HazMat for First Responders (2nd Edition)
Chapter 1 - Intro to HazMat
Test Review

• Emergency response organizations are responsible for preparing their personnel for HazMat when it may be encountered during the normal course of work.
• NFPA standards are considered consensus standards while OSHA produces governmental regulations.
• First responders include firefighters, police officers, EMS workers, industrial emergency response personnel, utility workers, & other members of private industry.
• HazMat is termed "Dangerous Goods" in Canada.
• Transporation modes for HazMats include road, rail, water, air, & pipelines.
• HazMat can be encountered at ordinary facilities such as service stations, hardware stores, doctor's offices, school labs, agriculture & Co-Op stores, farms, & residences.
• Tanker trucks are found in every jurisdiction.
• Liquid & gaseous products are carried in pipelines.
• Doctor's offices & medical buildings can contain hazardous chemicals, etiological agents, & radiation hazards.
• Paints, thinners, & garden chemicals are considered HazMats & can be found in hardware stores.

• A HazMat incident is one that involves a substance that has been released or is on fire.
• Causes of HazMat incidents, such as human error, package failure, & vehicle accidents/derailments, cannot be regulated by law.
• Government regulations for HazMat covers issues such as packaging, labeling, inspection/operation of fixed facilities, & transportation vehicles/methods.
• Operations that may have to be performed simultaneously at a HazMat incident include:  Rescue, Evacuation/Sheltering in Place, Exposure Protection, Confinement/Containment, & Emergency Notification.
• Awareness level personnel are responsible for recognition/presence of HazMat, protecting themselves, calling for assistance, & securing the area.
• Securing a HazMat incident is a basic measure for first responders.
• Operations level first responders normal duties include responding in a defensive manner.
• Operations level first responders are responsible for all 4 awareness level responsibilities plus confining the release in a defensive fashion from a safe distance.
• All HazMat incidents can be viewed as learning experiences regardless of their magnitude.
• The potential for a HazMat incident can exist any time during a material's lifetime, whether in raw form or when mixed or refined.
• Some materials become more dangerous after they are refined.
• Materials that are ready to be consumed or used in any physical state may be stored as a gas or a liquid.
• Chlorine may be used or stored as a gas in industry, but is used in the liquid state in household bleach.
• Some hazardous waste is treated to remove or destroy its dangerous properties while some is sold for raw material.
• Hazardous wastes such as improperly stored mixed materials, flammable liquids, heavy metals, and various carcinogens, mutagens, and teratogens, have been found in lagoons, pits, septic tanks, storage vessels, and drums.
• Hazardous waste must be stored in a special container specified by law and must be secured in a facility permitted as a hazardous waste site.
• When assessing risk of rescuing a life, the responder should evaluate the risk to rescuers, probability of victim survival, difficulty of rescue, capabilities/resources of on-scene forces, possibility of explosions & sudden material release, available escape routes, distance/time constraints.
• Many HazMat incident will require agencies such as Fire, Police, EMS, the material's Manufacturer/Shipper, Government Agencies, Technical Support Groups (CHEMTREC/CANUTEC), and Specialized Emergency Response Groups.
• When agencies pre-plan together, vital resource information can be shared and rapport between agencies can be developed.