Unit 2: Identifying Hazardous Materials

Transcription

1 Unit 2: Identifying Hazardous Materials Terminal Objective Upon completion of this unit participants will be able recognize situational factors and conditions that may be present in the occupancy which can increase the risk associated with the hazardous material. Enabling Objectives Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to: Describe the history of hazardous materials. Identify that hazardous materials may be present during routine inspections. Describe the hazardous materials life cycle. Identify tools available to help with the recognition and control of hazardous materials. Determine what sources of information are available to identify hazardous materials. History of Hazardous Materials Video In the last generation or so, the fire service and allied professionals have become aware of the presence and hazards of chemicals in their pure, mixed, or compound states. For years, hazardous material regulations were left to federal or state agencies, or self-policing by business and industry. At one time, the model fire codes included only five pages of regulations pertaining to hazardous materials and left it up to the fire code official to interpret the many conflicting rules that existed in federal and state statutes. Beginning in 1980s, the fire service initiated a comprehensive effort to regulate hazardous materials in the built environment. The first efforts involved collecting various National Fire Protection Association codes and standards and condensing them into a single chapter of the fire code. That effort was so significant that many fire service professionals felt overwhelmed. HISTORY OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Developed by the Chinese, explosives were the first manufactured hazardous materials. Explosives remained essentially the only bulk hazardous material until the discovery of oil, natural gas, and industrial alcohols. The period from 1880 through 1940 produced some remarkable developments in "miracle" materials, including rubber, nylon, rayon, crude plastic, gasoline, heavy fuel oils, city gas, electricity, radio waves, vacuum tubes, high explosives, acids, corrosives, and combustible metals.

2 From 1940 to the present, a technological explosion of useful new hazardous substances has been, and continues to be, developed. In the past 70 years, we have seen incredible growth in the plastics industry with a move from simple nitrocellulose products to complex multi-chain organic polymers. We have witnessed toxic and highly toxic chemicals used for beneficial purposes such as pesticides, herbicides and rodenticides; we ve seen them exploited as weapons of mass destruction. We have observed the growth of convenience products including aerosols that contain both hazardous and inert product and propellant constituents. The incredible popularity of the personal automobile has spawned an entire industry of related products from fuels, lubricants, paints, cleaning supplies, and even deodorizers. As greater international competition occurs for new energy sources, the presence and application of hazardous materials will increase as well. Biodiesel, hydrogen fuel cells, mixed fuels, and the resurgence of nuclear power for electrical generation mean new materials and applications will evolve. We can't foresee what innovations will bring new hazardous materials into the environment and marketplace. We must remain aware and educated as these materials are introduced into our communities. This brings new challenges to the fire protection professional to assure these materials are manufactured, stored, used, handled, and shipped in ways that protect people and the environment. Perceiving the Presence of Hazardous Materials Video The first challenge in controlling hazardous materials is perceiving or recognizing their presence. Hazardous materials are common in the normal environment. Some products, such as gasoline, that can be purchased at the corner convenience store are so pervasive in our commerce and environment that they are not perceived by many to be "hazardous." Think about this: Have you ever seen someone spill gasoline on the ground and act like it's not a problem? As people use a product on a regular basis, and their familiarity grows with it, they may gain a perception that the material is harmless to humans or the environment. Fire inspectors, code officials and allied professionals are in a challenging position. They often must compel compliance with regulations that many people find inconvenient, burdensome, or even downright silly. Code professionals must be able to identify hazardous materials, understand their risks, and be able to determine where these materials may be found. One expects to find hazardous materials at a chemical manufacturer, but fire protection professionals also must be aware of their possible presence in many of the more routine inspection environments. Examples of hazardous materials in routine inspection environments include: swimming pool supply and "big box" stores will have chlorine, chlorine derivatives, or oxidizers used to treat the

3 water in swimming pools and hot tubs. A sewer or water treatment plant also uses chlorine or ozone for water purification. There are cryogenic materials and radiation sources in a doctor's office. Liquid nitrogen for removing skin blemishes and x-ray equipment for medical examination are common office products. There also may be flammable liquids in pressurized containers (aerosols) to kill unwanted contaminants on solid surfaces. Retail and "big box" stores will have a variety of flammable and combustible liquids, pesticides, insecticides, heavy metals, and other chemicals. In addition, hardware, lawn supply, railroad yards, truck terminals, and manufacturing plants all handle hazardous materials. Hazardous Materials Life Cycle Video Hazardous materials are processed, stored, handled, transported, and recycled. At each step in the life cycle of these materials, different hazards are created. First, the material is manufactured or extracted from a natural source. The production may occur at a sophisticated production and processing facility or may be found in a tinkerer's garage or backyard. Chemicals in their raw state may not be hazardous, but when mixed with others or processed under heat, pressure, electricity, or other means, they may become dangerous. Once the materials are produced, hazardous materials are often shipped or transferred to a facility closer to their point of end use. Shipping can occur in a variety of ways such as truck, rail, air, barge, pipeline and etc. The hazards that occur during transportation may include leak, spill, release, explosion, or fire. In most cases, Federal regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Transportation or DOT establish how products will be transported from one facility to another. Hazardous materials may be shipped to an intermediate destination where they are stored until ready for distribution. They can be stored and/or transferred to smaller vessels for distribution and sale. Similar hazards of leakage, spills, releases, explosion, or fire can occur during this phase, and generally local first responders are called to deal with the consequences. Finally, either hazardous materials may be consumed totally, or waste may be generated for disposal (used motor oil, nuclear fuel core, etc.). That disposal may occur in an unauthorized manner, or be part of a comprehensive recover and reuse program. Unauthorized disposal may include dumping into the air, water, or ground; burning, mixing with other chemicals; or simply abandoning them where they reside. Regulatory and Information Sources The fire protection professional and code official have a variety of tools available to help with the recognition and control of hazardous materials and operations. Correct application of the

