You Are the Emergency Medical Responder

1
You Are the Emergency Medical Responder
Lesson 44 Hazardous Materials Emergencies

• You are the first emergency medical responder
  (EMR) to arrive at the scene of a freight train
  derailment. According to the trains placards and
  signage, several of the cars are carrying
  liquefied chlorine gas, at least two cars are
  leaking

• and there is a yellowish cloud hanging low over
  the area. The winds are light, about 5 to 10
  miles per hour (mph) and are coming from the
  northeast.

2
HAZMAT

• Any chemical substance or material that can pose
  a threat or risk to life, health, safety and
  property if not properly handled or contained.

3
Resources About Hazardous Materials

• The Emergency Response Guidebook
• The Chemical Transportation Emergency Center
  (CHEMTREC) hotline
• CAMEO online library of data
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and
  Health (NIOSH) resources

4
Placards
Emergency Medical Response
5
Indications of Hazardous Materials

• Placards
• Spilled, splattered, smoking, burning or boiling
  materials
• Unusual odors
• Vapor clouds
• Containers that are leaking (with possible frost
  near the leak), in deteriorating condition or
  otherwise atypical

6
Three Safety Zones

• Hot zone
• Exclusion zone
• Greatest amount of danger
• Warm zone
• Contamination reduction zone
• Immediately outside hot zone
• Cold zone
• Support zone
• Removal of all contaminated PPE and equipment
  before entering

7
Contamination Exposure Routes

• Topical (through the skin)
• Respiratory (inhaled)
• Gastrointestinal (ingested)
• Parenteral (intramuscular, intravenous or
  subcutaneous)

8
Decontamination Methods

• Gross
• Dilution
• Absorption
• Neutralization
• Isolation/disposal

9
Activity

• You are assisting at a HAZMAT incident involving
  an explosion in a chemical plant. Several of the
  employees were exposed when the chemicals sprayed
  into the air and onto themselves and their
  clothing. Hot, warm and cold zones have been set
  up.

10
You Are the Emergency Medical Responder

• Based on what you see, you recognize the scene
  as a HAZMAT incident.