1. 4
Estimating
Potential
Harm and
Planning a
Response

2. 4
Objectives (1 of 5)
• Estimate the potential harm or severity of
a hazardous materials/WMD incident.
• Use resources to determine the size of
and incident.
• Describe exposure protection.
• Report the size and scope of an incident.

3. 4
Objectives (2 of 5)
• Use available resources to determine the
concentration of a hazardous material.
• Identify skin contact hazards.
• Know how to plan an initial response.
• Describe the potential for secondary
attacks/devices.

4. 4
Objectives (3 of 5)
• Select appropriate PPE for hazardous
materials/WMD incidents.
• Identify purpose, advantages, and
limitations of:
– Street clothing and work uniforms
– Structural firefighting protective clothing
– High temperature–protective clothing and
equipment
– Chemical-protective clothing and equipment

5. 4
Objectives (4 of 5)
• Discuss respiratory protection needs.
• Discuss the levels of hazardous
materials/WMD PPE.

6. 4
Objectives (5 of 5)
• Describe physical capabilities required
and limitations of personnel working in
PPE.
• Describe the importance of having a plan
in place to decontaminate a victim.

7. 4
Responder’s Priorities at a
Hazardous Materials/WMD Incident
1. Ensure your own safety at scene
2. Address potential life safety of those
persons affected by the incident

8. 4
Estimating Potential Harm or
Severity of Incident (1 of 4)
• Threshold limit value (TLV)
• Permissible exposure limit (PEL)
• Threshold limit value/short-term exposure
limit (TLV/STEL)
• Threshold limit value/time-weighted
average (TLV/TWA)

9. 4
Estimating Potential Harm or
Severity of Incident (2 of 4)
• Threshold limit value/ceiling (TLV/C)
• Threshold limit value/skin
• Recommended exposure level (REL)
• Immediately dangerous to life and health
(IDLH)
– Requires use of self-contained breathing
apparatus (SCBA)

10. 4
Estimating Potential Harm or
Severity of Incident (3 of 4)
• Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)
– Gives evacuation distances
– Gives basic action plans

11. 4
Estimating Potential Harm or
Severity of Incident (4 of 4)
Instructions and example pages from the Initial Isolation
Protective Action Distances table found in the ERG.

12. 4
Exposures (1 of 3)
• Isolation of hazard area
• Denial of entry
• Evacuation
• Sheltering-in-place

13. 4
Exposures (2 of 3)
• Report size and scope of incident
– Thermal imaging cameras “see inside”
containers.
• Determine concentration and pH (litmus
paper) of released hazardous material
• Determine skin contact hazards.

14. 4
Exposures (3 of 3)
Litmus paper (pH strips) is used to determine the hazardous
material’s pH.

15. 4
Approach Hazardous Materials
Incident Cautiously
Approach a hazardous materials incident cautiously.

16. 4
Response Depends on Material State
The response to a spill of a solid hazardous material will differ
from the response to a liquid-release or vapor-release incident.

17. 4
Response Objectives
• Measurable
• Flexible
• Time sensitive

18. 4
Secondary Attacks and Devices
(1 of 2)
• Must be acknowledged in response
objectives
• Evaluate scene for likely placement areas
• Check operating areas before providing
patient care.
• Avoid touching or moving anything.

19. 4
Secondary Attacks and Devices
(2 of 2)
• Designate and enforce scene control
zones.
• Evacuate victims, other responders, and
nonessential personnel.

20. 4
Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) (1 of 3)
• Selection based on:
– Hazardous material involved
– Specific hazards present
– Physical state of material
• Consult OSHA HAZWOPER, 29 CFR
1910.120 for guidance.

21. 4
Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) (2 of 3)
• Chemical-protective clothing
• Respiratory protection also important
• Not a suit of armor

22. 4
Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) (3 of 3)
• Specific types:
– Street clothing and work uniforms
– Structural firefighting protective clothing
– High temperature–protective clothing and
equipment
– Chemical-protective clothing and equipment
– Respiratory protection

23. 4
Street Clothing and Work Uniforms
(1 of 2)
• Least amount of protection
• Worn only away from contaminated areas

24. 4
Street Clothing and Work Uniforms
(2 of 2)
A Nomex jumpsuit.

25. 4
Structural Firefighting Protective
Clothing (1 of 2)
• Not chemical-protective
• Suitable for support functions

26. 4
Structural Firefighting Protective
Clothing (2 of 2)
Standard structural firefighting gear.

27. 4
High Temperature–Protective
Clothing and Equipment (1 of 2)
• A level above structural firefighting gear
• Affords short-term high-temperature
protection
• No protection from hazardous
materials/WMD

28. 4
High Temperature–Protective
Clothing and Equipment (2 of 2)
High temperature–protective equipment protects the wearer from
high temperatures during a short exposure.

