HAZWOPER 40 - Lesson 14: Emergency Procedures Lesson Description

Relevant Occupational Safety and Health Standards include:

1910 Subpart D - Walking-Working Surfaces 1910 Subpart E - Means of Egress 1910 Subpart F - Powered Platforms, Manlifts, and Vehicle-Mounted Work Platforms 1910 Subpart G - Occupational Health and Environmental Control 1910 Subpart H - Hazardous Materials 1910 Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment 1910 Subpart J - General Environmental Controls 1910 Subpart K - Medical and First Aid 1910 Subpart L - Fire Protection 1910 Subpart M - Compressed Gas and Compressed Air Equipment 1910 Subpart N - Materials Handling 1910 Subpart O - Machinery and Machine Guarding 1910 Subpart P - Hand and Portable Powered Tools and Other Hand-Held Equipment 1910 Subpart Q - Welding, Cutting, and Brazing 1910 Subpart S - Electrical 1910 Subpart T - Commercial Diving Operations 1910 Subpart Z - Toxic and Hazardous Substances

Occupational Safety and Health Standards for Shipyard Employment and related subparts may be found in:

1915 Subpart B - Confined and Enclosed Spaces and Other Dangerous Atmospheres in Shipyard Employment 1915 Subpart C - Surface Preparation and Preservation 1915 Subpart D - Welding, Cutting, and Heating 1915 Subpart E - Scaffolds, Ladders, and Other Working Surfaces 1915 Subpart F - General Working Conditions 1915 Subpart G - Gear and Equipment for Rigging and Materials Handling 1915 Subpart H - Tools and Related Equipment 1915 Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment 1915 Subpart J - Ship's Machinery and Piping Systems 1915 Subpart L - Electrical Machinery 1915 Subpart Z - Toxic and Hazardous Substances NOTE: Source: Training Marine Oil Spill Response Workers under OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard, OSHA Publication 3172.

Evacuation Routes and Procedures

A severe emergency, such as a fire or explosion, may cut workers off from the normal exit near the command post. Therefore, alternate routes for evacuating victims and endangered personnel should be established in advance, marked, and kept clear. Routes should be directed from the exclusion zone through an upwind contamination reduction zone to the support zone and from the support zone to an off-site location in case conditions necessitate a general site evacuation. The following guidelines will help in establishing safe evacuation routes: Make escape routes known to all who go on site. Place the evacuation routes in the predominantly upwind direction of the exclusion zone. At a very large site, or one with many obstacles, some exits can be placed at the downwind fence line, which is normally an undesirable location. If this is done, workers must know that they are not actually out until they reach the designated safety area. Run the evacuation routes through the contamination reduction zone. Even if there is not enough time to process the evacuees through decontamination procedures, there should be a mechanism for accounting for all personnel. Consider the accessibility of potential routes. Take into account obstructions such as gates, trenches, pits, tanks, drums, or other barriers, and the extra time or equipment needed to maneuver around or through them.

Training

All personnel must have some form of emergency training. Any training program has to: Relate directly to site-specific anticipated situations. Be brief and repeated often. Be realistic and practical. Provide an opportunity for special skills to be practiced regularly. Ensure that training records are maintained in a training logbook. Everyone entering the site must be made aware of the hazards and of hazardous actions that should be avoided. They must also know what to do in case of an emergency.

Teams

Although an individual like the site safety officer may perform certain tasks during emergencies, in most cases, teams provide greater efficiency and safety. Teams composed of on-site personnel should be created for specific emergency purposes, such as decontamination, rescue, and entry. Rescue teams can be used during a particularly dangerous operation or at large sites with multiple-work parties in the exclusion zone. Their sole function is to remain near hazardous work areas, be partially dressed in protective gear, and ready for full suiting and immediate rescue of an endangered worker. These teams must be capable of administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency first aid. Other teams can be formed for responding to containment emergencies and fire fighting until off-site assistance arrives.

Leader In an emergency situation, one person must be able to assume total control. This leader must:

Be identified in the emergency response plan. This person may be, for example, the project team leader, site safety officer, or field team leader. Be backed up by a specified alternate(s). Have the authority to resolve all disputes about health and safety requirements and precautions. Be authorized to seek and purchase supplies as necessary. Have control over the activities of everyone entering the site, for example, contractors, fire departments, and police. Have the clear support of management.

Medical Treatment and First Aid

Because of time restraints, it is important to train on-site emergency personnel in on-the-spot treatment techniques. Response usually follows a sequence: *Notification*: Alert personnel to the emergency. *Evaluation*: Available information regarding the incident should be evaluated. Rescue response/action: Each situation calls for customized action and necessary steps to be implemented. *Follow-up*: It is necessary to notify appropriate government agencies, restock all equipment and supplies, and review all aspects of the contingency plan according to new site conditions and lessons learned from the emergency response. *Documentation*: Should be accurate, authentic, complete, and descriptive of actions. Methods of documenting can include a written transcript taken from tape recordings made during the emergency or a bound field book with consecutively numbered pages (not a loose-leaf book) with notes.

