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HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OPERATIONS

Presented by: Belton FD

Training Division

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Objectives

  • Review the NFPA 704 Marking System
  • Review means of containment and equipment used
  • Review the hazard zones, levels of training, and standard of care
  • Review methods of decontamination
  • Review Incident Command as it related to Hazardous Materials
  • Review different levels of PPE

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Hazardous Material

  • Definition-any substance or material in any form(solid, liquid, or gas) or quantity which poses an unreasonable risk to safety, health and property that can be found virtually anywhere.(home, work, transportation)

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OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120

  • This regulation applies not only to hazardous waste site operations but also to the emergency response to haz-mat incidents. It also regulates medical monitoring and annual physicals for specific response personnel. These regulations also address the ICS, PPE, and training.

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Standard of Care

  • A law that states that an individual may only participate in activities that they are trained to handle. It is unlawful to act outside the boundaries of your standard of care and could result in prosecution or death/injury.

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Hazardous Materials Goals

  • Just as in firefighting, you must always have goals established that are used to mitigate the haz-mat incident. These goals are:
  • Isolation
  • Notification
  • Protection
  • Spill, leak, or fire control
  • Recovery and termination

**The order in which the goals are accomplished does not matter. They should be prioritized by each incident.

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Levels of Training

Awareness-trained to identify a chemical and to notify the proper authorities.

Operations-trained to handle hazardous materials in a defensive manner without coming in contact with the product.

Technician-allows a responder to deal with an incident in an offensive manner.

Specialist-a person who can assist responders with information on a chemical’s make-up and reactivity hazards.(chemist)

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What Info Do I Need?

  • Is their a presence of hazardous materials?
  • Product Hazard Class
  • Product Identity/Name
  • Is their a release?
  • How much is involved?

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Gaining Information

  • There are seven different clues for detecting the possibility of hazardous materials.
    • Occupancy and Location
    • Shipping Papers
    • Colors and Markings
    • Placards and Labels
    • Monitoring and Detection Eqpt.
    • Shape of Container
    • Senses(Sight and Hearing)(NOT SMELL OR TASTE!)

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Reference Manuals/Books

  • MSDS
  • DOT Guidebook
  • NFPA
  • CRIS Manual
  • CHEMTREC
  • CAMEO
  • Shipping papers

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Emergency Response Guidebook

This guide was developed by the DOT for use by first responders and others. It contains guidance helpful during the initial phases of a hazardous materials incident. Each chemical is given a guide number and this is used to gain information about the product, evacuation procedures, first aid considerations, what PPE should be used, firefighting considerations as well as other valuable information.

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Placards and Labels

Red-Flammable

Green-Non Flammable Gas

Orange-Explosives

White-Poison

Yellow-Oxidizers

Black & White-Corrosives

Blue-Water Reactive

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Metering and Monitoring

  • Meters and monitors are most often used in every Haz-Mat incident. They are used to detect presence of substances, level of oxygen in the environment, and are also used to establish your hot, warm, and cold zones.

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Types of Meters

  • CGI(Combustible Gas)-measures percentage of lower explosive limit or LEL. Indicates possibility of fire. Only measures vapor and alarms at 10% of LEL. Are vapors heavier or lighter than air.?

  • Oxygen Meter-measures percentage of oxygen in the air. Alarms at 19.5% or 23.5%.

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Types of Meters

  • Carbon Monoxide Meter-measures PPM. Five ppm or less is acceptable. CO is a colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas(usually alarms around 35 ppm)

  • pH paper-used to determine corrosive level of liquid. Paper strip changes color and requires chart for interpretation.

0-6=Acid 8-14=Base 7=Neutral

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To sustain combustion, the correct mix of fuel

and oxygen (air) must be availaible. The LEL

indicates the lowest quantity of gas which must

be present for combustion and the UEL indicates

the maximum quantity of gas. The actual LEL

level for different gases may vary widely and

are measured as a percent by volume in air.

METHANE LEL=5% UEL=15%

HYDROGEN LEL=4% UEL=75%

PROPANE LEL=2.1% UEL=9.5%

ACYTELENE LEL=2.5% UEL=100%

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NFPA 704 System

  • The 704 system uses a diamond that is subdivided into four smaller diamonds which are color coded to indicate specific hazards. Within each diamond is a number from 0-4 indicating the hazard level. Zero indicates no hazard and 4 indicates a major hazard.

