What is an Operations Level Responder?
Person who respond to HazMat/WMD incidents for the purpose of implementing or supporting actions
to protect nearby persons, the environment, or property from the effects. Are NOT used in offensive
tactics, but on defensive.
What tasks will an operational level responder be expected to perform?
Analyze, plan, implement, evaluate
Analyze: to determine the scope and potential outcomes by surveying, collecting info, predicting
behavior
Plan: describing the response objective, options, emergency decontamination procedure, developing a
plan of action including safety considerations
Implement: preservation of evidence, initiating an incident command system.
Evaluate: by evaluation and communicating the status of the response.
The operations level responder would work under who?
HazMat Technician
Written guidance or stander operating procedure will state what?
The rules of engagement
Under What CFR is DOT?
49CFR170.199
Under What CFR is OSHA?
29CFR 1910.1209
Under what CFR is EPA?
40CFR 311
What are the two primary types of containers?
the ones used for transport and those used for storage
What conditions need to be assessed for a thorough survey of the scene?
Topography
land use-commercial, residential
accessibility - roads, bridges, wooded areas
weather conditions
bodies of water
public exposure potential
over head and underground wires and pipe lines
storm and sewer drains
,possible ignition sources
adjacent land use - rail lines, highways and airports
nature and extent of injuries
building information - floor drains and ventilation
Ways to verify information obtained from the Survey Hazardous Material Incident
ERG
contact Chemtrec
contact shippers
where can you find additional references to obtain information already received
shipper/owner
electronic database
other references
incident involving criminal or terrorist activity
Secondary events intended to incapacitate or delay emergency responders
armed resistance
use of weapons
booby traps
secondary contamination from handling patients
possible indicators: vegetation discoloration, sudden onset of casualties, unexplained vapors and odors
In the fire protection handbook, the information to be collected is divided into six basic group
material ID info
physical property
chemical property
physical hazards
health hazards
response information
What does collecting the information allows the operations level responder?
determine the defensive options that can be performed safely, given the personnel and equipment
available
how are haz mat classified?
According to their primary danger and assigned standardized symbols to ID the class/division
Class 1
Explosive
Class 1 Major Hazard
Explosion
,Class 1 Definition
any substance or article, including a device that is designed to function by explosion or that by chemical
reaction within itself, is able to function by explosion
Division 1.1
Mass Explosion hazard - mass explosion is one that affects almost the entire load instantly
example - black powder, dynamite, TNT
Division 1.2
Projection hazard - but not mass explosion
example - aerial flares, detonation cord, power device cartridges
Division 1.3
Fire hazard, minor blast hazard , minor projection hazard, NO mass explosion
example - liquid fueled rocket motors, propellant explosive
Division 1.4
Minor explosion hazard (no more than 25 grams of detonating material)
example - practice ammo, signal cartridges
Division 1.5
Very insensitive explosive with mass explosion hazard - under normal conditions
example - prilled ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fuel oil mix
Division 1.6
Extremely insensitive no mass explosive hazard
example: squib device ( small explosive with considerably less explosive power
Class 1 placard
orange placard with bursting ball
Class 2
Compressed gas
Class 2 Major Hazard
BLEVE
What is BLEVE
Boiling Liquid expanding vapor explosion
Division 2.1
, Flammable Gas - boiling point of 68F or less and that is ignitable when a mixture of 13% or less by
volume with air
ex - propane, methyl chloride
Division 2.1 placard
red background with white flame
Division 2.2
non flammable, non poisonous gas -
ex - carbon dioxide, compressed nitrogen, anhydrous ammonia
Division 2.2 placard
Green Bakground, white cilinder
what is a cryogenic and what division
refrigerated liquefied gas having a boiling point colder than -130F
division 2.2
Division 2.3
Poisonous Gas - gasses that vaporized easily and that are very dangerous to life, even in small amounts.
Is known to be so toxic to humans as to pose a hazard to health during transportation
ex - chlorine, methyl bromide, arsine
division 2.3 placard
with background, skull and crossbones
Class 3
flammable / combustible liquids
Flammable liquid
burns readily, have a flash point of not more than 140F
ex - acetone, gasoline, methyl alcohol, toluene
combustible liquid
any liquid that does not meet the definition of any other hazard class and that has a flash point above
140F
ex - mineral oil, peanut oil, No.6 fuel oil, pine oil, plastic solvent
Class 4
Flammable solid
Class 4 Major hazard
rapid combustion that releases mass quantities of smoke