containers

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Container Volume (1 of 5)

• Bulk storage containers • Includes fixed tanks, large transportation

tankers, totes, and intermodal tanks • Large volume containers

• Amount requirements • Liquids: more than 119 gallons • Solids: more than 882 pounds • Gases: more than 882 pounds

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• Bulk storage containers found in occupancies that need to store large quantities of a chemical

• Secondary containment• An engineered method to control spilled or

released product if the main containment vessel fails

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• Large-volume horizontal tanks

• ASTs (Above-ground storage tanks)

• USTs (Underground storage tanks)• Can hold a few hundred gallons to several

thousand gallons of product • Usually made of aluminum, steel, or plastic

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• USTs and ASTs can be pressurized and nonpressurized. • Difficult to relieve internal pressure on

these tanks • Dangerous when exposed to fire • Typically hold flammable or combustible

materials

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• Pressurized horizontal tanks have rounded ends and large vents or pressure-relief stacks. • Most above-ground pressurized tanks are

liquid propane and liquid ammonia tanks. • Can hold a few hundred gallons to several

thousand gallons • Contain small vapor space

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Tote

• Portable plastic tanks surrounded by a stainless steel web that adds both structural stability and protection

• Can hold a few hundred gallons of product and may contain any type of chemical

• Shipping and storing can be hazardous.

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Intermodal Tanks

• Shipping and storage vehicles • Can hold 5,000-6,000 gallons of product • Can be either pressurized or

nonpressurized • Often shipped to a facility and then

returned to the shipper for refilling • Are surrounded by or are part of a box-

like steel frame-work for shipping

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Intermodal Tanks:IM-101

• Have a 6,000-gal capacity

• Internal working pressures 25-100 psi

• Typically carry mild corrosives, food-grade products, and flammable liquids

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Intermodal Tanks:IM-102

• Have a 6,000-gal capacity

• Internal working pressures 14-30 psi

• Primarily carry flammable liquids and corrosives

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Intermodal Tanks:IMO Type 5

• High-pressure vessels with internal pressures of several hundred psi

• Carry liquefied gases like propane and butane

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Nonbulk Storage Vessels

• Drums

• Bags

• Carboys

• Compressed gas cylinders

• Cryogenic containers

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Drums

• Barrel-like container • Used to store a wide

variety of substances

• Material type depends on use.

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Drum Construction

• Steel utility drums• Hold flammable liquids, cleaning fluids, oil, other

noncorrosive chemicals

• Polyethylene drums• Hold corrosives

• Stainless steel • Hold highly aggressive materials

• Cardboard• Hold solid materials such as soap flakes

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Drum Openings

• Closed-head drums have a permanently attached lid with one or more small openings called bungs. • Usually have one 2" bung and one 3/4"

bung

• Open-head drum • Removable lid fastened to the drum with

a ring

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Bags

• Commonly used to store solids and powders

• Made of plastic, paper, or plastic-lined paper

• Come in different sizes and weights

• Pesticide bags must be labeled with specific information.

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Pesticide Bags Warning Label Information

• Includes:• Name of product• Statement of ingredients• Total amount of product in container• Manufacturer’s name and address• Practical first aid treatment description • Storage and disposal information • Keep out of reach of children.

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Carboys (1 of 2)

• Transport and store some corrosives and other types of chemicals

• Made of glass, plastic, steel container

• Holds 5-gal to 15-gal of product

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Carboys (2 of 2)

• Often have a protective wood or fiberglass box to help prevent breakage

• Nitric, sulfuric, and other strong acids are transported and stored in thick glass carboys

• Protected by a wooden or Styroform crate to shield the glass container

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Cylinders (1 of 3)

• Several types of cylinders are used to hold liquids and gases. • Uninsulated compressed gas cylinders

• Used to store gases such as nitrogen, argon, helium, and oxygen

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Cylinders (2 of 3)

• Oxygen cylinder • Has a pressure reading of 2,000 psi

• Very large compressed gas cylinders found at a fixed facility • May have pressure readings of 5,000 psi

or greater

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Cylinders (3 of 3)

• High pressures exerted by some cylinders can be dangerous.

• Rapid release of compressed gas turns the cylinder into a missile.

• If heated rapidly, it could explode.• Compressed gas cylinders have pressure-

relief valves.• May not be sufficient to relieve the pressure

caused by a fast-growing fire • Result is a catastrophic explosion

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Low-Pressure Dewar

• Thermos-like vessels designed to hold cryogens• Gaseous substances that have been

chilled until they liquefy • Include oxygen, helium, hydrogen, argon,

and nitrogen • Under normal conditions, each substance

is a gas. • Complex process turns them into liquids.