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Classification Number of Hazardous Materials

  • These numbers are located in the bottom corner of a placard.
    • Explosives-orange
    • Gases-red, white, green, yellow
    • Flammable Liquid-red
    • Flammable Solid-white/red stripe, blue
    • Oxidizer-yellow
    • Poisons-white
    • Radioactive Materials-yellow and white
    • Corrosives-black and white
    • Misc. Materials

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UN Identification Number

  • Identifies a chemical by name using the yellow pages in the Emergency Response Guide Book.(DOT book)

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Approaching and Positioning

  • Upon arrival of emergency responders several guidelines should be remembered.
  • Always position uphill, upwind, and upstream if possible.
  • Stay alert for other clues-vapor clouds and wet areas.

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Scene Setup

  • Establishing zones and perimeters are crucial on a Haz-Mat scene to help responders deny entry into the hazard area and initiate evacuation. Three hazard zones that exist are:
  • Hot Zone-area where the incident has taken place, extremely hazardous, only personnel with appropriate training can enter this zone.
  • Warm Zone-area that should be safe from exposure and includes the decon corridor.
  • Cold Zone-area for support personnel and command post.

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Public Protection Options

  • There are two basic strategies for protecting the public in a haz-mat situation.

  • Evacuation-the physical relocation of people threatened by the incident.

  • Sheltering In-Place-keeping threatened people in the same location without moving them. Is an appropriate option when evacuation would cause people to be exposed to hazardous atmospheres. Would also be helpful for the disabled, sick, prisoners.

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Containment Methods

  • Damming-a defensive confinement procedure to totally immobilize a flowing waterway contaminated with a liquid or solid.
  • Diking-a temporary means to slow down, or prevent the passage of a product
  • Diverting-a defensive procedure to control the movement of a material into an area where it will pose less harm
  • Absorption-occurs when a sponge is used to soak up a liquid

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MC 306 / DOT 306

  • Transports petroleum products(gas, fuel, oil)
  • Generally a 9,000 maximum capacity
  • Oval cross section indicates nonpressurized tank

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MC 307 / DOT 407

  • Transports flammable and combustible liquids, poisons
  • Generally 6,000 to 7,000 gallons max capacity
  • Usually low pressure(up to 40 psi)

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MC 312 / DOT 412

  • Transports corrosive liquids and high density liquids
  • Generally 5,000 to 6,000 max capacity
  • External reinforcing ribs are often visible

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MC 331

  • High pressure gas cargo tank truck
  • Transports LP Gas, anhydrous ammonia
  • Capacity ranges from 2,500 to 11,500 gallons

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MC 338

  • Transports Cryogenic liquids
  • Thermos Bottle design(well insulated)
  • Often has vapors discharging from relief valves

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Fixed Bulk Containers

  • Fixed Bulk Containers may contain large volumes and varieties of hazardous commodities. They come in many sizes and shapes. Information regarding these containers are on hand at the facility.
      • Example- Tank Farm(Marathon, Colonial, T. M.)

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Cone Roof Tank

  • Stores flammable, combustible, and corrosive liquids
  • Operates at atmospheric temperatures

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Open Floating Roof Tank

  • Stores flammable and combustible liquids
  • Roof floats on liquid surface, and contains a seal area between tank shell and roof

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Covered Floating Roof Tank

  • Stores flammable and combustible liquids
  • Cone roof tank with an internal floating roof

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Open Floating Roof Tank w/ Dome

  • Stores flammable liquids

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Underground Storage Tanks

  • Stores flammable liquids
  • Be alert for vents, fill points
  • Found at service stations or maintenance shops

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High-Pressure Horizontal Tank

  • Stores LP Gases, Anhydrous Ammonia, flammable liquids
  • Size varies: 1,000 to 30,000+ gallons
  • Pressures of 100 to 500 psi
  • Rounded ends are very dangerous

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High-Pressure Spherical Tank

  • Stores LP Gases, Vinyl chloride
  • Capacities up to 600,000 gallons
  • Pressures of 100 to 500 psi

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Container Stressors

  • Thermal-include heat and cold. Could result from radiant heat, flame impingement, or a reaction of the product within the container.
  • Mechanical-involve some type of force being applied to the container(impact, shock, pressure)
  • Chemical-generally involve the compatibility of the product and the container. The container is usually eaten away by the product.

