Emergency Response

This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish the Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs, and Safety Evaluation (RESPONSE) Subcommittee of the National Advisory Council.  The RESPONSE Subcommittee shall develop recommendations, as appropriate, for improving emergency first responder training and resource allocation for hazardous materials

In September 2016 NIOSH published revised IDLH value for nine (9) hazardous materials.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Response and Restoration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Emergency Management has published this EXCELLENT guidebook which contains three (3) step-by-step fictional ALOHA example scenarios. You can complete the first two scenarios using only ALOHA. To complete the third scenario, you’ll also need the latest MARPLOT

OSHA began an inspection Nov. 12, 2015, at the coffee manufacturing facility after the release of carbon dioxide asphyxiated a 53-year-old shift supervisor. Following its inspection, OSHA issued citations for nine serious violations. The employer did not provide proper training to its workers for stopping the release of a hazardous chemical. Additionally, the company did

This video from India is an excellent lesson in how NOT to handle compromised containers.  In the USA we have an established practice of removing as much of the HAZMAT as we can before we attempt to move the container.  As you will see in this video, things can go badly really quick when attempting

More than a year after a major train derailment, video has emerged showing how two hazmat techs were almost killed. Twenty-six rail cars went off the tracks — a number of them filled with toxic or flammable chemicals — and some of them exploded and burned.  Hours later, most of the fire had been extinguished.

This was an atmospheric storage tank containing diesel fuel that failed under fire conditions.  I believe this to be merely a failure of an atmospheric storage tank under fire conditions and the sounds from the video make it appear that the vent was either obstructed or an undersized vent OR the venting we hear just

In my emergency response training around the country it is always an interesting discussion when Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3) comes up and the level of PPE necessary for a “safe response”.  I have always stuck to my 25 years of training that NH3 qualifies for LEVEL A as it meets all the LEVEL A criteria.  However,