Chapter 1

Hazardous Materials: Overview

Objectives: Awareness Level Personnel (1 of 2)

• Define a hazardous material. (p. 5)• Define weapons of mass destruction

(WMDs). (p. 5)• Identify the location of the emergency

response plan and/or standard operating procedures (SOPs). (NFPA 4.4.1(1), p. 5)

• Describe the different levels of hazardous materials training: awareness, operations, technician, specialist, and incident commander. (p. 6–11)

Objectives: Awareness Level Personnel (2 of 2)

• Understand the difference between the standards and federal regulations that govern hazardous material response activities. (p. 6–12)

• Explain the difference between hazardous materials incidents and other emergencies. (p. 12)

• Explain the need for a planned response to a hazardous materials incident. (p. 13–14)

Objectives: Operations Level Responders (1 of 2)

• Define a hazardous material. (p. 5)• Define weapons of mass destruction

(WMDs). (p. 5)• Describe the different levels of hazardous

materials training: awareness, operations, technician, specialist, and incident commander. (p. 6–11)

Objectives: Operations Level Responders (2 of 2)

• Understand the difference between the standards and federal regulations that govern hazardous material response activities. (p. 11–12)

• Explain the difference between hazardous materials incidents and other emergencies. (p. 12)

• Explain the need for a planned response to a hazardous materials incident. (p. 13–14)

Responders

• Fire fighters • Law enforcement personnel• Emergency medical services personnel

Incidents

• Structural fires• Emergency medical calls• Automobile accidents• Confined-space rescues• Water rescues• Acts of terrorism

Hazardous Materials Involvement

• Changes nature of incident• Correspondingly changes responder’s

mentality

Textbook Goals• Recognize hazardous materials/WMD

incident.• Take initial actions.• Implement Incident Command System (ICS).• Use basic reference sources.• Select personal protective clothing.• Implement product control measures.• Perform decontamination.• Understand your role in hazardous materials/

WMD response.

Authority Having Jurisdiction

• Governing body that sets operational policy and procedures for your jurisdiction

Regulations• Occupational Safety

and Health Administration (OSHA)

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Courtesy of George Roarty/VDEM

Standard Operating Procedures

• Every responder should know emergency response plans.

Hazardous Materials (1 of 2)

• Definition: substance/material capable of posing unreasonable risk to human health, safety, or the environment when transported, used incorrectly, or not properly contained/stored

Hazardous Materials (2 of 2)

• Includes: – Hazardous substances – Wastes – Marine pollutants – Elevated-temperature materials

Weapons of Mass Destruction

• Criminal use of hazardous materials:– Illicit laboratories– Environmental crimes– Industrial sabotage

Consumer Products (1 of 2)

• Pure chemicals and mixtures create millions of consumer products.

© Steve Allen/Brand X Pictures/Alamy Images

Consumer Products (2 of 2)

• Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) produces largest databases on chemical information.

• 83 million substances registered in the US.

Hazardous Waste

• What remains after a material has been processed and is no longer pure– Can be just as dangerous as pure chemicals– Can comprise mixtures of several chemicals

Levels of Training: Regulations and Standards

• Regulations are issued and enforced by governmental bodies.

• Standards may be voluntary.– States that adopt OSHA regulations are state-

plan states.– Non-plan states follow Title 40 of the Code of

Federal Regulations, Protection of the Environment, Part 311.

NFPA Hazardous Materials/WMD Response Standards (1 of 2)

• NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents

• NFPA 473, Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents

NFPA Hazardous Materials/WMD Response Standards (2 of 2)

• NFPA 473 mission-specific competencies: – ALS Responder Assigned to a Hazardous

Materials Team – ALS Responder Assigned to Provide Clinical

Interventions at a Hazardous Materials/WMD Incident

– ALS Responder Assigned to Treatment of Smoke Inhalation Victims

OSHA Hazardous Materials/WMD Response Regulations

• HAZWOPER – HAZardous Waste OPerations and

Emergency Response• Training levels:

– Awareness – Operations – Technician – Specialist – Incident commander

Awareness Level Personnel (1 of 3)

• Different levels of responders and training competencies exist.– Awareness level personnel could encounter

an emergency involving hazardous materials/WMD.