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Container Failures

  • Disintegration
  • Runaway Cracking
  • Punctures
  • Splits or Tears
  • Opening of Closures
  • Cracks
  • Rail, wheel, and road burn

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Methods of Contamination

  • Direct Contamination-occurs when a person or an object enters the hot zone and comes into direct contact with the released contaminant.
  • Cross Contamination-is the result of contact with a contaminated person or object.

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Decontamination

  • Decontamination is defined as “a chemical or physical process used to remove and prevent the spread of contaminants from an emergency scene due to their ability to cause harm to living beings and/or the environment.”

Anything or anyone entering the hot zone is considered to be contaminated and must be decontaminated before leaving that zone. This includes responders, victims, onlookers, and equipment.

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Decontamination

  • During any haz-mat incident a Decon Group should be organized to coordinate all decon operations. A Decon Officer should also be established to oversee this function.

  • The decon site should be on a hard, flat, dry surface, away from ponds, drains, manholes, etc. and should be upwind and uphill from the incident.

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PPE Of The Decon Team

  • Some consideration must be given to how the decon operation will be staffed and what will be needed. The team must be properly protected and provided with a sufficient air supply(60 minute cylinders or supplied air system). In some situations the decon team should wear the same level of PPE as the Entry Team, but in most situations the decon team may be sufficiently protected by wearing one level below that of the entry crews. Always remember the decon team must also be decontaminated before shutting down decon.

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Termination

  • Debriefing
  • Post-Incident Analysis
  • Critique

Termination activities should concentrate on providing accurate information to the people who need it the most. Initially, this group is a small number of on-scene responders who may be briefed on the symptoms of a particular substance or on special recovery procedures. The termination process is divided into three phases:

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Critique

  • The primary purpose of a critique is to develop recommendations for improving the emergency response system and not to find fault with the performance of individuals. A good critique promotes:
    • System dependent operations rather than people dependent organizations
    • Teamwork
    • Safe operating procedures

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Debriefing

  • Debriefing should begin as soon as the “emergency” phase of the operation is completed. An effective debriefing should:
    • Inform responders what hazmats they were exposed to and their signs and symptoms.
    • Identify damaged equipment
    • Identify equipment or supplies that will need disposal or decon
    • Identify unsafe conditions. This should also include owners and contractors.
    • Gather information for post-incident analysis and critique
    • Assess the need for a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing

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Post-Incident Analysis

  • This is the reconstruction of the incident to establish a clear picture of the events that took place during the emergency. It is conducted to assure that the incident has been properly documented and reported, determine who pays, establish a clear picture of the emergency for further study, and provide a foundation to determine what was the cause of the incident. The PIA should focus on these key topics:
    • Command and Control
    • Tactical Operations
    • Resources
    • Support Services
    • Plans and Procedures
    • Training

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Liability Issues

  • There are some liability concerns that are worth noting in emergency work:
    • Problems with Planning-no procedure in place, poorly written or unrealistic, and procedures were not used
    • Problems with Training-no training, unsafe training, undocumented training
    • Problems with I.D. of Hazards-hazards were not identified, prioritized or were ignored
    • Problems with Duty to Warn-warnings were not given or improper
    • Problems with Negligent Operations-equipment was not employed properly, plans and procedures were not followed, and equipment was not maintained

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Characteristics of an �Effective Foam

  • An effective foam should consist of several aspects:
    • Knock down speed-time required for an effective blanket to spread across a fuel surface for extinguishment
    • Heat or burnback resistance-ability to resist heat from fire or other hot objects
    • Resistance to fuels-ability to minimize fuel pick-up so the foam does not become saturated and burn.
    • Vapor suppression-ability to create a vapor-tight blanket and minimize the risk of re-ignition.
    • Alcohol tolerance-foam is more than 90% water, if they are not protected they will be destroyed.

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Types of Foam

AQUEOUS FILM FORMING FOAM(AFFF)

  • May be used in 1%, 3%, or 6% mixture
  • Good penetrating capabilities
  • Creates vapor blanket over and floats on hydrocarbons
  • Can be used through non-aerating nozzles
  • Can be premixed
  • Primarily used in controlling and extinguishing Class B fires.

