ha001 hazmat recognition

HAZMAT AWARENESSHAZMAT AWARENESS

HAZMATHAZMATRecognitionRecognition

Section 1Section 1

IntroductionIntroduction

Of all the calls firefighters respond to, some of the most difficult are those that involve unreported hazardous materials.

Whether the hazardous materials are being transported, stored or used, they present tremendous potential for danger to life safety beyond the usual hazards associated with a fire or a vehicle crash.

A primary task in any incident is to recognize whether hazardous materials may be present.

Sometimes the recognition will be straight-forward, but there will be times when you are not sure. The rule of thumb always is “don’t go until you know.”

Learning Objectives:Learning Objectives:

1. Ways that Spilled or Released HAZMATS are Harmful

2. Basic Clues to HAZMAT Recognition3. Types of Occupancies Where HAZMATS May

be Stored or Used4. Typical Containers that are Used for

HAZMATS

Section 2Section 2

Harm FromHarm FromHAZMATS: Part 1HAZMATS: Part 1

Unconfined hazardous materials can cause both short- and long-term harm to people and the environment.

The term “hazardous materials” covers an entire collection of chemicals and products that can cause a wide range of problems.

Most of the harmful effects of hazardous materials on humans or the environment can be grouped into the “Seven Threats.”

Seven threats:Seven threats:

1. Thermal2. Mechanical3. Poison4. Corrosive5. Asphyxiation6. Radiation7. Etiological

Thermal effects:Thermal effects:

Thermal covers heat or cold.

This would include burns from fire as well as frostbite from cryogenic substances, such as liquid oxygen or liquid natural gas.

Mechanical effects:Mechanical effects:

Mechanical effects refer to damage caused by flying objects striking and injuring a person or property.

This happens when containers explode and send pieces flying like shrapnel.

Poison effects:Poison effects:

Exposure to poisons results in damage to organs or body systems.

Different types of poisons attack different body functions.

Corrosive effects:Corrosive effects:

Corrosives destroy or burn living tissue and can interact with combustibles causing a fire or explosion.

They can be acid or base. Both cause burning of skin, eyes, nose and mouth, vomiting and difficulty breathing.

Section 3Section 3

Harm FromHarm FromHAZMATS: Part 2HAZMATS: Part 2

Asphyxiation effects:Asphyxiation effects:

Asphyxiation effects are caused by products that deprive the body of oxygen—resulting in suffocation.

Radiation effects:Radiation effects:

Radiation effects are caused by radioactive materials.

The symptoms of radiation exposure include nausea, vomiting and burns to the skin.

Etiological effects:Etiological effects:

Etiological effects are caused by biological materials and result in diseases—sometimes fatal diseases.

There are hazardous materials that cause additional harm to humans and the environment.

These include irritants, which produce short-term effects such as coughing and inflammation—and those that cause long-term effects such as carcinogens, which cause cancer.

One important reminder about hazardous materials is that they are not harmful when they are safely contained.

But once uncontained, they can cause all kinds of problems—ranging from immediate death to long-term illness or environmental destruction.

Section 4Section 4

Basic CluesBasic Clues

There are basic clues to watch for when responding to any incident.

Each of these clues may alert you to the presence of hazardous materials.

Basic clues:Basic clues:

• Location & occupancy

• Container types

• Placards, labels & markings

• Your senses

Location & occupancy:Location & occupancy:

Some obvious locations that would involve hazardous materials:

– Gas stations– Chemical manufacturing

facilities– Garden or farm materials

stores

Location & occupancy (cont.):Location & occupancy (cont.):

Some not so obvious locations:

–General purpose stores–High-tech

manufacturing facilities–Marinas and shipyards

Type of container:Type of container:

Certain containers are routinely used for storing and shipping hazardous materials; if the container is present you should assume the HAZMAT is probably also on scene.

Placards, labels or markings:Placards, labels or markings:

There are many marking systems used. You need to be familiar with each type to be able to recognize the type of hazard involved.

Your senses:Your senses:

• What do you see at the scene?

– Maybe a cloud of vapor, or material seeping from a hole in a container

• What do you hear?

– The ominous hissing of gas escaping a container under pressure is a clue

• What do you smell?

