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Eight Steps to Hazardous Materials Management

Managing the Hazardous Materials Incident

Article Written by Shirley Pye, Emergency Film Group
Hazardous Materials: Managing the Incident video scripts written by Gordon Massingham

A number of years ago, Mike Hildebrand, Greg Noll and Jim Yvorra, three friends who had worked together for many years in the area of emergency response, recognized that hazmat teams had little in the way of a formal protocol for hazardous materials incident response. They banded together to write a text, Hazardous Materials: Managing the Incident, which set out to define and describe a systematic, coordinated approach to a response. Since its publication, this book has become the standard for many fire departments and hazmat teams.

In 1998, Mike Hildebrand and Greg Noll (sadly, Jim Yvorra was killed in the line of duty in 1988) teamed up with long-time filmmaker and associate Gordon Massingham – most recently winner of the 2004 International Association of Fire Chiefs Level A Lifetime Achievement award – to produce a series of films to illustrate each of the eight steps involved in systematic approach to hazardous materials response. The book and video series, both entitled Hazardous Materials: Managing the Incident, have both been recently released in new editions to accommodate the latest new techniques as well as to incorporate terrorism response. This article summarizes the eight steps that Hildebrand, Noll, Yvorra and Massingham examine in their training materials.

In any hazardous materials incident – including that ultimate hazmat incident, terrorism – responders have basic steps they must go through to ensure their own safety while protecting that of the public. Depending on the scope of the incident, the steps may be carried out by only the first responding team, or with the help an influx of state and federal agencies. These eight steps include:

  • Site Management & Control
  • Identifying the Problem
  • Hazard & Risk Evaluation
  • Protective Clothing & Equipment
  • Information Management & Resource Coordination
  • Implementing Response Objectives
  • Decontamination
  • Terminating the Incident
Here is a short description of the responsibilities of responders during each step.

Site Management & Control

The actions taken during the initial stages of an incident are critical, and may determine whether the incident escalates into a crisis. Those first on the scene must establish command and isolate people from the problem by establishing and controlling an isolation perimeter. Hazard control zones – hot, warm, and cold zones – must be established to prevent response personnel from becoming contaminated. A staging area must also be established.

If physical clues like vapor clouds, spilled material, or dead animals indicate that hazardous material is migrating; it may be necessary to take protective actions such as to either evacuating the threatened population or protecting them in place.

Identifying the Problem

When faced with a hazardous materials leak, spill or fire, information must be gathered to evaluate the hazards and assess risks. There are some specific questions that must be answered before personnel can enter the hot zone:
  • What materials are involved
  • Type of container
  • Nature of the release
  • Conditions at the incident site
  • Topography
  • Number and condition of victims
  • Exposures that may be threatened by the release
The very first unit on the scene must start the work of recognizing, identifying, and verifying the hazardous materials involved. If the material cannot be immediately identified, there are ways to determine the general hazard class or chemical family of the material. Clues to identifying the material include occupancy where it is found, container type and markings, placards/labels, information on shipping/facility documents, and results of air monitoring. Although responders can use their senses to identify a hazardous material, be warned: If you can see, hear, feel, or smell the release, then you are probably too close!

Hazard & Risk Evaluation

Safety must be the number one priority at all emergency operations. Risks should not be taken without a thorough understanding of the hazards involved. There is a difference between hazard and risk. Hazards are generally the physical and chemical properties of a material that can cause harm; for example, a material’s flash point or level of toxicity. In contrast, risk is the probability of suffering a harm or a loss. Risks are different at every incident and can even change throughout the incident. Risks must be evaluated by the incident commander. The objective is to minimize the level of risk to emergency response personnel, the community, and the environment.

Factors that influence the level risk include the hazards of the material, the quantity of the material involved, the containment system, the type of stress applied to the container, the proximity of exposures, and the level of available response resources, including the level of training and the experience of the responders.

When there is an incident, responders should consult a minimum of three references or guidebooks before committing personnel to the hot zone. There are many to choose from, including MSDS, CHEMTREC, and the National Response Center. Monitoring instruments at the site are also useful for gathering and evaluating information. If there is a conflict in the source, responders should always use the most conservative values. An effective hazard and risk assessment allows the Incident Commander to develop an incident action plan and implement strategies and tactics.

Personal protective clothing and equipment

To protect emergency responders from the hostile environments at a hazmat incident, protective clothing and equipment must be used. It is critical that personnel must be trained in the use and limitations of their clothing and equipment.

There are different levels of protective clothing. No single protective clothing garment will protect you from all the hazards you may encounter. Structural firefighting clothing is designed to protect against extremes of temperature, steam, hot water, hot debris and other ordinary hazards but provide very little protection against hazardous materials. Chemical protective clothing is designed to protect skin and eyes from direct chemical contact. There are two basic kinds. Vapor protective clothing is selected when vapors or gases are present which may contain high concentrations of chemicals that are harmful to, or can be absorbed by the skin. Chemical splash protective clothing is selected when such gases are not present, but when protection is required against liquids, solids, dusts, or particulates.

