Ch 2 Safety Concepts

Question 1

Formal Process

Answer 1

Defined in writing and can take on many forms: SOPs, SOGs, department directives, temporary memorandums, etc

Question 2

Both formal and informal processes …

Answer 2

… play an important role in safety w/fire depts

Question 3

As a starting point, SOPs should exist for the following:

Answer 3

• Use of PPE and SCBA
• Care and maintenance of PPE and SCBA
• Risk/benefit principles
• Incident response (emergent) driving
• Highway and traffic safety at incidents
• Accident/injury procedures and reporting
• Incident scene accountability
• Firefighter trapped and/or lost Mayday procedures
• Emergency evacuation at incidents
• Use of ICS
• Effective incident rehabilitation for responders
• Infection and chemical exposure control and reporting
• Employee right to know information (hazards of firefighting)

Question 4

Qualities of a good SOP

Answer 4

• Simple language
• Clear direction
• Tested technique
• Easy interpretation
• Applicability to many scenarios
• Specificity only in relation to critical or life endangering points

Question 5

The practical application of SOPs …

Answer 5

… puts the ISO in the best place to suggest changes to SOPs or even help create new ones for the department

Question 6

Operational Triad

Answer 6

Procedures, equipment, personnel

Question 7

7 Equipment Guidelines

Answer 7

• Selection
• Use
• Cleaning and decontamination
• Storage
• Inspection
• Repairs
• Criteria for retirement

Question 8

Thermal Protective Performance (TPP)

Answer 8

Measurement given to the durability of equipment when exposed to a flash fire event

Question 9

Training is …

Answer 9

… the process of learning and applying knowledge and skills

*How to do something

Question 10

Education is …

Answer 10

… the process of developing one’s analytical ability using principles, concepts, and values

*Why you do something

Question 11

Safety education …

Answer 11

… helps to shape an individual’s values and attitude

Question 12

Supporting Firefighter Mental Health

Answer 12

• Training to recognize atypical incident stress S/S
• Creating professional and peer outreach options for suicide prevention
• Including firefighters’ families in social, educational, and team building events
• Accessing local and national resources to help in implementing a behavioral health program for dept members

Question 13

5 Step Risk Management

Answer 13

1) Hazard Identification
2) Hazard Evaluation
3) Hazard Prioritization
4) Hazard Control
5) Hazard Monitoring

Question 14

Primary function of ISO

Answer 14

Identifying hazards

Benzene, a known carcinogen, can cause lung cancer w/one exposure. Hydrogen cyanide is a more prevalent smoke by-product gas today and can linger long into overhaul operations

Question 15

Hazard Evaluation

Answer 15

Once a hazard has been identified, it has to be assigned relative importance.

Frequency is the probability that an injurious event can happen, and it can best be described as low, moderate, or high based on the number of times that a particular hazard is present or the number of times injury results from the hazard.

Same description of low/moderate/high can be assessed to Severity. Severity can be viewed as a harmful consequence or cost associated w/injury or property damage from a given hazard.

Question 16

Hazard Control

Answer 16

The overall strategy of hazard control is called mitigation.
Mitigation is accomplished using a hierarchy of controls to reduce the potential for accidents and injuries.

Control Heirarchy has the following steps:

1) Design
2) Guard
3) Warn

Complex Hierarchy

1) Eliminate through design
2) Substitute (use a less dangerous chemical or material)
3) Isolate (containment or enclosure)
4) Adopt Engineered Controls (add on devices such as fans or spark arresting features
5) Apply Administrative Controls (training, procedures, etc)
6) Use PPE (last resort)

Question 17

Mitigation Hierarchy Preferred Order of Hazard Control

Answer 17

• Elimination
• Reduction
• Adaptation
• Transfer
• Avoidance