Neutralization Materials

By applying another material that reacts chemically to form less harmful substances, most corrosives can be neutralized. Neutralization reactions generally give off heat and are subject to splattering. Common materials are: Soda ash, for acids Citric acid, for bases Lime, for acids Sodium bicarbonate, for acids Dilute hydrochloric acid, for bases

Introduction

Emergencies happen quickly and unexpectedly and require immediate response. Rescue personnel attempting to remove injured workers may themselves fall victims. This reality calls for advance planning and anticipation of different emergency scenarios, thorough preparation. This lesson outlines important factors to be considered when planning for and responding to emergencies. It defines the nature of site emergencies, lists the type of emergencies that can occur, and outlines the components needed to make contingency plans successful.

Emergency Response Operations

Emergency Response Operations are for releases of, or substantial threats of releases of, hazardous substances without regard to the location of the hazards. Examples include: Response to the spill of a highly toxic substance from an overturned 55-gallon drum Response to a leaking storage tank Response to an overturned truck carrying hazardous materials Response to a chemical fire Site personnel who are expected to respond to emergency situations at the site must receive additional training in how to respond to anticipated emergencies (e.g., fires/explosions, hazardous spills, etc.).

Spill Response

Four factors affect the behavior of the released hazardous material: The quantity of the hazardous material The inherent properties of the material and of the container Natural laws of physics and chemistry The environment, including the physical surrounding and its conditions. The on-site coordinator shall develop a plan of action based on the characteristics of the emergency. Entry teams must use the buddy system, have backup, and respond to safety officer directions. Equipment materials can be used such as over pack or salvage drums, absorption materials, gel forming agents, and neutralization materials.

Gel-Forming Agents

Gel-forming agents or bonding agents, are dry granular materials specifically designed to gel or coagulate aqueous or petroleum-based liquids. Unlike absorbents that soak up the liquid through physical action, gel-forming agents chemically bond to the liquid. The chemical bond keeps the liquid from separating from the absorbent.

Public Evacuation

If an incident can threaten the health or safety of the surrounding community, the public will need to be informed and evacuated from the area. Site management must plan for this in coordination with the appropriate local, state, and federal groups, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Civil Defense, county sheriff, local radio and television stations, municipal transportation systems, National Guard, and police.

Communication

In an emergency, crucial messages must be conveyed quickly and accurately. Site staff must be able to communicate information such as the location of injured personnel, orders to evacuate the site, and notice of blocked evacuation routes, even through noise and confusion. Outside support sources must be reached, help obtained, and measures for public notification ensured, if necessary. To do this, a separate set of internal emergency signals must be developed and rehearsed daily. External communication systems and procedures shall be clear and accessible to all workers.

Emergency Equipment

In an emergency, equipment will be necessary to rescue and treat victims, to protect response personnel, and to mitigate hazardous conditions on site. Examples of such equipment include: Some regular heavy equipment can double for emergency equipment such as bulldozers and pumps. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be stocked, and self-contained breathing apparatus tanks should be refilled. Special equipment should be obtained depending on the types of emergencies that can occur at a particular site. Cleanup materials should be stocked and in adequate supply to clean up a worst-case-scenario for the materials currently stored at the location.

Personal Locator Systems

In an emergency, it is vital for the project team leader (or designee) and rescue personnel to rapidly determine where workers are located and who may be injured. A passive locator system (i.e., a written record of the location of all personnel on site at any time) could be used to help find personnel in an emergency. A good passive locator system is a site map with flags or color-headed pins identifying each worker. Active locator systems can also be used. These are worn or carried by individual personnel and are activated by actions such as flipping a switch, a decrease in air supply, or a fall. They have the advantage of precisely locating individuals.

Site Security and Control

In an emergency, the project team leader (or designated representative) must know who is on site and must be able to control the entry of personnel into the hazardous areas to prevent additional injury and exposure. Only necessary rescue and response personnel should be allowed into the exclusion zone. One control technique is using a checkpoint or series of checkpoints through which all personnel entering or exiting the site must pass (e.g., a Support Zone checkpoint).

Personnel

In the event of an emergency, individuals should be assigned and ready to perform specific roles. On-site and off-site personnel should be assigned tasks as well as others who may be on site such as contractors, other agency representatives, and visitors. The organizational structure should show a clear chain of command and should be flexible enough to handle multiple emergencies at one time. The contingency plan should describe roles and duties for on-site and off-site personnel, leaders, and teams.