– This is a dangerous clue, because if you get close enough to smell certain chemicals, you are already exposed

Section 5Section 5

HAZMATHAZMATOccupanciesOccupancies

It doesn’t matter whether your department is in a rural or urban area or in a sleepy suburb with little or no industry—you have hazardous materials in your community.

Almost all communities have a gas station or a hardware store.

And most communities have a main highway with truck traffic or a train track with rail traffic.

Rural areas typically contain large amounts of toxic, flammable and explosive hazardous materials:

–Fertilizers–Fuels–Pesticides–Herbicides

Urban industrialized areas may have simple manufacturing sites and high-tech fabrication plants with:

–Corrosives–Poisons–Irritants–Fuels

The small town or residential neighborhood is home to all kinds of occupancies that contain hazardous chemicals and gases:

– Dry cleaners– Paint stores– Swimming pools– Hospitals

Pre-incident planning is important; get out into your community and know what is there.

Databases and on-scene personnel are helpful, but nothing takes the place of having a documented inspection survey prior to the emergency.

Section 6Section 6

HAZMATHAZMATContainers: Part 1Containers: Part 1

It’s important to recognize container shapes that are typically used to store or transport hazardous materials.

Containers can vary in size from a one ounce bottle to a ship’s hold containing thousands of tons of cargo.

Common types of containers:Common types of containers:

• Cylinders

• Drums

• Boxes

• Highway transportation containers

Cylinders:Cylinders:

Cylinders are used for all types of gases and liquids including propane, oxygen and nitrogen.

They are often used to store extremely volatile substances, such as acetylene or high health-hazard gases, such as chlorine.

Cylinders (cont.):Cylinders (cont.):

The contents of the cylinder may be low risk, such as helium. But a high-pressure cylinder itself can become a rocket if it is involved in a fire and the heat increases the inside pressure beyond the capacity of the container.

Overheated cylinders have been known to travel long distances and then pierce concrete walls.

Do not assume that you know what type of product is in a cylinder because of the color of the container.

Color markings are sometimes used within industries, but cylinder colors are not uniform across industries and color is not a good indicator of contents.

In general, tall, thin cylinders are under high pressure and short, wide cylinders are under low pressure.

Section 7Section 7

HAZMATHAZMATContainers: Part 2Containers: Part 2

Drums:Drums:

Drums are common in manufacturing facilities and are usually marked to indicate the contents.

Some drums store waste, which can also be hazardous—and is usually not marked.

Drums (cont.):Drums (cont.):

Consider the situation when you come upon an unmarked steel drum in a home basement or storage area.

What are the chances that you’ve stumbled on something really hazardous?

Cardboard boxes:Cardboard boxes:

Cardboard boxes can contain all kinds of hazardous substances.

If the box is the original container, it is probably marked.

Cardboard boxes (cont.):Cardboard boxes (cont.):

If repackaged, there will probably not be labels.

Use context clues to consider the likelihood of hazardous materials.

For example—is the box in a garden shed? It could contain pesticides or poisons.

Highway transportation containers:Highway transportation containers:

There are four typical tank trucks that carry materials which could be hazardous in an accident:

– DOT 406 (MC 306)fuel (gasoline)

– DOT 407 (MC 307) chemicals

Highway transportation containers Highway transportation containers (cont.):(cont.):

– DOT 412 (MC 312) corrosives

– MC 331liquefied compressed gases (propane)

Highway transportation containers Highway transportation containers (cont.):(cont.):

There are many other types of typical containers out there.

Some are on highways passing through your jurisdiction.

Some are unique to the industries or occupations in your community.

Stay alert and take time to notice what is around you.

Section 8Section 8

Session SummarySession Summary

Whenever you respond to a routine call, remember that the presence of hazardous materials is always a possibility.

Session Summary:Session Summary:

1. Ways that Spilled or Released HAZMATS are Harmful

2. Basic Clues to HAZMAT Recognition3. Types of Occupancies Where HAZMATS May

be Stored or Used4. Typical Containers that are Used for

HAZMATS

Uncontained and undetected hazardous materials have the potential to kill you quickly or kill you slowly.

The ability to recognize the presence of hazardous materials at an incident can mean the difference between a successful response—or a disaster.

The EndThe End

ha001 hazmat recognition

senses hazmat awareness

radiation effects

etiological effects

thermal effects

asphyxiation effects

mechanical effects

poison effects

corrosive effects

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