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Cryogens

• Pose a substantial threat if the Dewar fails to maintain the low temperature

• Have large expansion ratios even larger than the expansion ratio of propane • Has an expansion ratio of approximately

750 to 1 • Usually have two pressure-relief devices

• A pressure-relief valve • Frangible (easily broken) disk

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Transporting Hazardous Materials

• Highway transportation of hazardous materials is very common.

• Vehicles often carry the shipments from the station, airport, or dock to the factory or plant.

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MC-306 Flammable Liquid Tanker (1 of 2)

• Also known as the DOT-406 or gasoline tanker

• Typically carries gasoline or other flammable and combustible materials

• Oval-shaped tank pulled by a diesel tractor

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• Carries between 6,000-gal to 10,000-gal

• Nonpressurized

• Usually made of aluminum

• Offloaded through valves at the bottom of the tank

• Common highway sight

• Reliable way to transport chemicals

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MC-306 Flammable Liquid Tanker (2 of 2)

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MC-307 Chemical Hauler

• Round or a horseshoe-shaped tank

• Typically carries 6,000 to 7,000-gal

• Used to transport flammable liquids, mild corrosives, and poisons

• Tanks that transport corrosives may have a rubber lining.

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MC-312 Corrosives Tanker

• Used for concentrated sulfuric and nitric acids and other corrosive substances

• Has a smaller diameter than either the MC-306 or the MC-307

• Characterized by several reinforcing rings around the tank

• Rings provide structural stability. • Operates at approximately 75 psi • Holds approximately 6,000-gal

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MC-331 Pressure Cargo Tanker

• Carries materials like ammonia, propane, and butane

• Tank has rounded ends. • Typically a pressurized vessel • Commonly constructed of steel with a single

tank compartment • Operates at approximately 300 psi • Could be a significant explosion hazard if it

accidentally rolls over or threatened by fire

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MC-338 Cryogenic Tanker

• Operates like the Dewar containers • Carries similar substances • Low-pressure tanker • Relies on tank insulation to maintain low

temperature for cryogens• Box-like structure containing the tank control

valves typically attached to the rear of tanker • Special training is required to operate valves

on this and any other tanker.

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Tube Trailers (1 of 2)

• Carry compressed gases such as hydrogen, oxygen, helium, and methane

• High-volume transportation vehicles compromised of several individual cylinders banded together and affixed to a trailer

• Much like smaller compressed gas cylinders • Large-volume cylinders operate at 3,000 psi

to 5,000 psi

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Tube Trailers (2 of 2)

• One trailer may carry several different gases in individual tubes.

• Typically there is a valve control box toward the rear of the trailer.

• Each individual cylinder has its own relief valve.

• Can frequently be seen at construction sites or at facilities that use great quantities of these materials

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Dry Bulk Cargo Tanks

• Commonly seen on the road • Carry dry bulk goods such as

powders, pellets, fertilizers, or grain • Not pressurized • May use pressure to offload product • Generally V-shaped with rounded

sides that funnel the contents to the bottom-mounted valves

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Railroad Transportation

• Railroads move almost 2 million carloads of freight.

• Relatively few hazardous materials incidents occur.

• Carry volumes up to 30,000-gal• Have the potential to create large leaks or

vapor clouds • Hazardous materials incidents involving

railroad transportation are dangerous.

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Railroad Tank Cars

• Three basic railcar configurations • Nonpressurized • Pressurized • Special use

• Usually labeled with the volume and maximum working pressure inside the tank

• Dedicated haulers often have the chemical name clearly visible.

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Nonpressurized Railcars

• Carry general industrial chemicals and consumer products • Includes flammable and combustible

liquids and mild corrosives

• Easily identified by looking at the top of the car

• Have visible valves and piping without a dome cover

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Pressurized Railcars

• Have an enclosed dome on the top of the railcar

• Transport materials such as propane, ammonia, ethylene oxide, and chlorine

• Have internal working pressures ranging from 100 psi to 500 psi

• Equipped with relief valves• High volumes carried in these cars can

generate long-duration high-pressure leaks that may be impossible to stop.

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Special Use Railcars (1 of 2)

• Includes box cars, flat cars, cryogenic corrosive tank cars, and high-pressure compressed gas tube cars

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Special Use Railcars (2 of 2)

• The hazard will be unique to the particular railcar and its contents.

• Do not assume that only the chemical tank cars pose a threat.

• Until you know what is in a particular car, assume it is a hazardous situation.

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Pipelines (1 of 4)

• High volume pipeline rarely involved in emergencies

• Large-diameter pipelines transport natural gas, gasoline, diesel fuel, and other products from delivery terminals to distribution facilities.

