Hazardous Materials Incident Considerations

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Hazardous Materials Incident Considerations

• Chapter 2
• Hazardous Materials Reference Sources

2
Haz Mat Reference Sources

• Session Objectives
• The student will be able to
• Identify the types of hazard and response
  information available
• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of each
  resource
• Utilize various reference sources to identify
  hazard and response information about various
  hazardous materials

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Hazardous Materials Information

• The key to success is knowing
• What information is needed
• How to access it
• How to properly interpret and utilize it

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Hazardous Materials Information

• A working knowledge of the involved chemicals is
  needed to make sound decisions on
• Protective actions
• Control zones
• Levels of PPE
• Other tactical operations

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Information Sources

• Personnel at the site
• Books
• Computer data bases
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

MSDS
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Hazardous Materials Information and Reference
Sources

• Types of Information Needed
• Physical properties
• Chemical Properties

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Physical Properties

• Vapor density
• Water solubility
• Specific gravity
• Boiling point
• Flash point
• Flammable/explosive limits
• Ignition temperature

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Chemical Properties

• Corrosivity
• Toxicity
• Radioactivity
• Oxidizing potential
• Reactivity

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On-Site Personnel

• Can be a valuable source of information on
• what happened
• what materials are involved
• what the conditions are

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Technical Experts

• On site technical experts
• Industry experts
• Always confirm information with at least two
  other sources
• Beware of no big deal syndrome

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Hazardous Materials Reference Books

• To be useful, books should meet three
  requirements
• easy to access information
• accurate
• understandable
• Training on the use of each book is a must!

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Reference Library

• Maintain a reference library on response vehicles
• Updated on a regular basis
• Use at least three sources of information
• Know which book will be the best source for a
  specific type of information

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North American Emergency Response Guide Book

• Designed for First Responders
• Good source of information on initial actions
• isolation and protective actions
• PPE

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Chemical Hazard Response Information System
(CHRIS)

• Designed to provide information needed for haz
  mat incidents on water ways
• Condensed Guide
• Hazardous Chemical Data

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NIOSH Pocket Guide

• The NIOSH Pocket Guide is good source of health
  related information
• PELs
• IDLH
• effects on target organs
• Lists ionizing potentials for chemicals

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Condensed Chemical Dictionary

• Provides three distinct types of information
• descriptions of chemicals, raw materials,
  processes, and equipment
• expanded definitions of chemical entities,
  phenomena, and terminology
• descriptions or identifications of a wide range
  of trademarked chemical products

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NFPA Fire Protection Guide on Hazardous Materials

• Excellent source for fire-related data.
• It contains four sections
• Section 49 contains information on chemical
  properties
• Section 325M discusses the fire hazard properties
  of flammable liquids, gases and volatile solids
• Section 491M is a listing of known chemical
  reactions
• Section 704 Identification System

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Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals Safety Manual

• Provides information on
• chemical uses
• synonyms
• properties
• handling and storage
• spill and leak mitigation
• disposal and waste treatment

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Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials

• Excellent source of clinical toxicological data
  on the health effects of chemicals
• 20,000 entries in the book
• Large section on synonyms
• Identifies degree of hazard by toxicity number
• 1 - Slightly toxic
• 2 - Moderately toxic
• 3 - Highly toxic

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Farm Chemical Handbook

• Excellent source of information on agricultural
  chemicals
• index (yellow border)
• Pesticide Dictionary
• list of manufacturers names, addresses and
  telephone numbers

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Emergency Action Guides (AAR)

• Specific information on various mitigation
  techniques and their subsequent consequences
• Emphasis on materials transported by rail

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Other Reference Books

• Hazardous Materials Desk Reference by Richard J.
  Lewis
• Brethericks Handbook of Reactive Chemical
  Hazards
• Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products
• Handbook of Compressed Gases

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Other Reference Books

• Guidelines for the Selection of Chemical
  Protective Clothing
• Hazardous Materials Injuries
• Merck Index

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Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

• Supplies information about a particular hazardous
  substance or mixture
• Required by labor Code, Title 8 and CFR 29
• A MSDS must follow the standard format (Title 8)
• however few look alike

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Information Required on a MSDS

• Section I - Material/Manufacturer Identification
• Section II - Ingredients
• Section III - Physical Data
• Section IV - Fire and Explosion Hazard Data
• Section V - Health Hazard Data
• Section VI - Reactivity Data
• Section VII - Spill or Leak Procedures
• Section VIII - Special Protection Information
• Section IX - Special Precautions

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Data Bases

• On-line systems
• Hazardline
• CHEMTRECs Hazard Information Transmission (HIT)

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Software Packages

• CAMEO
• TOMES

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CAMEO (compiled by NOAA)

• Available to response agencies for a nominal fee
• Lists 3,300 chemical names with their synonyms
• Mapping program of the jurisdiction is included
• Plume modeling system

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TOMES

• Available on CD-ROM
• Contains over 4,000 chemicals
• Start-up cost and quarterly fee for update info

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Other Information Resources

• TOXCENTER
• Based at Northridge Hospital (in Northridge,
  California)
• provides information for emergency response
• phone number - 213/885-9888 or 800/682-9000
• Poison Control Center
• National Pesticide Telecommunications Network
  (Texas Tech.)
• Phone number - 800/858-7378