– Awareness level personnel no longer considered responders.

Awareness Level Personnel (2 of 3)

• Examples of awareness level personnel:– Public works employees– Fixed-site security personnel

Awareness Level Personnel (3 of 3)

• Awareness level personnel expected on-scene tasks:– Detect presence of hazardous materials/WMD– Identify substance – Use ERG for research – Initiate and implement protective actions – Initiate notification process

HAZWOPER Awareness Level• HAZWOPER: awareness level

“responders”– Knowledge of substances and risks– Potential incident outcomes – Recognize presence of hazardous material– Identify hazardous substances – Role in emergency response plan– Determine need for additional resources and

notify communication center

Operations Level Responders (1 of 4)

• Operations level responders respond to hazardous materials/ WMD incidents to implement or support actions to protect nearby persons, environment, or property

Courtesy of Rob Schnepp

Operations Level Responders (2 of 4)

• May be trained in mission-specific competencies– NFPA separates competencies into core and

mission-specific.

Operations Level Responders (3 of 4)

• Core competencies:– Determine scope of emergency – Survey scene– Collect information – Predict likely behavior of hazardous material

Operations Level Responders (4 of 4)

• Core competencies (cont’d):– Estimate potential harm– Plan a response– Perform decontamination– Preserve evidence– Evaluate response effectiveness

Competencies Covered (1 of 2)

• Personal protective equipment• Technical decontamination• Mass decontamination• Evidence preservation and sampling

Competencies Covered (2 of 2)

• Product control • Victim rescue and recovery operations• Illicit laboratory incidents• Air monitoring and sampling

OSHA HAZWOPER Operations Level Responders (1 of 2)

• Work to contain a hazardous materials release and protect nearby persons or property

• Competencies include: – Hazard and risk assessment techniques – Personal protective equipment– Hazardous materials terms

OSHA HAZWOPER Operations Level Responders (2 of 2)

• Competencies (cont’d): – Control, containment, and confinement

knowledge– Decontamination procedures– Standard operating procedures and

termination process

NFPA 472 Technician Level (1 of 2)

• Responds to hazardous materials/WMD incidents using risk-based response processes

• Hazardous materials technicians can: – Analyze the problem– Select decontamination procedures– Control a release

NFPA 472 Technician Level (2 of 2)

• Technician level personnel may supervise operations level responders.

• OSHA HAZWOPER hazardous materials technicians approach the point of release and take steps to mitigate the emergency.

Courtesy of Staff Sgt. Brandie Session/U.S. Air Force

HAZWOPER Technician Level Responders (1 of 3)

• HAZWOPER regulations:– Implement employer’s emergency response

plan– Classify, identify, and verify materials– Function in ICS-given role– Select and use proper PPE– Use hazard/risk assessment techniques

HAZWOPER Technician Level Responders (2 of 3)

• HAZWOPER regulations (cont’d):– Advance control and containment procedures– Understand decontamination procedures– Understand termination procedures– Understand chemical and toxicological

terminology and behavior

HAZWOPER Technician Level Responders (3 of 3)

• Specialist level of hazardous materials technicians receives more specialized training than a hazardous materials technician– Identified only in OSHA HAZWOPER

Incident Commander (1 of 2)

• Definition: responsible for all incident activities, and the ordering and release of resources

• HAZWOPER regulations:– Employer’s ICS– Employer’s emergency response plan

Incident Commander (2 of 2)

• HAZWOPER regulations (cont’d):– Chemical protective clothing– Local emergency response plan– Emergency response plan for state and

Federal Regional Response Team– Decontamination procedures– Annual refresher training

Governmental Agencies

• Department of Transportation (DOT)– Promulgates/publishes laws and regulations

governing transportation of goods by highway, rail, pipeline, air, marine transport

Environmental Protection Agency

• EPA: Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986– Created standard practice for local community

to understand chemical hazards

Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act

• Title III: Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA)– Businesses report storage type, quantity, and

methods to fire department and local emergency planning committee.

