Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is a Hazardous Material
A material capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety or the environment when transported, used incorrectly, or not properly contained
The nature of an incident (and the mentality of the responder) changes when an emergency involves……
The release of a hazardous material.
What is an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)?
Governing body that sets operational policy and procedures for your jurisdiction.
What is a critical first step in ensuring your safety at a Hazmat/WMD incident?
Having the ability to recognize a potential HM/WMD incident.
What are Regulations?
Mandates issued and enforced by 2 federal agencies, OSHA and the EPA
What is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)?
The US federal agency that regulates worker safety. Part of the US DOT.
What is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?
The US federal agency, established in 1970, that ensure safe manufacturing, use, transportation, and disposal of hazardous substances.
What are standards?
Guidelines issued by nongovernmental entities that are usually consensus based.
What is the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)?
The association that develops and maintains nationally recognized minimum standards on fire safety and hazardous materials. Are voluntary and consensus based.
What are Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)?
An organizations emergency response plan. Meant to maintain safety, consistency, control and effectiveness.
What is NFPA 472?
Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/WMDs.
What is NFPA 473?
Standard for Competency for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials/WMDs.
What is HAZWOPER?
HAZardous Waste OPerations and Emergency Response. OSHA document containing hazmat response competencies.
What is the first training level of HAZWOPER and NFPA 472?
Awareness Level
What is the second training level of HAZWOPER and NFPA 472?
Operations Level
What is the third training level of HAZWOPER and NFPA 472?
Technician Level
What is the fourth training level of HAZWOPER and NFPA 472?
Specialist Level
What is the fifth training level of HAZWOPER and NFPA 472?
Incident Commander
How does NFPA 472 expand the scope of an operations level responder?
By making a distinction between core competencies and mission-specific competencies.
What are the competencies of an awareness level responder?
Recognize a hazmat emergency, isolate the area, and call for assistance.
This responder level can take protective actions only
Awareness level
What responder level can take defensive actions only?
Operations level
What responder level will approach the point of release so as to plug, patch, or otherwise mitigate a hazmat incident?
Technician level
What responder level is responsible for all incident activities?
Incident Commander
What is an Operations Level Responder?
Those tasked to respond to hazmat/wmd incidents to take action to protect people nearby, the environment, or property from the release.
What are some of the core competencies for an operations level responder?
- Determine scope of incident
- Survey the scene
- Collect info
- Predict behavior of material
- Estimate harm the substance might cause
- Plan a response, including amt of PPE
- Perform decontamination
- Preserve evidence
- Evaluate the status and effectiveness of response
What are the mission specific competencies of operations level responders?
- Use of PPE
- Technical decon
- Mass decon
- Evidence preservation and sampling
- Product control
- Victim rescue and recovery operations
- Illicit lab incidents
- Air monitoring
What are the HAZWOPER requirements for Technicians?
- Implement emergency response plan
- Classify, ID, and verify materials
- Function in assigned role in ICS
- Select and use proper PPE
- Understand hazard and risk assessment techniques
- Perform advanced control, containment and confinement operations within capabilities of what’s available.
- Understand and implement decon
- Understand termination procedures
- Understand basic chemical and toxicological terms and behavior.
The specialist level is only ID’d in…..
The OSHA HAZWOPER standard
What are the HAZWOPER requirements for IC’s?
- Know and implement ICS
- Know how to implement the emergency response plan
- Know and understand the hazards and risks associated with chemical PPE
- Know how to implement the local emergency response plan
- Know of the state emergency response plan and of the Federal Regional Response Team
- Know and understand importance of decon procedures
Department of Transportation (DOT)
Government agency that publicizes and enforces rules and regs that relate to transportation of hazardous materials.
What did the EPA’s Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) create?
Created a standard practice for a local community to understand and be aware of chemical hazards in the community.
What did Title III of SARA, the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) do?
Required a business that handles certain types and amounts of chemicals to report storage type, quantity and storage methods to fire dept. and local emergency planning committee.
What does a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) do?
Gather and disseminate info about hazardous materials to the public. Collects Safety Data Sheets (SDS)(Also know as Material Safety Data Sheets)
What does a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) do?
Acts as liaisons between local and state levels of authority
What are some differences between a Hazmat/WMD incident and other emergencies?
- Different mindset usually needed
- Usually much slower, unless situation is imminently dangerous
- Largely dictated by hazards involved, environmental influences, and the way the chemical behaves
- Must be aware of law enforcement aspects
What does a hazmat response begin with?
- Your initial training
- Continuing education
- Preplanning activities
(CHIEF CONCEPT) What 2 government entities issue and enforce regulations concerning hazmat emergencies
OSHA and the EPA
(CHIEF CONCEPT) The actions taken at a hazmat/WMD incident are largely dictated by…..
The chemicals involved and the way they behave during release
(IMPORTANT FOR TEST) (CHIEF CONCEPT) Which NFPA standard is for EMS and which is for responders?
NFPA 472 is for responders and 473 is for EMS
(CHIEF CONCEPT) The CFR, Title 29, Standard 1910.120(q) is what regulation?
The OSHA HAZWOPER regulation
(CHIEF CONCEPT) What is the difference between a technician and an operations level responder?
A technician stops leaks and operations contains a leak