Other types of protective clothing include high temperature protective clothing, proximity suits, and entry suits. Selection, maintenance and use of protective clothing must be an integral part of the overall safety program.

Information Management & Resource Coordination

To have a successful response, and to protect the safety of responder, there must be a smooth flow of information to make accurate and pertinent data accessible to everyone who needs it. Failure to get the right information to the right people at the right time can jeopardize the overall success of the emergency response effort as well as the safety of responders.

Command must develop a plan to identify what type of information will be needed and which information has priority; how the information will be stored for quick access and retrieval at the incident scene; and who will be responsible for managing and coordinating the information.

At every hazmat incident, required information will include:

  • The hazards of the materials – how will it behave?
  • If released, where will the material or its container go?
  • How will it do harm?
  • How can response personnel protect themselves?
  • Are there any unique health hazards such as the requirement for medical antidotes if personnel are contaminated?
  • What protective actions will be necessary?
  • What are the initial tactical requirements in terms of spill, leak, and fire control?
  • What type of decontamination procedures will be required?
Sources of information include emergency response plans and published references and guidebooks such as the Association of American Railroads’ Emergency Action Guides, the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Protection Guide to Hazardous Materials, the Coast Guard’s CHRIS Manual, the GATX Tank Car Manual, and Emergency Care for Hazardous Materials Exposure.

Management of information and resources coordination begins prior to the incident during the planning process and throughout the response, until the incident is terminated.

Implementing Response Objectives

In deciding on a plan of action and implementing that plan, the incident commander evaluates and selects the best available strategic goals and tactical objectives to produce the most favorable outcome. Outcomes are measured in terms of fatalities, injuries, property and environmental damage, and systems disruption.

Strategy is a broad plan to manage resources to meet incident goals or priorities. Priorities are Life safety, Incident stabilization, Protection of environment, and Property conservation. Strategy in the offensive mode is intended to quickly control the problem. In Defensive mode, the intent is to limit the overall size and spread of the problem. Nonintervention mode means no action is taken except to isolate the area, and to allow the emergency to run its course until the situation stabilizes. This mode is selected when the potential costs of offensive or defensive operations will far exceed any benefit.

Tactics are the methods the incident commander uses to achieve strategic goals. Tactics are measurable, and usually have a specific objective. Some examples are search and rescue, evacuation, leak control, or fire suppression. The specific technique is often determined by the people closest to the problem. Tactics are typically implemented by the branches, divisions, and groups within the incident management system.

Most hazmat incidents can’t be resolved using just one tactic. Conditions can change as the incident progresses and tactical options may become more limited. Responders may be able to buy some time with what is essentially a less effective, but easy to implement tactic while giving the incident commander to implement a more effective tactic.

Decontamination

Decontamination is the physical or chemical process of reducing or preventing the spread of contamination from people and from equipment used at a hazardous materials incident. Contamination is any form of a hazardous material that physically remains on people, animals, or objects and, as a result, poses a threat to life, health, or the environment.

Proper decontamination ensures that responders and others who have been exposed to a hazardous material do not become contaminated. The outside of protective clothing may be contaminated, but there is no exposure unless the protective clothing is breached or decon does not remove them before the clothing is doffed.

Because it’s necessary to confine contaminants to a limited area, establishment of a decon area is the first step. The hazards of the contaminant will define how complex the decon operation must be. The operation will be most effective when it is carried out by a trained decon team using multiple cleaning stations.

Terminating the Incident

The last step in the system – terminating the incident – is very important and should not be overlooked. Properly implemented, this ensures a smooth and safe transition from the emergency phase of the incident to the clean-up and recovery phase. Accurate and appropriate information must be provided to the people who may need it – emergency personnel involved in the response, clean-up contractors, industry representatives, representatives from other agencies, investigators, and the media. The information should include signs and symptoms of exposure, precautions for handling and decontaminating clothing and equipment, and site restoration issues. It is the emergency response organization’s responsibility to ensure that public safety is safeguarded during clean-up and recovery.

Another part of the termination procedure is documentation and record keeping. Exposure records should be maintained for personnel who worked in the hot zone and warm zone or who otherwise might have been exposed to the hazardous material. Key documentation topics include command and control, tactical operations, resources, support services, plans and procedures, and training.

In addition to an on-scene debriefing, there should be a formal post-incident critique after any significant hazmat incident to focus on lessons learned, emphasizing changes or improvements which need to be made in SOPs, resources, and training. It should be a valuable learning experience to emphasize the successful as well as the unsuccessful parts of the operation.

For more information about Hazardous Materials: Managing the Incident videos/DVDs or texts, contact Emergency Film Group at info@efilmgroup.com.