I teach around 20 HAZMAT courses each year for industrial response teams and fire departments and the differences in how these two groups conduct their DECON can be HUGE. Almost everyone who has been through a 24-hr or 40-hr HAZMAT course has seen a 6 stage DECON up to a 20 stage DECON; but are […]
2014 is a big year for changes in the EPCRA Tier II Reporting, which by the way is due by March 1st. This year, OH EPA (and I am sure OH is not the only state) is now requiring the person responsible for the Tier II forms to obtain an “approval signature” from the responding
Most of us know that reporting in a “timely manner” is critical in regards to compliance with EPA reporting expectation. Most everyone can agree that 30 minutes is about as large of buffer we can expect in defining “timely”. But we are seeing a trend in our Emergency Response assessments for those facilities that sit
“Sh_t happens” is what I was told when I inquired about a recent training accident at a State Fire Academy. Professional firefighters were running a scenario involving an aircraft prop. What they ended up doing was spaying jet fuel/water mixture onto the fire via an emergency shutdown system and hand lines, causing two minor injuries
NIOSH is revising its policy on the use of Emergency Breathing Support Systems (EBSS), also known as “Buddy Breathers”. This policy change is being made coincident with the addition of requirements related to the use and operation of these devices in the NFPA 1981, 2013 edition. This policy change will be applicable ONLY to SCBAs
Anyone that is “into” fire protection has seen the videos of the airplane hanger foam systems discharging. They are quite amazing to watch; however, now we have a fatality as a result of a discharge. Results are sketchy right now and investigators are trying to determine what caused the tragic incident that killed one man and injured
The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006 requires MSHA to update these criteria every five (5) years. One of the criteria for a mine operator to certify the qualifications of a coal mine rescue team is that team members are properly trained annually. MSHA has updated the prescribed instruction guides for
The Logistics Section Chief (LSC), a member of the General Staff, is responsible for providing facilities, services and materials in support of the incident. The LSC participates in development and implementation of the Incident Action Plan (IAP), activates and supervises assigned Branches/Units, and is responsible for the safety and welfare of Logistics Section personnel.
Since the establishment of the original Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) values in 1974, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has continued to review available scientific data to improve the methodology used to derive acute exposure guidelines, in addition to the chemical-specific IDLH values. The primary objective of this Current
Who is covered by OSHA’s HAZWOPER standard? The Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER) applies to five distinct groups of employers and their employees. This includes any employees who are exposed or potentially exposed to hazardous substances — including hazardous waste — and who are engaged in one of the following operations as
