Flashcards in Mod 7 Hazardous Materials, Multiple-Casualty Incidents, and Incident Management Deck (28):
-Any substance or material in a form that poses an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce or kept in storage at a warehouse, port, depot or railroad facility.
The four levels of training that the regulations identify
-First responder awareness is where rescuers are likely to witness or discover hazardous substance release
-First responder operations is for those that initially respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous materials to protect people, property, and the environment
-Hazardous material technician is for rescuers who actually plug, patch, or stop the release of a hazardous material
-Hazardous materials specialist for rescuer who is expected to have advanced knowledge and skills and to command and support activities at the incident site.
Control the scene
-Establish safe zone: same level as and upwind from the incident site
-Call for the help you will need: firefighters, special rescue personnel, local or state hazmat experts, and law enforcement for crowd control.
-Implement agencies incident management system. Establish command and maintain role until relieved.
-Prevent the situation from getting worse. Evacuate people, establish perimeter.
-While help is on the way establish control zones
-The area of contamination or area of danger
-Area where patients will be decontaminated
-Equipment and other emergency rescuers to include myself should be staged.
Ways of obtaining information safely
-Use binoculars to look for identifying signs, labels, or placards from a safe distance.
-Do not approach scene to obtain this information
-Search for placards. Diamond shaped placards used in the transportation of dangerous good not only show hazard class, such as explosives, flammable gas, and poisons.
-Look for labels such as what is found on the beck of a truck carrying flammable liquids.
- Check invoices, bills of lading (trucks), and shipping manifests (trains)
-Review safety data sheets
-Interview workers or others leaving the hot zone.
Where to obtain information/advice on what initial actions should be taken at the scene of hazardous material
-Emergency response guidebook
-Chemical transportation emergency center (CHEMTREC)
-Current list of state and federal radiation authorities
-Regional poison control centers
The characteristics of a rehab center
-Located in the cold zone
-Protected from weather
-Large enough to accommodate multiple rescue crews
-Easily accessible to EMS units
-Free from exhaust fumes
-Allows for rapid reentry into the emergency operation
-A chemical and/or physical process that reduces or prevents the spread of contamination from persons or equipment; the removal of hazardous substances from employees and their equipment to the extent necessary to preclude forseeable health effects
Important points for treating and transporting hazmat patients
-Field decontamination patients are not fully clean. Chemicals may settle in patients hair, groin armpits ect.
-PPE is needed to prevent secondary contamination of rescuers.
-Protect vehicles from contamination. During decon process they are soaked in water. Water could runoff and could contaminate the vehicle
-Consider used equipment as disposable. For example spine boards, stethoscopes, ect. may not be decontaminated and may need to be disposed.
-Structural firefighting clothing is not designed or recommended for use when working in hazardous material environments.
The four types of patients likely to be encountered by EMT's
-Uninjured and not contaminated
-Injured and not contaminated
-Uninjured and contaminated
-Injured and contaminated
If confronted with contaminated patients prior to the arrival of the hazmat team
-Take precautions appropriate to the substance
-Follow the first aid measures
-Manage the patients critical needs. Do not forget to manage the ABC's
-If treatment calls for irrigation with water, remember that water only dilutes most substances. If cannot neutralize remove clothing and ir