Emergency Response

A bit of info that many emergency responders do not know! A Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE) can occur with non-flammable materials such as cryogenics like liquid Oxygen, Nitorgen, etc. All we need to have in place for a BLEVE to occur is a material with a high vapor pressure (thus a low BP),…...

This new tool was designed for oil spill responders, but should be useful to many others.  The NOAA Unit Converter for Oil Spills (NUCOS) is a simple desktop tool that converts basic units of velocity, mass, length, etc., but more specifically, converts units that are unique to oil spill response. NUCOS includes some of the…...

The new Training Package for responding to ethanol incidents includes an instructors manual, a participant packet, interactive workshop materials, PowerPoint presentations, two videos and guidelines for fire departments to have ethanol production facilities in their communities. This extensive package is very beneficial giving the sources to be knowledgeable and prepared for any ethanol emergency situation…....

Generally, responders rely primarily on Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) maintained at the facility. However, MSDSs may not provide sufficient information to effectively and safely respond to accidental releases. This Alert is designed to increase awareness of MSDS limitations, so that first responders can take proper precautions, and identify additional sources of chemical information, which…...

TRANSCAER® recently launched a 27-state training tour to provide education and training sessions on emergency response techniques involving anhydrous ammonia…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

In my line of work, I deal with a lot of fire departments.  It almost never fails that I am told at least once while on scene that “all that OSHA stuff don’t apply to us”.  In many cases this is a true statement; however, EPA has adopted OSHA’s Hazwoper standard (1910.120) and will enforce…...

We get this question in every 24, 40, and 8 hour refreshers we do. The scenario is most often like this…emergency alarm sounds, response team responds and begins operations to control and mitigate the emergency. Senior management, not part of the ERT, arrives on scene and begins to ask questions about the tactics and timing…....

Fittings leaks on chlorine tank cars and tank trucks rarely occur. Should a leak occur, however, prompt corrective action is required by trained, competent personnel with special equipment to stop the leak until the contents can be unloaded safely. The proven equipment to meet this critical need for more than 40 years has been the…...

Community emergency response agencies should be integral components of the community ERP. The community-wide ERP should spell out specific roles and responsibilities for various organizations or agencies, and will state which function each agency is expected to play in the event of an emergency. The employer’s ERP may reference or otherwise include all or applicable…...

This section of the ERP lists the inventory of PPE and emergency response equipment and materials. The ERP must include instructions on how the PPE and equipment and materials are to be used, their limitations, and in what situations emergency responders will use them. HAZWOPER requires the IC to be aware of the equipment and…...

ERPs are based on site-specific needs and experience. It is important to consider previous emergency incidents in preparing an ERP. It is just as important to consider new information, experience, and incidents with the goal of enhancing the effectiveness of the ERP and keeping it current. Written procedures for the critique of an emergency response…...

The plan must also address how employees will be informed that an emergency exists and how they should respond. The alarm system must inform “all affected employees” that an emergency exists and what their immediate response should be based on the alarm sequence. There are three important questions that need to be addressed:(a) Who needs…...