4 locally adopted codes and standards begins with properly classifying the chemical or material in question. It is important that the code official realizes that no single source of information should be used for making decisions about hazardous materials. The complexities of hazardous materials, how they interact with one another and the environment, and the potential disastrous outcomes require that the fullest attention be given to their control. The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) Title III (Pub. L ) includes a number of significant requirements for hazardous materials to enhance a community s and worker s Right-to-Know the hazards of chemical materials to which they are or might be exposed. SARA Title III requires the creation of Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC) to include representatives from the following groups: State and local officials, law enforcement, civil defense, firefighting, environmental, hospital, media, first aid, health, transportation, and facility owners or operators subject to the emergency planning requirements. The plan must include the following: Identification of facilities subject to planning provisions under Title III. Identification of transportation routes for extremely hazardous substances. Identification of risk-related facilities. Methods and procedures for response. Designated community and facility coordinators. Procedures for public notification. Methods for determining release occurrence and area affected. Description of emergency equipment and facilities, as well as those responsible. Evacuation plans and training programs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was mandated by Congress to establish a list of chemicals to help focus local emergency planning activities. They list 406 Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHS) and established a Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ) for each. These facilities must name a facility coordinator to work with the LEPC for specific inclusion of that facility in the local plan. Representative facilities covered under the planning provisions include not only major chemical manufacturing facilities, but also a wide variety of chemical users, such as farmers, dry cleaners, and other service-related businesses. Exemptions under this provision apply only to marine vessels (ship/boat), Federal facilities, and transportation. Storage incidental to transportation is exempt, provided that the EHS are still moving under active shipping papers and have not reached the final consignee. If any business or facility contains one of these EHS, in an amount equal to or greater than its respective TPQ, the facility owner or operator is required to notify the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) and LEPC. Accidental releases of EHSs and other hazardous substances identified in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) must be reported

5 to the LEPC and SERC. This requirement ensures immediate notification to local response personnel. Title III contains a specific provision for the disclosure of chemical identity by facility owners or operators on chemicals for which facilities have made trade secret claims. This means the owner cannot shield the information on hazardous materials from the local fire and emergency services. One provision in the Act is the requirement for MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheets) soon to be known as SDS (Safety Data Sheets). These must be provided not only in the workplace for the worker right-to-know under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), but also for emergency response agencies. These data sheets can provide a valuable source of information for the identification and control of all types of hazardous materials. MSDS contain: Name, address, and telephone number of the chemical manufacturer. Chemical and trade name. Health and hazard data. Hazardous ingredients. Fire and explosive information. Precautions and protection information. Physical and reactivity data. Environmental information. Information for emergency response agencies. Hazardous Materials Identification Video The initial information that should be obtained includes the name of the substance. This may be more difficult than one may think. The name may be a trade name only, which doesn't tell you anything about the hazard. Equally challenging is that the name may be the chemical name only. It is very important to record the correct spelling of the chemical name. Some of the spellings will be very similar, but there can be a big difference in the hazard or the way that the material reacts. In order to determine the classification, consult the MSDS. An invaluable source of information for classification is the Code of Federal Regulations--Title 49 also known as 49 CFR Transportation Parts Virtually every chemical is listed in paragraph The hazard class is listed in the column beside the name. There are three basic marking approaches used with hazardous materials: labels, placards, and NFPA 704. Labels and placards are required under DOT regulations and NFPA 704 marking is required by fire codes. Labels are used on individual containers or cartons, while placards are used on transportation vehicles.

6 NFPA 704, Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response, establishes a marking system applicable where materials are stored, handled, or used. It applies only to stationary facilities, not transportation. The system can be used for buildings, tanks, and piping that store, use, dispense or handle hazardous materials. The code official or fire responder should also remember that it is not just the characteristics of the material that can present a hazard. Other issues should be evaluated such as housekeeping, building conditions, storage conditions and the overall safety program that exists in the facility. Remember that most hazardous materials incidents are the result of these types of related issues. While it is important to identify the presence of hazardous materials, awareness of the related issues is critical to breaking the chain that was discussed in Unit 1 and thus preventing an incident from occurring. Sometimes you may need to be guided by your own intellectual curiosity to determine what products and hazards are present. If you don t know, it s ok to ask; don t assume. You may also need to be aware of other clues such as how the product is being used, what kind of waste is being generated and how is it being handled. Never be afraid to ask the basic questions: what do you do here, and how do you use this product? Summary Over time there has been a dramatic increase in the number of hazardous materials that are present in our everyday lives. The first step in controlling hazardous materials is to perceive or recognize their presence. During routine inspections the inspector may find cryogenic materials, radiation sources, flammable and combustible liquids, pesticides and many other dangerous substances. Hazardous materials are processed stored handled transported and recycled. All of these processes are regulated and information is available to help the inspector to break the chain and prevent incidents.