CH49 Hazardous Materials

Vapor pressure

Pertains to liquids held inside any type of enclosed container. The key to understanding is this: The vapors released from the surface of any liquid must be contained in order to exert pressure

Level A ensemble

Provides greatest respiratory and skin protection, SCBA is enclosed in there too, marshmallow suit. Worn in hot zone

Evacuation

Removing/relocating people who may be affected by approaching release

Lethal dose (LD)

Single dose that causes the death of a specific number of the group test animals exposed by any route other than inhalation.

Labels

Smaller versions of placards ; they are placed on the four sides of individual boxes and smaller packages being transported.

Local Effect

May be described as reddening of the skin, localized pain, or the formation of blisters

When calling CHEMTREC, be sure to have the following info ready:

-Name of chemicals involved -Name of the caller and callback telephone number -Location of the actual incident or problem -Shipper or manufacturer of chemical (if known) -Container type -Rail car or vehicle markings or numbers -The shipping carriers name -Recipient of material -Local conditions and exact description of the situation

Carboys (non bulk storage vessels)

A glass, plastic, or steel container that holds 5-15 gallons of product.

Non bulk storage vessels

All types of containers other than bulk containers. Can hold a few ounces to 119 gallons of product and include vessels such as drums, bags, compressed gas cylinders, cryogenic containers, and more

Tote (bulk storage vesssel)

Also referred to as an intermediate bulk container. Totes have capacities ranging from 119 gallons to 703 gallons

Secondary containment

An engineered method to control spilled or released product if the main containment fails. A 5,000 gallon vertical storage tank, for example, may be surrounded by a series of short walls that form a catch basin around the tank.

Flammable range

An expression of fuel/air mixture, defined by upper and lower limits, that reflects and amount of flammable vapor or mixed with a given volume air.

Flash point

An expression of the temp at which a liquid fuel gives off sufficient vapors that, when an ignition source is present, will result in a flash fire. The flash fire involves only the vapor phase of the liquid and will go out once the vapor is consumed

Vapor density

Another concept for figuring out where a gas or vapor might go once released from its container. Vapor density compares the hazardous material gas to air. If the gas is heavier than air, gas will sink into little valleys and ditches. Gases such as propane, butane and carbon dioxide are heavier than air. Gases like ammonia, acetylene, methane and hydrogen are lighter than air and will up.

Hazardous material

Any substance or material that is capable of posing an unreasonable risk to human health, safety, or the environment when transported in commerce, used incorrectly, or not properly contained or stored.

Container

Any vessel or receptacle that holds a material.

Haz mat training conducted in 3 levels

Awareness: Intro to the topic, emphasis on recognizing hazards , securing the scene, and calling for appropriate assistance. There is no actual use of rescue skills Operations: Geared towards working in the warm zone of an incident. This training will allow you to directly assist those persons conducing the rescue op. Technician: Directly involved in the rescue op itself. Training includes the use of specialized equipment, care of pt's during rescue, management of the incident and of all personnel at the scene.

Drums (non bulk storage vessel)

Barrel like containers, used to store a wide variety of substances , including food-grade materials, corrosives, flammable liquids, and grease.

Intermodal tanks (bulk storage vessel)

Both shipping and storage vessels. They hold between 5,000 and 6,000 gallons of product and can be pressurized or non pressurized.

Cargo tank

Bulk packaging that is permanently attached to or forms a part of a motor vehicle, or is not permanently attached to any motor vehicle, and that, because its size, construction, or attachment to a motor vehicle, is loaded or unloaded without being removed from the motor vehicle.

Corrosives

Chemicals that include both acids and bases. Like toilet bowl cleaners. S&S include skin irritation, reddening or discoloration, and blistering.

Mass decon

Dousing a large number of people with copious amount of water.

The 9 DOT chemical families recognized in the ERG...

Class 1- Explosives--- Every Class 2- Gases--- Gay Class 3- Flammable liquids--- Fag Class 4- Flammable solids --- F*cks Class 5- Oxidizing substances--- On Class 6- Toxic substances--- The Class 7- Radioactive materials--- Red Class 8- Corrosive substances--- Couch Class 9- Miscellaneous Haz mats---Man

Asphyxiant

Colorless, odorless gases like carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide, cyanide (cyanide testament is amyl nitrate)

Solvents

Common ones are paint thinners and nail polish removers. Solvents are capable of dissolving other substances. Can be inhaled and cause pulmonary edema.

Bags (non bulk storage vessels)

Commonly used to store solids and powders such as cement powder,sand, pesticides, soda ash, ad slaked lime. Storage bags may be constructed if plastic, paper, or plasti lined paper.

Threshold limit value/ceiling (TLV-C)

Concentration that a person should never be exposed to.

Level C ensemble

Designed to protect against a KNOWN substance, officers around scene and receivers of exposed pt at an ER would wear this.

Placards

Diamond shaped indicators that are placed on all four sides of highway transport vehicles, railroad tank cars, and other forms of transportation carrying haz mats.

Disposal

Ex removing clothing at an attempt to reduce contamination of pt

Hot, Warm, Cold zone

Hot zone- where the haz mat is at, only people working are allowed there Warm zone- Decontamination takes place here, those assisting the technicians in the hot zone stay here Cold zone- Command post, staging, Incident commander, ambulance stays here.

Decon corridor

In the warm zone, controlled area where decon takes place.

Threshold value/skin

Indicates that direct or airborne contact with material could result in possible and significant exposure from absorption through the skin, mucous membranes, and eyes.

Shelter in place

Keeping people inside their residence, commercial building, or other structure instead of moving them away from the path of an approaching release.

Level B ensemble

Kind of like level A except the SCBA is worn on top of the suit and not encapsulated in it. Worn in Warm zone for decontamination

Lethal Concentration (LC)

Lethal concentration is the concentration of the material in air that when tested by inhalation route is expected to kill a specified number of test animals when administered over a specific amount of time

Threshold limit value/ short term exposure limit (TLV-STEL)

The concentration that a person can be exposed to for a limited number of brief time periods

Threshold limit value (TVL)

The maximum concentration of a toxin that someone can be exposed to for a 40 hour work week over a typical 30 year career.

Ignition temperature

The next important combustion landmark after flash point. When a liquid fuel is heated beyond its ignition temp, it will ignite without an external ignition source.

Level D ensemble

Typically not worn in hazardous materials incidents by anyone other than support personnel working in the cold zone. Just a jumpsuit and dust mask

Emergency Decon

Undress pt and spray em down with water

Neutralization

Use of another chemical to change the haz mat into less harmful substances

Technical decon

Used by responders to clean tools and PPE

Cylinders (non bulk storage vessels)

Used to hold both liquids and gases. Uninsulated compressed gas cylinders are used to store substances such as nitrogen, argon, helium, and oxygen. They come in a range of sizes.

Absorption

Uses large pads that the haz mat team carries to soak up liquid and remove it from the pt