Local Emergency Planning Committee

• Local emergency planning committee (LEPC)– Gathers and disseminates information about

hazardous materials to public– Composed of volunteers– Collects safety data sheet (SDS)– Globally Harmonized System of Classification

and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS)

State Emergency Response Commission

• State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)– Liaison between local and state levels of

authority– Collects and disseminates information relating

to hazardous materials emergencies

Safety Data Sheet (1 of 2)

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Safety Data Sheet (2 of 2)

• Important resource to responders• Detailed profile of chemical/mixture• Provided by manufacturer/supplier• Physical and chemical properties• Toxicology data

Approach to Incident

• Do not approach hazardous materials/WMD incident with same mindset used in structural firefighting

• Response to hazardous materials/WMD emergency takes more time than to fight a structure fire

Response to Incident

• If situation is imminently dangerous,events may move quickly.

• Environment and materials involved dictate response tactics and strategy.

Law Enforcement

• Be aware of the law enforcement aspect of the incident. – Evidentiary issues– Criminal capture and prosecution

Preplanning (1 of 3)

• Response begins with: – Initial training– Continuing education– Preplanning activities

© Jones & Bartlett Learning. Photographed by Glen E. Ellman

Preplanning (2 of 3)

• Preplanning activities take place at target hazards.

• Discuss/share information with LEPC.

Preplanning (3 of 3)

• Fire departments, police agencies, public health offices, and other governmental agencies have the opportunity to work together in case of a large-scale emergency.

Summary (1 of 8)

• Governmental entities such as OSHA and the EPA issue and enforce regulations concerning hazardous materials emergencies.

• The consensus-based NFPA standards relating to hazardous materials/WMD incidents are available for those agencies that choose to adopt them.

Summary (2 of 8)

• A hazardous material is any substance or material that is capable of posing an unreasonable risk to human health, safety, or the environment when transported in commerce, used incorrectly, or not properly contained or stored.

• The actions taken at hazardous materials/WMD incidents are largely dictated by the chemicals involved and the way they behave during the release.

Summary (3 of 8)

• Two NFPA standards are important to responders who may be called upon to respond to hazardous materials/WMD incidents: – NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of

Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents

– NFPA 473, Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents

Summary (4 of 8)

• The OSHA HAZWOPER regulation is found in the CFR, Title 29, Standard 1910.120(q).

• The EPA’s version of OSHA’s HAZWOPER can be found in the CFR, Title 40, Protection of the Environment, Part 311: Worker Protection.

Summary (5 of 8)

• The goals associated with the competencies of awareness level personnel are to recognize a potential hazardous materials emergency, to isolate the area, and to call for assistance. Awareness level personnel take protective actions only.

• NFPA 472 expands the scope of an operations level responder’s duties by making a distinction between core competencies and mission-specific competencies.

Summary (6 of 8)

• For those who choose to adopt the NFPA 472 standard, the core competencies are required for all operations level responders; each agency can then pick and choose to require any or all of the mission-specific responsibilities. The core competencies of operations level responders are defensive actions.

Summary (7 of 8)

• The mission-specific responsibilities of operations level responders include personal protective equipment, technical and mass decontamination, evidence preservation, product control, basic air monitoring, victim rescue, incidents occurring at illicit laboratories, and operations level responders assigned to perform improvised WMD dispersal device disablement/disruption and operations at improvised explosive laboratories.

Summary (8 of 8)

• Hazardous materials technicians will approach the point of release so as to plug, patch, or otherwise mitigate a hazardous materials emergency.

• The hazardous materials incident commander is responsible for all incident activities.