Site Characterization

Question 1

What is Site Characterization

Answer 1

• Proper site characterization must be carried out to protect workers from unknown hazards without adequate protection.
• Initial off-site investigations are conducted to identify pre-existing hazards.
• site safety planning based on off-site research to determine safely equip staff/teams.
• Lists the responsibility of entry team members and how they are to document the conditions they encounter

Question 2

What is site safety

Answer 2

safety measures ensure employees health and safety while working. These measures are to be continually monitored, evaluated and updated. This is the responsibility of the Site Team Leader or Project Manager and it is a continuous process. Every phase of site characterization and evaluation must be done to determine the site risks and hazards that pose a danger to the employees. All site personnel must be made aware of any hazards or dangers as they become known.

Question 3

Why does site characterization need to be done on an ongoing process of a construction site?

Answer 3

Site characterization or continual gathering of information needs to be done because each phase that the site enters offers other hazards to the employees so an evaluation has to be done constantly to access the changing hazards.

Question 4

What are the 3 types of site characterization?

Answer 4

1. Off-site survey
2. on-site survey
3. ongoing investigation and monitoring

Question 5

Site characterization - Off-site survey

Answer 5

There are two methods of collecting informaiton when doing the off-site survey. They are:
1. Interviews and research
2. Perimeter reconnaissance
It is advisable to collect as much information as possible prior to going on site.

Question 6

What information should be obtained for the off-site survey?

Answer 6

Precise location of the site
Meterological data (weather, temperature, wind velocity, etc.)
Detailed activity of the site
Duration of the activity of the site
Geological iand hydrologic nformation
entrance and egress paths
habitation and population centers and populations at risk
Accessibility by air and roadways

Question 7

Site characterization - Off-site survey - Interviews and Research are to include the following:

Answer 7

• Company records, receipts, logbooks and records
• Residents in sorrounding areas (site related medical problems)
• Police an fire department records
• Records from state, local or federal agecies including OSHA, Fire Marshalls office, waste storage and shipping manifestos and inventories,
• Interviews with employees past and present
• generator and transporter records
• water department sewer department records
• court records
• utility records
• media reports

Question 8

Site characherization - Perimeter Reconnaissance - is to include the following:

Answer 8

Do not go onsite until you need to.
Observation of buildings from the outside
A site plan should be made and used to determine where hazardous chemicals are located.including where buildings, ponds, septic, pools, etc.
monitor atmospheric conditions of pollutants
collect soil and or water samples

Question 9

Perimeter reconnaissance should include the following:

Answer 9

Changes in traffic patterns
Changes in vegetation around the site
Unevenness of the ground disturbed paved surfaces
differences in reforestation in certain areas
review of historical or current aerial photographs
dissappearance of natural quarries depressions or pits

Question 10

What is a site safety plan?

Answer 10

The off-site survey is used to develop a site safety plan. The site safety plan outlines what needs to be done as well as the procedures to be taken to ensure the health and safety of the team. The research team identifies areas of concern that can be addressed and hazardous materiels that may be on site. Everything found is used in the development of the site safety plan and included hazard identification and level of PPE to be worn by personnel.

Question 11

What is an oxidizer chemical

Answer 11

This is a chemical that initiates combustion in other materials causing fire either by itself or through the release of oxygen or other gasses.

Question 12

What is a flammable chemical

Answer 12

A flammable chemical is that has a flashpoint below 100 degrees farenheit

Question 13

Whst is toxicity

Answer 13

Toxicity is the ability of a substance to cause a harmful effect

Question 14

What is Pyrophoric

Answer 14

Pyrophoric is a chemical that will ignite spontaneously in air at a temperature of 130 degrees farenheit

Question 15

What is combustible

Answer 15

Combustible chemicals are liquids that have a flashpoint at or of 100 degrees farenheit

Question 16

What is flashpoint

Answer 16

Flashpoint is a minimum temperature at which the liquid produces enough vapor to form a flamable mixture

Question 17

What is organic peroxide

Answer 17

Organic peroxide is any carbon containing oxide with 2 oygen atoms joined together which can produce sever fire and explosion hazards.

Question 18

What is an on-site survey

Answer 18

An on-site survey allows - is to suplement and verify the information collected in the off-site survey. Prior to going onsite the off-site survey is used to develop a plan of action as to how and what the team is to do when onsite. Tem members are to be cautious and careful when entering a site.

Question 19

Protection of Entry personnel

Answer 19

The personnel going on-site must take every precautionary measure and err on the side of caution prior to entering the site. Information obtained from the off-site evaluation will be used to determine the level of PPE used. PPE level B is recommended for an initial entry until a better evaluation of the site is available.

Question 20

Entry Team

Answer 20

The composition of the entry team depends on the site characterization.
4 persons should be the minimum number of personnel entering the site.
2 on site entering and 2 outside support personnel suited in PPE order to
monitoring air
ionizing radiation
visually checking for dangerous conditions

Question 21

On going Monitoring and Hazard Assessment

Answer 21

Because site activities and weather conditions can change an ongoing air monitoring program should be set up once the site is safe for entry and operations. the air conditions should be monitored constantly. An ongoing air monitor should be set up and managed because a change in air qualit can happen at any time.

Question 22

Performing on-site surveys

Answer 22

Note any safety hazards or indicators of potential exposure
Note all types of containers, their labeling and and their contents and conditions
Note physical properties of materials
Note land features
Identify natural wind barriers
Determine potential pathways of dispersion
Locate buried waste or containment plumes by using remote sensing if possible
collect air and water samples from the site

Question 23

On going monitoring air program

Answer 23

Should be utilized by using a combination of different methods.
1. stationary sampling equipment
2. Personnel monitoring devices
3. Periodic area monitoring
on site and off site survey data can be used to develop a plan detailing the procedures for monitoring conditions during clean up operations.
when site conditions change the hazards can be reaccessed Some reassessment include a new work phase, a change of season or weather or a change in job tasks during a work phase or can include a change in levels of contamination

Question 24

Documentation

Answer 24

Good documentation can help ensure accurate communication and the quality of the data collected. It can also provide supporting reasons for safety decisions and support possible legal actions. Some
exammples of good documentation include, log books, graphs, photos and analytical records

Question 25

type of Documentation

Answer 25

Documentation can be achieved by recording information pertinent to field activities.  Such as : 
 Sample analysis and site conditions in one of several ways:
log books
field data records
graphs
analytical records
photographs
sample labels
chain of custody forms

Question 26

Document control

Answer 26

The documents should be contolled to ensure that they are all accounted for when the project is completed. The taks of document control should be assisgned to one person on the project team and should have the following responsibilities:
Numbering each document
Keeping a document inventory
Collecting all documents at the end of each work period
Making sure that all documents are written in waterproof ink
placing all documents in a secured central file after completion

Question 27

Documentation of all on site activities

Answer 27

Field personnel must record all onsite activites and observations in a field logbook ( a bound book with consecutively numbered pages). Entries should be made during or just after completing the task to ensure thoroughness and accuracy.

Question 28

Documentation for photographs

Answer 28

Photographs can be an accurate objective additional description to a fieldworker’s report. For each photograph taken the following should accompany it.

date, time and name of site
name of photographer
location and subject within the site
General compass direction and orientation of the photograph
general description of the subject
squential number of the photograph and reference to it in the file