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Pipelines (2 of 4)

• Often buried underground • May be above ground in remote areas

• Pipeline right of way • An area, patch, or roadway that extends a certain

number of feet on either side of the pipe itself • Maintained by the company that owns the pipeline • Company also responsible for placing warning

signs

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Pipelines (3 of 4)

• Pipeline warning signs include: • Warning symbol • Pipeline owner’s name • Emergency contact phone number

• Pipeline emergencies are complicated events that require specially trained responders.

• If you suspect a pipeline emergency, contact the owner immediately.

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Pipelines (4 of 4)

• Information about the pipe’s contents and owner is also found at the vent pipes.

• Inverted J-shaped tubes • Provide pressure relief or natural venting

during maintenance and repairs • Vent pipes are clearly marked and are

approximately 3' above the ground.

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DOT System

• Characterized by a system of labels and placards

• North American Emergency Response Guidebook (NAERG) • Also a part of the system • Offers a certain amount of guidance for fire

fighters operating at a hazardous materials incident

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Placards

• Diamond-shaped indicators

• Measures 10 3/4” on a side

• Must be displayed on all four sides of vehicle carrying hazardous materials

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Labels

• Smaller version of placards

• 4" diamond-shaped indicators

• Used on the four sides

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Placards and Labels

• Intended to give fire fighters a general idea of the hazard inside a particular container

• Placard may identify the broad hazard class that a tanker contains.

• Labels on a book inside a delivery truck relate only to the potential hazard inside that package.

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DOT Response Guidebook (NAERG)

• Can be used during the initial phase of the hazardous materials incident

• Book organizes chemicals into 9 basic hazard classes or families • Each exhibits similar properties. • Dangerous placard indicates more than one

hazard class is contained in the same load. • DOT system is a broad-spectrum look at chemical

hazards.

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Nine Chemical Families

• Class 1 – Explosives • Class 2 – Gases • Class 3 – Flammable combustible liquids• Class 4 – Flammable Solids • Class 5 – Oxidizers • Class 6 – Poisons • Class 7 – Radioactive Materials • Class 8 – Corrosives • Class 9 – Other Regulated Materials (ORM)

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Other Considerations

• DOT system does not require that all chemical shipments be marked with placards or labels.

• In most cases, the package or tank must contain a certain amount of hazardous material before a placard is required.

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Using the NAERG

• NAERG is a preliminary action guide.

• Useful during the initial 10 to 15 minutes of an incident • Cannot be used to create a comprehensive

action plan

• Divided into four sections: yellow, blue, orange, green

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Yellow Section

• Chemicals are listed in this section numerically by their four-digit UN number.

• Use when the UN number is known or can be identified.

• Entries include the name of the chemical and the emergency action guide number.

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Blue Section

• Chemicals are listed alphabetically by name.

• Entry will include the emergency action guide number, the identification number.

• The same information, organized differently, is in both the blue and yellow sections.

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Orange Section

• Contains the emergency action guides

• Guide numbers are organized by general hazard class and indicate what basic emergency actions should be taken, based on hazard class.

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Green Section

• Organized numerically by UN identification number and provides the initial isolation distances for certain materials

• Chemicals included in this section are highlighted in the blue or yellow sections.

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NFPA System (1 of 5)

• Designed for fixed facility use

• Found on the outside of buildings, on doorways to chemical storage areas, and on fixed storage tanks

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• Fire fighters can use the NFPA diamonds to determine a course of action at a hazardous material incident.

• NFPA 704 hazard identification system uses a diamond-shaped symbol of any size.

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• Broken into four smaller diamonds, each representing a particular property or characteristic • Blue diamond indicates the health hazard

posed. • Red diamond indicates flammability. • Yellow diamond indicates reactivity. • White diamond is used for special symbols

and handling instructions.

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• Blue, red, and yellow diamonds each contain a numerical rating of 0-4. • 0 is the least hazardous. • 4 is the most hazardous.

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• White quadrant will not have a number but may contain special symbols. • Burning O symbolizes oxidizing capability. • Three-bladed fan symbolizes radioactivity. • A W with a slash through it symbolizes

water reactive.

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HMIS Marking

• Program for communication of chemical use and hazards to employees

• Established in 1983 by OSHA

• Uses diamonds similar to NFPA 704

• Voluntary program

• Intended for employee of a facility

• Not a response information tool

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Other Reference Sources

• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

• Shipping Papers

• CHEMTREC

• National Response Center

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MSDS (1 of 4)

• Provides basic information about:• The chemical make-up of a substance• The potential hazards it presents• Appropriate first aid in the event of an

exposure• Other pertinent data for safe handling of

the material

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MSDS (2 of 4)

• Generally an MSDS will include: • Physical and chemical characteristics • Physical hazards of the material • Health hazards of the material • Signs and symptoms of exposure • Routes of entry • Permissible exposure limits

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MSDS (3 of 4)

• Generally an MSDS will include: • Responsible party contact • Precautions for safe handling • Applicable control measures, including

personal protective equipment • Emergency and first-aid procedures • Appropriate waste disposal

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MSDS (4 of 4)

• When responding to a hazardous materials incident at a fixed facility, ask the site manager for an MSDS for spilled material.