Internal Communications

Internal emergency communication systems are used to alert workers to danger, to convey safety information, and to maintain site control. Any effective system or combination of systems can be employed. Radios, cell phones, or field telephones are often used when work teams are far from the command post.

Learning Objectives At the completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

List the requirements of an emergency training program. Describe the information that site management must provide off-site emergency personnel. Name the four factors that affect the behavior of released hazardous material. Explain the general guidelines that should be followed when teams responding to emergency spill conditions encounter a hazardous substance. Distinguish between common materials for neutralizing acids and bases. The nature of the work at hazardous waste sites makes emergencies a continual possibility regardless of how infrequently they may in fact occur. An emergency may be as limited as a worker experiencing heat stress, or as vast as an explosion that spreads toxic fumes throughout a community. Any hazard on site can lead to an emergency. Chemicals, biologic agents, radiation, or physical hazards can act alone or in concert to create explosions, fires, spills, toxic atmospheres, or other harmful situations.

Additional Hazards

Marine oil spill responders need training to work safely around these and other potential hazards. You should decide which hazards apply to your operations. Biological (e.g., plants, animals, insects, remediation materials) Drowning Noise Electricity Slips and Trips Biohazardous debris (e.g., syringes on shoreline) Ergonomic Stresses (e.g., repetitive strain, low back pain) Sunburn Confined Spaces Underwater Diving Falls Unguarded Equipment Cranes Fatigue Vehicles (e.g., aircraft, boats, cars, trucks) Cutting and Welding Fire and Explosion Degreasers Heat or Cold Stress Dispersants In-Situ Burning Particles

Safe Distances

No single recommendation can be given for evacuation or safe distances because of the wide variety of hazardous substances and releases found at a site. For example, a small chlorine leak may call for an isolation distance of only 140 feet (43 meters), while a large leak may require an evacuation distance of 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) or more, depending on the wind direction. Safe distances can only be determined at the time of an emergency, based on a combination of site and incident specific factors. However, planning and outlining potential emergency scenarios will help familiarize personnel with points to consider.

Information for Off-Site Emergency Personnel

Off-site emergency personnel, such as local fire fighters and ambulance crews, often are first responders and run a risk of acute hazard exposure equal to that of any on-site worker. These personnel should be informed about ways to recognize and deal effectively with on-site hazards. "Noteworthy" In State Plan states, due to the Multi-Employer Worksite Rule, this is mandated and not just a strong recommendation. Failure to inform these agencies in State Plan states can result in civil and criminal penalties. Lack of information can inadvertently worsen an emergency by the use of improper actions (for example, spraying water on a water-reactive chemical thereby causing an explosion). Inadequate knowledge of the on-site emergency chain of command can cause confusion and delays. Site management must, at a minimum, provide off-site emergency personnel with information about the following items. Site-specific hazards Appropriate response techniques Site emergency procedures Decontamination procedures Anticipated quantities of materials stored on-site

Off-Site Personnel

Off-site personnel can also be of help during an emergency. They include individual experts such as meteorologists or toxicologists, and representatives from local, state, and federal organizations offering rescue, response, or support. As part of advance planning, site personnel should: Make arrangements with individual experts to provide guidance as needed. Arrange with the appropriate agencies (e.g., local fire department, state environmental agency, EPA regional office) for support. Alert these authorities to the types of emergencies that may arise and quantities of hazardous materials being used. Determine their estimated response times and resources. Site emergencies involving significant chemical releases should be coordinated with federal response organizations. The federal government has established a National Contingency Plan (NCP) to promote the coordination and direction of federal and state response systems. The NCP also encourages the development of local government and private capabilities to handle chemical emergencies involving chemical releases. If a significant chemical release occurs at a hazardous waste site, the National Response Center in Washington, D.C., should be contacted (Telephone: 800-424-8802). The NRC will activate federal response under the National Contingency Plan.

External Communications

Off-site sources must be contacted to get assistance or to inform officials about hazardous conditions that can affect public or environmental safety. The telephone is the most common mode of off-site communication; phone hook-ups or cellphones are considered a necessity on all but the most remote sites.

Emergency Recognition and Prevention

On a day-to-day basis, individual personnel should be constantly alert for indicators of potentially hazardous situations and for signs and symptoms in themselves and others that warn of hazardous conditions. Rapid recognition of dangerous situations can avert an emergency. At regular meetings, before daily work assignments are given out, the individual conducting the meeting should discuss: Tasks to be performed Time constraints Hazards that may be encountered Emergency procedures

Training Requirements for On-Site Emergency Personnel

On-site emergency personnel who have emergency roles in addition to their ordinary duties must have a thorough understanding of emergency response. Training must be directly related to their specific roles and shall include subjects such as those that follow. Emergency chain of command Communication methods and signals How to call for help Emergency equipment and its use Emergency evacuation procedures while wearing protective equipment Removing injured personnel from enclosed spaces Off-site support and how to use it These personnel shall obtain certification in first aid and CPR. They should practice treatment techniques regularly, with an emphasis on: Recognizing and treating chemical and physical injuries. Recognizing and treating heat and cold stress.

