Emergency Response

NFPA has made a major revision to NFPA 1961, Standard on Fire Hose, 2020 Edition.  The new requirement that 1½ in. to 3 in. attack hose be tested in accordance with:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

I see this practice, keeping cylinders in-service beyond their hydro due dates, and I just want to make everyone aware that although this practice may be complaint with 49 CFR Part 180, it sets up the Emergency Response Team (ERT) with a potentially serious Breathing Air (BA) issue during a response.  There are two failures,…...

We have been using OSHA’s HAZWOPER standard since the 1980’s to establish the absolute minimum training for personnel who would discover and/or respond to uncontrolled releases of hazardous materials.  This HAZMAT training was intended to be a “Step-Progression” style of training, meaning that you would have the baseline level (e.g. Awareness) and then get the…...

At 8:30 a.m. on May 13, 2020, Employee #1 and Employee #2 were working to pressurize portable fire extinguishers. At some point, the extinguisher being worked on by the Employees exploded. Both Employees received severe lacerations to unspecified parts of their bodies. Employee #1 was killed, and Employee #2 was hospitalized due to his injuries. …...

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report (A19O0063) into the May 2019 collision between a fuel truck and a plane at Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Ontario. The investigation highlights the importance of passengers familiarizing themselves with safety information and following instructions from flight attendants during emergencies. On 10 May 2019, at…...

The DOT ERG identifies chemicals as being shipped “inhibited” or “stabilized” and have a “P” listed with their guide number meaning that the chemical can polymerize. These inhibitors are TIME and TEMPERATURE dependent! The inhibitors can be tested and more inhibitor added if necessary, albeit VERY RISKY once the reaction has begun AND the fact…...

UPDATED on 4/4/24 with 2024 ERG Info   This week we saw the official release of the 2020 Emergency Response Guide (ERG) from DOT/PHMSA and along with this 2020 update came some clear distinctions between a “Heat Induced Tear” (HIT) and a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE). (emphasis by PHMSA) A Heat Induced Tear…...

The Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) 2020 is finally here! We’ve listed the most important changes from the 2016 edition to the 2020 edition. They’re listed based on the color of their section in the guidebook. White Pages:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

The primary focus of the Emergency Response standard would be to protect workers who respond to emergencies as part of their regularly assigned duties. Examples include: fire brigades/workplace emergency response teams, industrial and municipal firefighters, technical rescuers, emergency medical service providers, etc. A secondary focus of the rule would be to protect those workers who…...

The Risk Management Program emergency response coordination activities require the owner and operator of a stationary source to provide to the local emergency planning and response organizations: the stationary source’s emergency response plan if one exists; emergency action plan; updated emergency contact information; and any other information that local emergency planning and response organizations identify…...