• All facilities are required by law to have an MSDS on file.

• MSDS is not a definitive response tool, but it is a piece of the puzzle.

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Shipping Papers

• Are required whenever materials are transported from one place to another

• Include:• Names and addresses of the shipper and

the receiver

• Identify the material being shipped

• Specify the quantity and weight of each part of the shipment

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Bills of Lading

• Shipping papers for road and highway transportation

• Located in the cab of the vehicle • Drivers transporting chemicals are required

by law to have a set of shipping papers. • May have additional information about a

hazardous substance such as its packaging group designation

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Packaging Group Designation (1 of 2)

• Another way used by shippers to identify special handling requirements or hazards

• Some DOT hazard classes require shippers to assign packaging groups based on the material’s flash point and toxicity.

• May signal that the material poses a greater hazard than similar materials in a hazard class

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Packaging Group Designation (2 of 2)

• Packaging group I: high danger

• Packaging group II: medium danger

• Packaging group III: minor danger

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Waybills

• Shipping papers for railroad transportation

• List of every car on the train is called a consist.

• Conductor, engineer, or a designated member of the train crew will have a copy of both the waybill and the consist.

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Dangerous Cargo Manifest

• Shipping papers on a marine vessel

• Generally kept in a tube-like container in the wheelhouse in the custody of the captain or master

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Air Bill

• Shipping paper for air transport

• Kept in the cockpit and is the pilot’s responsibility

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Chemical Transportation Emergency Center

• CHEMTREC

• Located in Arlington, VA

• Established by the Chemical Manufacturer’s Association

• Clearinghouse of emergency response information

• Phone number 1-800-424-9300

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Calling CHEMTREC (1 of 2)

• Have the following information ready:• Name of the caller and call back telephone

number • Location of the actual incident or problem • Shipper or manufacturer of chemical (if

known) • Container type

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Calling CHEMTREC (2 of 2)

• Rail car or vehicle markings or numbers

• The shipping carrier’s name

• Recipient of material

• Local conditions and exact description of the situation

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CHEMTREC

• Free service that connects fire fighters with chemical manufacturers, chemists, and other product specialists

• Canadian equivalent of CHEMTREC is known as CANUTEC

• Mexican equivalent is SETIQ

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National Response Center

• NRC• Operated by the U.S. Coast Guard• Central notification point not guidance center• After notification NRC will contact necessary

government agencies.• NRC must be notified if a spill possibly may

enter a waterway.• Phone number 1-800-424-8802

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Radiation (1 of 4)

• You must be able to recognize where radioactive materials might be encountered.

• Typical industries that routinely use radioactive materials include:• Food testing labs, hospitals, medical

research centers, biotechnology facilities, construction sites

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Radiation (2 of 4)

• Often there will be signs or placards that indicate the presence of radioactive substances.• Not always the case

• If you suspect a radiation incident at a fixed facility, ask for the radiation safety officer of the facility.

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Radiation (3 of 4)

• If the incident is not at a fixed site, the presence of radiation may never be apparent.

• Radioactive isotopes are not detected by the senses.

• Call a hazardous materials team.

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Radiation (4 of 4)

• Significant incidents involving radiation are few and far between.

• Most incidents you may encounter will involve low-level radioactive sources and can be handled safely.

• These low-level sources are typically found in Type A packaging.

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Type A Packaging

• Has an inner containment vessel of glass, plastic, or metal and packaging materials made of polyethylene, rubber, or vermiculite

• Designed to protect the contents from damage during normal shipping and handling

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Type B Packaging (1 of 2)

• More dangerous radioactive sources

• Contains materials such as spent radioactive waste and other high-level emitters

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Type B Packaging (2 of 2)

• Designed to protect the contents from greater exposure

• Amount of protection is based on the potential severity of the hazard.

• Includes small drums and heavily shielded casks weighing more than 100 metric tons

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Summary (1 of 3)

• Fire fighters should use all available resources to provide a greater degree of safety and improve their ability to mitigate the incident.

• Many resources are readily available and will provide initial guidance for handling the incident.

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Summary (2 of 3)

• Fire fighters should know where to obtain this initial information and how best to use it.

• Fire fighters should know how to obtain MSDS from various sources, including their department, the scene of the incident itself, or the manufacturer of the material.

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Summary (3 of 3)

• Fire fighters should be able to demonstrate proficiency in determining a proper guide to use when using the NAERG.

• Fire fighters should be able to name, understand, and locate the various types of shipping papers on various modes of transportation.

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Documents

29 Hazardous Materials: Recognizing and Identifying the Hazards