29. 4
Chemical-Protective Clothing and
Equipment
• No garment protects from everything.
• Chemical-resistant materials designed to
resist passage of chemicals
– Permeation
– Penetration
– Degradation

30. 4
Vapor-Protective Clothing (1 of 2)
• Full body protection
• Requires supplied-air respiratory
protection devices
• Increases possibility of heat-related
emergencies

31. 4
Vapor-Protective Clothing (2 of 2)
Vapor-protective clothing retains body heat and increases the
possibility of heat-related emergencies.

32. 4
Liquid Splash–Protective Clothing
(1 of 2)
• Protects from chemical splashes
• No protection from gases or vapors

33. 4
Liquid Splash–Protective Clothing
(2 of 2)
Liquid splash–protective clothing must be worn when there is the
danger of chemical splashes.

34. 4
Chemical-Protective Clothing Ratings
• Level A (highest)
• Level B
• Level C
• Level D (lowest)

35. 4
Level A Ensemble (1 of 2)
• Fully encapsulating garment
• SCBA or SAR
• Vapor-protective chemical-resistant suit
• Chemical-resistant gloves
• Chemical-resistant safety boots/shoes
• Two-way radio

36. 4
Level A Ensemble (2 of 2)
Level A ensemble envelops the wearer in a totally encapsulating
suit.

37. 4
Level B Ensemble (1 of 2)
• Chemical-protective:
– Clothing
– Boots
– Gloves
• SCBA or SAR
• Two-way radio

38. 4
Level B Ensemble (2 of 2)
A Level B ensemble provides a high level of respiratory protection
but less skin protection.

39. 4
Level C Ensemble (1 of 2)
• Full-face APR
• Chemical-resistant:
– Clothing
– Gloves
– Boots/shoes
• Two-way radio

40. 4
Level C Ensemble (2 of 2)
A Level C ensemble includes chemical-protective clothing and
gloves as well as respiratory protection.

41. 4
Level D Ensemble (1 of 2)
• Minimal protection
• Includes:
– Coveralls
– Safety boots/shoes
– Safety or chemical-splash goggles
– Hard hat

42. 4
Level D Ensemble (2 of 2)
The Level D ensemble is primarily a work uniform that includes
coveralls and provides minimal protection.

43. 4
Respiratory Protection
• Physical capability requirements
– Medical surveillance once or twice/year
– Medical monitoring on the scene
• Positive-Pressure Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
• Supplied-air respirators (SARs)

44. 4
Positive-Pressure Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus (1 of 2)
• Closed-circuit SCBA
• Air-purifying respirators (APRs)
• Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs)
• Commonly provided by SCBA
– Prevents both inhalation and ingestion
exposures

45. 4
Positive-Pressure Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus (2 of 2)
SCBA carries its own air supply, a factor that limits the amount of
air and time the user has to complete the job.

46. 4
Supplied-Air Respirators (SARs)
(1 of 2)
• External air source
• Connected by hose to face piece
• Provides air for about 5 minutes
• Length of hose limits movement
• Hazardous material may damage hose

47. 4
Supplied-Air Respirators (SARs)
(2 of 2)
A supplied-air respirator is less bulky than an SCBA but is limited
by the length and structural integrity of the air hose.

48. 4
Closed-Circuit Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
• Commonly called “rebreather”
• Exhaled air is:
– Scrubbed free of carbon dioxide
– Supplemented with oxygen
– Rebreathed
• Used for long work periods

49. 4
Air-Purifying Respirators (APRs)
(1 of 2)
• Filter particulates, vapors, and
contaminants
• Must be sufficient oxygen in atmosphere

50. 4
Air-Purifying Respirators (APRs)
(2 of 2)
Air-purifying respirators can be used only where there is sufficient
oxygen in the atmosphere.

51. 4
Powered Air-Purifying Respirators
(PAPRs)
• Like APRs, but include small fan
• Diminish work of breathing
• Reduce fogging in the mask
• Provide flow of cool air across face

52. 4
Decontamination
• Emergency decontamination
• Secondary contamination

53. 4
Emergency Decontamination (1 of 2)
• Rapid removal of bulk of contaminants
• Without formal establishment of
decontamination corridor

54. 4
Emergency Decontamination (2 of 2)
Emergency decontamination involves the immediate removal of
contaminated clothing.

55. 4
Secondary Contamination
• Also called cross-contamination
• Caused by contact with:
– Contaminated victim
– Contaminated object
• Establishing control zones helps prevent

56. 4
Summary (1 of 3)
• Ensure your own safety.
• Response priorities based on need to
protect lives, property, critical systems,
and the environment
• Gather information to obtain a clear
picture of the incident.

57. 4
Summary (2 of 3)
• Immediate protective actions: Denial of
entry, evacuation, and sheltering-in-place
• Tactical control objectives: Prevent further
injury, control/contain spread of release
• Response objectives: Measurable,
flexible, time sensitive, based on chosen
strategy

58. 4
Summary (3 of 3)
• Defensive actions: Dike, dam, absorb or
adsorb, stop remotely (valve, shut-off),
dilute or divert, suppress or disperse
• Use risk-benefit analysis during response
• PPE required is specific to incident
• Respiratory protection is key PPE element