1. Hazardous Materials
Scene Safety
Presented by
LT Russell Peterson, MS, EMT, CPR
Hazardous Materials Specialist

2. Introduction
• Training Requirements
• Planning Requirements
• Incident Management
• Medical Support
• Administrative Functions

3. Training Requirements
• OSHA training levels include:
– HM Awareness (no minimum hours)
– HM Operations (minimum 8 hours)
– HM Technician (minimum 24 hours)
– HM Specialist (minimum 24 hours)
• OSHA-only certification/Not NFPA level
– HM Incident Commander

4. Certifications
• OSHA v. NFPA
– NFPA 472
– 29 CFR 1910.120
• Where?
– TEMA
– FEMA
– USEPA

5. HM Awareness
• May come upon spill or leak during duty
times (PD & Public Works)
• Protect nearby public and property by
isolation and evacuation
• Defensive mode only
• Cannot contain or confine

6. Special Personnel
• Temporary personnel needed to
perform immediate support functions,
such as heavy equipment operators
may not need to meet training
requirement
• Must be briefed on:
– chemical hazards
– PPE
– safety/work plans

7. HM Operations
• Respond to releases as the initial
response (firefighters; some EMT’s)
• Protect nearby public and property by
isolation and evacuation
• Defensive mode only
• Can contain but cannot confine

8. HM Technician
• Respond for the purpose of stopping
the spill or leak (HM team members)
• Offensive role; confine the spill/leak
• Training requirements include:
– HM Team Operations I and II (TEMA)
– Radiological Monitor (TEMA)

9. HM Specialist
• Provide support to HM Technicians (HM
team leaders)
• More specific knowledge of detection
and tactics
• Training requirements include:
– Chemistry of HM (NFA)
– HM Operating Site Practices (NFA)
– Radiological Response Team (TEMA)

10. HM Incident Manager
• Specialized management of the HM
incident (HM team officers)
• Most be higher trained than HM -
Operations level
• 24 additional hours of training in HM
incident management

11. Planning Requirements
“If you fail to plan,
plan to fail…”

12. “Know before you Go!”
• Occupancy Pre-plans
• Specialized (chemical specific) Pre-
plans
• Emergency Operations Plans (EOP)
• Operational Guidelines/SOP’s

13. Incident Management
• Major components of HM incident
management include:
– HM incident management format
– scene control
– response safety
– medical support

14. Incident Management Model
• Isolation
• Notification
• Identification
• Protection
• Spill and Leak Control
• Fire Control
• Recovery and Termination

15. Isolation
is Scene Control!!!

16. Scene Control
• Scene control is accomplished by:
– scene security
• isolation via PD
– control zones
• hot, warm, and cold zones
– safe response practices
• environmental health and safety
• medical control and surveillance

17. Where to Park?
• Where you park impacts on your safety!
– Uphill
– Upwind
• Isolate the incident (use your vehicle!)
• Consider the need for water for
decontamination
• Don’t walk a mile, but stay out of the
product!

18. Control Zones
• Hot Zone = Exclusion zone
• Warm Zone = Contamination Reduction
Zone
• Cold Zone = Support Zone

19. Hot Zone
• determined by air monitoring,
meteorological conditions, geography,
and HM product characteristics
• One way in - one way out
• Work area only in required PPE
• No eating, drinking, chewing, or
“carrying on”
• “Get in, then get out!”

20. Warm Zone
– decontamination occurs here
– PPE is required here
– PPE level is generally one level
below level required in the Hot Zone

21. Cold Zone
• The Command Post, the Incident
Manager, support staff, and media are
here
• No PPE required!
• If it is, MOVE!!!

22. Notification
Who you gonna call?

23. Notification Contacts
• Williamson County Emergency
Management Agency
– your “one stop shop!”
– they will notify TEMA and others, if needed
• We can call the shipper, carrier, or
CHEMTREC if we need to!!!

24. Identification
What is that stuff?

25. On Scene Indicators
– Occupancy/location – Placards/labels
– Container shape – Shipping papers
– Markings/colors – Senses

26. Protection
• Your safety is increased by using:
– the incident management system
– an accountability system
– “Two In-Two Out”
– standardized procedures and techniques
– effective decontamination
– medical support and surveillance

27. Incident Manager
• Senior responding officer is the Incident
Manager
• Coordinates all emergency responders
and communications
• Assisted by:
– HM Branch Officer
– Incident Safety Officer
– HM Safety Officer

28. HM Branch Officer
• Works closely with the IM and HM
Safety Officer to determine the best and
safest method to contain and confine
the spill or leak with minimal impact on
the public, response personnel, and the
environment.
• Should be a HM Technician
• Most likely is the HM Team Leader

29. Incident Safety Officer
• Overall safety for incident
• Has the authority to alter, suspend, and/
or terminate unsafe operations
• Works closely with the Incident
Manager
• Works with the HM Safety Officer to
determine best use of personal
protective equipment and engineering
controls

30. HM Safety Officer
• Knowledgeable in HM response
operations
• Should be a HM Technician
• Technical advisor to the ISO and the IM
for HM safety issues
• May be the ISO at some incidents

31. HM Response Safety
• Remember “Two In - Two Out”
– Same as RIT for fires
• Have EMS standing by
– pre-entry medical check
– post-entry medical check
– emergency medical treatment
• Have decon ready before entry
• Have rehab ready before entry

32. Safety Triad
• Administrative controls
– SOP/policies
• Engineering controls
– guarding/relief valves
• Personal Protective Clothing
– SCBA/PPE
• IF YOU DEVIATE FROM THESE, YOU
CAN DIE!

33. Safety Briefing
• Held before all entry activities
• Includes all personnel
• Covers the Site Safety Plan, to include:
– expected hazards
– signs and symptoms of exposure
– work plan
– communications and emergency signals
– evacuation routes

34. Medical Support
• EMS/FD-MD can help in this area
• Includes medical monitoring and
treatment
– pre-entry check
• baseline vitals
– post-entry check
• signs of chemical exposure
• signs of heat stress
– pulse best indication of heat stress

35. Medical Surveillance
• 29 CFR 1910.134 - Respiratory
Standard
• 29 CFR 1910.120 - HAZWOPER
Standard
• NFPA 1582 - Medical Requirements
• Annually, extended to biennial if
approved by physician

36. Medical Surveillance
• Physicals should include a work and
medical history, including:
– previous chemical exposures
– PPE/SCBA considerations
• Records of medical surveillance must
be kept for length of employment plus
30 years!

37. Incident Termination
• Decontamination complete
• Personnel debriefing
• Disposal of product, decontamination
solutions, and equipment
• Reports/documentation

38. Remember!
The most important sense is
COMMON SENSE!