Hazard Recognition

Which of the following materials can explode if present as a dust in air?

??

Dry ice is placed inside a closed, airtight container. As it warms up, the dry ice sublimes. The container explodes a few hours later. This is an example of

A hazard associated with the physical properties of carbon dioxide

Properties which make a material dangerous include

ALL OPTIONS

People inside buildings are in danger of being killed or injured from:

All of the above

Ways Members of the public can be exposed to hazards in a chemical plant are _______

All three choices

Physical properties that appear on an SDS related to flammability include

Auto-ignition temp, flammability limits, and flash point

Physical conditions which could be the principal or initiating cause of an explosion or chemical release include:

Both 'A' and 'B' above

According to a CSB report, in January 2014 a tank near Charleston, WV developed two small holes, and the bottom of the tank broke open, spilling 10,000 gallons of MCHM, mixed with propylene glycol phenyl ethers, onto the soil and gravel under the facility and into a nearby river. The slow development of these holes was probably the result of

Corrosivity

Which of the following statements is true?

Explosions of steam systems can destroy buildings and cause fatalities

Which of the following statements is correct

Facilities which manufacture or use chemicals have had serious incidents which have resulted in property damage and fatalities

T or F: Because it is safe to store 10 kg ammonium nitrate in a home, it is reasonable to conclude that there are no hazards associated with storing 30 tonnes of ammonium nitrate

False

T or F: Physical conditions contributed to the release of LPG at the Longford facility in 1998. However, the flammability of LPG did not have a significant impact on the consequences of the release.

False

T or F: Physical conditions which could be the principal or initiating cause of an explosion or chemical release include a chemical reaction between acetic acid and sodium hydroxide

False

T or F: SDSs fully describe the hazards associated with a chemical

False

T or F: chemical accidents almost always have a single cause, which can be related to the hazardous properties of the materials, the physical conditions in the process, and the quantity of the material present.

False

T or F: everything you need to know about process hazards can be found in Drethericks "Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards" and Sax's "Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials"

False

You have been asked to complete an emergency response form for the local fire department so that they can be prepared to address a fire onsite. Among the chemicals stored onsite are benzene, toluene, calcium carbide, acetone, and HCL. When you mark the recommended firefighter provisions, you should note special firefighting provisions because of

Flammables, carcinogens, corrosives, and reactive solids

Acute exposure to a toxic substance:

Generally occurs unintentionally

Read the scenario below. What is/are the appropriate action(s) to recommend if you encounter this situation? A building surrounds process equipment in a chemical plant. Workers entering the building could be exposed to a highly toxic chemical if anything is leaking. The building is designed so that any accidental release from equipment to the atmosphere is captured and routed to equipment capable of neutralizing the gas. This design protects the public. A new engineer realizes there are still hazards for the workers.

Immediately bring the problem to the attention of management... AND Install instrumentation to detect an accidental release...

Which of the following is NOT correct?

In some cases, it is acceptable for workers to enter a confided space for a very short time without out PPE if they have support nearby

Some measures of toxicity are

LD50, IDLH, TLV

If the designers and builders of the West Fertilizer ammonium nitrate storage facility had had sufficient flexibility to make changes when the facility was build, what changes would have helped the most?

Less ammonium nitrate could have been stored at the facility

What is the upper flammability limit of methane in air

NOT 25%

Who is principally responsible for determining safe limits for chronic exposure to materials

NOT OSHA

You have to make a decision between storing a large amount of a flamable liquid or make a large quantity of a potentially explosive material (but not both). What would you do

NOT minimize the storage -- material NOT store the liquid

which of the following is NOT a physical condition that can lead to process hazards

NOT none

Which of the following buildings could be vulnerable to the effects of an accidental release, depending on their location.

NOT: temporary, permanent, offsite, and office

You are working in a plant where vinyl acetate is used. Vinyl acetate is delivered to the plant. you are asked to figure out what hazards could be associated with the vinyl acetate, but you can't readily find any information in your employer's files. The best way to learn about these hazards is

Obtains a SDS from the company that supplies vinyl acetate to your facility; then consult other sources like the CAMEO Chemical web site and Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials

In April, 2003, at a plant in Louisville, KY, a tank that was used in the manufacture of food-grade caramel coloring was overheated, which caused the pressure in the tank to rise (Because the vapor pressure of the caramel coloring increased). The tank exploded. The hazard was:

Related to the physical conditions of the materials or the processes

In 1919, a tank containing 8700 cubic meters of molasses, and industrial innocuous material, broke apart and molasses flooded the streets of Boston, MA. 21 people died as a result of the release. What statement is correct.

The amount of a material contained in a vessel or tank had an effect on the consequences of the spill and the potential for danger.

The LD50 is

The dose which causes 50% of the laboratory animals exposed to a material to die

T or F: A hazard is a property that makes an object or situation dangerous

True

T or F: Chemical exposure can occur as a result from cuts in the skin

True

T or F: If a flammable gas is accidentally released in a confided area, the consequences can be more severe than if the flammable gasses are not confided.

True

T or F: In a process where 50% acetic acid solution could accidentally come into contact with ethylene glycol, hazards that should be given careful consideration include the possibility of polymerization, heat generation, and pressure build-up.

True

T or F: Physical conditions which could be the principal or initiating cause of an explosion or chemical release include high temp and hydraulic shock?

True

T or F: Potential ignition sources include any piece of equipment that is electrified or generated heat

True

T or F: SDSs usually contain information on exposure controls, firefighting measures, physical and chemical properties

True

T or F: Storing large quantities of toxic or flammable materials can result in fatalities among members of the public

True

T or F: The ammonium nitrate explosion in West, Texas in April, 2013 is one example where the fatalities could have been reduced or eliminated if the public was located further away from the site of the incident

True

T or F: Theoretically, a vapor cloud explosion involving the entire contents of a home LPG tank could break windows up to .2 km away; a vapor cloud explosion involving the entire contents of a larger tank at an LPG terminal could break windows further away

True

Based on the NIOSH handbook, carbon dioxide

has an IDLH of 40,000 ppm

T or F: Process hazards should be of concern to both the nearby community and the plant personnel

true