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Types of Foam

AQUEOUS FILM FORMING-

ALCOHOL RESISANT

  • May be used in 3% or 6% mixture
  • Can be used on polar solvents at 6% and hydrocarbon fuels at 3%
  • Fast flame knockdown
  • Good burn-back resistance
  • Primarily used on fires or spills of both hydrocarbon and polar solvent fuels

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Types of Foam

CLASS A

  • Wetting agent that reduces surface tension of water and allows it to soak into combustibles
  • Rapid extinguishment with less water
  • Can be used with regular water stream eqpt.
  • Can be premixed
  • Requires low concentration(0.2 to 1.0)
  • Good penetration
  • Primary use is extinguishing Class A combustibles only.
  • Can be used with CAFS(no aeration)

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Types of Fuels

HYDROCARBONS

  • Petroleum Based
  • Lighter than Water
  • Vapors suppressed by foam as it floats on fuel surface

Examples-diesel, gasoline, oil

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Types of Fuels

POLAR SOLVENTS

  • Has attraction for water/dissolve in water
  • Alcohol resistant formulations of foam are necessary for extinguishment
  • Should use an air-aspirating nozzle

Examples: acids, aldehydes, acetone, alcohol

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Methods of Application

  • Roll-On-foam stream is directed on ground near front edge of liquid/product and rolls across surface of product creating a blanket across entire surface.
  • Bank-Down-foam stream is directed off an object and allows foam to run down onto surface of product
  • Rain-Down-this method directs foam stream into the air above fire or spill and allows foam to float gently down onto surface of product.

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Foam Proportioning

  • In-line eductors work on the venturi principle with water at high pressure(approx. 200 psi) being forced into a reducing oriface where it mixes with foam concentrate.
  • 3% concentrates are mixed with water at a ratio of 97 parts water and 3 parts foam
  • 6% concentrates are mixed with water at a ratio of 94 parts water and 6 parts foam

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Foam Proportioning

  • As an emergency measure, 15 gallons of foam concentrate poured into a 500 gallon booster tank will produce an adequate 3% foam solution with the pump serving as the eductor.
  • Always remember using more percentage of foam will empty your supply quicker. Flowing 6% will empty your supply twice as fast as using 3%
  • Keep this in mind while on scene so you can be prepared and have a large enough supply of concentrate to handle the emergency.

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Extinguishment

  • Smothering-preventing air and flammable vapors from combining.
  • Separating-intervening between the fuel and the fire.
  • Cooling-lowering the temperature of fuel and adjacent surfaces.
  • Suppressing-preventing release of flammable vapors.

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Assembling Foam �Fire Streams

  • Select proper foam concentrate for involved fuel
  • Check eductor and nozzle for hydraulic compatibility
  • Check concentration listing(must match eductor percentage rating)
  • Attach eductor to hose capable of flowing capacity of eductor and nozzle

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Assembling Foam �Fire Streams

  • Connect attack hoseline and nozzle to eductor
  • Place open foam concentrate containers at the eductor so operation may be carried out uninterrupted
  • Place eductor suction hose into concentrate-bottom of concentrate must be no more than six feet below the eductor
  • Increase water supply pressure as required
  • At conclusion of operation rinse and clean all foam appliances, tanks, and pumps

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Tactical Considerations

  • Always utilize the ICS
  • Wear full PPE including SCBA
  • Attack from uphill and upwind whenever possible
  • Never enter unfoamed spill area
  • Once vapor seal is established it must be maintained, apply foam in massive quantity
  • Continually blanket area when emergency responders and victims are in spill or fire area

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Operations

  • Assemble enough product to do the job
  • Apply foam gently, never aim or plunge the stream into the fuel spill
  • If air-aspirating foam nozzles are not available, utilize fog nozzles on straight stream patterns no more than 30 degrees
  • Foam conducts electricity
  • Never walk in the product or in a foam blanket
  • Firefighters should be on the same side of the hoseline, and should bleed the air out of the hoseline before entering the fire area

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Foam Setup for Belton F.D.

  • All foam eductors are rated at 95 GPM
  • All eductors have a 2.5” inlet and 1.5” outlet
  • Ensure your nozzle GPM relates to the eductor’s GPM
  • At least 150 ft. of hose should be between the nozzle and the eductor. You can utilize up to 300 ft. and still flow an effective stream
  • Eductors and foam tubes are found in the engineer’s compartment of each engine
  • Foam concentrate found on top of E-1 & E-3 and in the haz-mat compartment of SOP-1
  • Utilize Haz-Mat team, Colonial Pipeline, and other stations for additional foam supply

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Hazardous Materials

Use common sense to mitigate these incidents and always operate inside your level of training to protect you and your crew.

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Complacency Kills

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Identify These Placards