Safe Distances and Refuges (Safety Stations)

On-site refuges (safety stations) can be set up for localized emergencies that do not require site evacuation. These refuges should only be used for essential needs, such as short rest breaks, emergency response strategy meetings, or temporary relief during mild cases of muscle strain and heat stress. The refuge should be located in a relatively safe, but not necessarily the "clean" area; for example, along the upwind fence line in specially cleared places or on the boundary of the exclusion zone. The refuge should never be used for activities such as eating, drinking, or air changes. Typical items located in a refuge area include: A sitting/resting area that should be shaded if possible Water for decontamination Wind indicator Communication system with the command post First-aid supplies (e.g., eyewash, stretcher, blanket) Special monitoring devices (e.g., extra detector tubes and personal monitors) Bolt cutters Fire extinguisher Hand tools

Equipment and Materials

Over-pack or salvage drums are heavy-duty, open-ended drums with a capacity of approximately 85 gallons each. The purpose of these drums is to contain a damaged or a repaired drum and its contents. There are several types of over-pack drums designed to contain different materials. The most common is an epoxy coated 85-gallon steel drum or poly drum. It has a removable head that contains a bung (cap or cork) that can be used to vent a closed drum.

Lesson Focus This lesson focuses on the following topics:

Planning Personnel Training Emergency Recognition and Prevention Communications Site Mapping Safe Distances and Refuges Emergency Decontamination Emergency Equipment Medical Treatment and First Aid Spill Response

Site Mapping

Site maps serve as a graphic record of the locations and types of hazards. They should focus on particular areas where emergencies can develop. The map should highlight: Hazard areas Site terrain Evacuation routes Site accessibility Work crew locations Changes Off-site populations or environments

Entry Team

Teams should observe the following general guidelines when handling an emergency response to a spill of a hazardous substance: Identify, to the extent possible, all hazards. Get help from specialists who can give technical advice or assistance. Use proper personal protective equipment. If possible, do not come in direct contact with the hazardous substance. Use SCBAs unless air monitoring shows a decreased level of protection is acceptable.

On-Site Personnel

The contingency plan must identify all individuals and teams who will participate in emergency response and define their roles. All personnel, whether directly involved in emergency response or not, must know their own responsibilities in an emergency. They must also know the names of those in authority, and the extent of their authority. Computer software may be used to map a spill plume so emergency response measures can be properly planned for. A worst-case scenario should be developed and reviewed. Knowing where a spill may end up also helps engineers understand where to most effectively add extra strength and integrity to a system's design to decrease the likelihood of a spill in the first place. The public in the path of a potential spill scenario from a neighboring site should be warned of the potential danger and advised on what to do in an emergency through a Public Awareness plan.

On-Site Coordinator

The on-site coordinator must consider the consequences of additional spills, leakage, and other incidents that can aggravate a spill situation prior to clean-up efforts. If a drum has failed, it is likely that other drums and containers in the area may have failed or are about to fail also. Each step in the response needs to be planned carefully. Accidents are most likely to occur when drums and containers are being handled for the first time in an emergency.

Lesson Description

This lesson, Emergency Procedures, outlines vital steps to follow when planning for and responding to waste site emergencies. It defines the nature of site emergencies, lists the types of emergencies that can occur, and identifies the components needed to make contingency plans successful. Contingency plans must identify all individuals (and teams) who will participate in emergency response, define and communicate their roles, and ensure training (including knowing the names of those in authority). Emergency recognition and prevention is emphasized and having daily meetings to discuss time constraints, immediate hazards, and how to respond to them in case of emergency is recommended. Finally, this lesson helps the employer organize the steps of emergency planning by introducing how to do site mapping.

Planning

When an emergency occurs, decisive action is required. Rapidly made choices can have far-reaching, long-term consequences. Delays of even minutes can create life-threatening situations. Personnel must be ready to rescue or respond immediately, and equipment must be on hand and in good working order. To handle emergencies effectively, planning is essential. For this purpose, an emergency response plan or contingency plan should be developed. A contingency plan is a written document that sets forth policies and procedures for responding to site emergencies.

Emergency Decontamination

When planning for decontamination in medical emergencies, procedures should be developed for: Decontaminating the victim Protecting medical personnel Disposing of contaminated protective equipment and wash solutions. These activities should be coordinated. The decision whether or not to decontaminate a victim is based on the type and severity of the illness or injury and the nature of the contaminant. For some emergency victims, immediate decontamination can be an essential part of life-saving first aid. For others, decontamination can aggravate the injury or delay life-saving treatment.