Emergency Response

Is it OSHA’s intent that Incident Commanders be 24-hour HAZWOPER trained irrespective of their actual working location during an incident, e.g., if they are located off-scene, outside of the contaminated area or far from the incident, and are never actually exposed to the site hazards?  OSHA’s HAZWOPER standard does not vary the required training for Incident…...

It never ceases to amaze me how businesses will cut corners in fundamental safety protections. Recently, I came across fire extinguishers that were not “approved” by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). This was discovered during a 5-year REVAL PHA after the facility suffered a failure of one of its extinguishers that caused damage to…...

Is your facility using Building Information Signs for emergency responders?  This requirement from the International Fire Code (IFC) is rarely adopted by states, but this is a great thing, especially when coupled with a Knox-Box access.  Here is how the Fire Service – Building Information Signs are supposed to look and say… J101.1 SCOPE New…...

OSHA clarifies HAZWOPER training requirements for on-scene Incident Commanders and other positions in the Incident Command System (ICS) and whether previous non-HAZWOPER training can be credited toward the training required by HAZWOPER for Incident Commanders.  Here are the four (4) questions OSHA discusses: Is it OSHA’s intent that Incident Commanders be 24-hour HAZWOPER trained, irrespective…...

This BLEVE occurred on the BR-010 highway in Paragominas, northeast of Pará, Brazil, on July 3, 2024. At least six people were injured, including firefighters and a news crew (July 3, 2024). The news crew suffered second-degree burns but received medical attention at a Regional Hospital and are expected to make full recoveries. The news…...

In April 2023, EPA published a report on the first survey conducted of the State Emergency Response Commissions. The purpose of the survey was to learn how the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act is currently implemented at the state and local levels, as required by the 1986 legislation, as well as its amendments of…...

There has been a lot of public debate about OSHA’s attempt to update its emergency response standards.  And in this debate there has been a lot of misinformation shared across municipal and private fire brigade groups in what OSHA is actually trying to implement.  This document, from OSHA, is a compilation of the questions posed…...

Each operating company shall establish written procedures to minimize the hazard of an emergency. The procedures shall provide instructions to operating and maintenance personnel. The procedures shall describe the following: a process for prompt and adequate handling of all calls that concern emergencies, whether they are from customers, the public, employees, or other sources, and…...

Paragraph (e)(3) of the 1910.157 specifies that employers must subject each portable fire extinguisher to an annual maintenance inspection and record the date of the inspection. In addition, this provision requires employers to retain the inspection record for one year after the last entry or for the life of the shell, whichever is less, and…...

This is the lens through which we should view EMERGENCY RESPONSE and our local FD as the “primary responders.” Just because we have a local FD (paid full-time or volunteer) does not mean we have the emergency services we need!  Far too often, our “assumptions” about the fire service’s capabilities far outstretch their actual abilities…....