Emergency Response
I have been involved with emergency response for over 30 years. During those years, I trained thousands of municipal and private responders, specializing in traditional Hazardous Materials Responses. During all those years, when I received continuing training from the likes of Texas A&M, LSU, NFA, and SERTC, these advanced courses only validated my first HAZWOPER course at Murray State University in 1991. Today, I got my first question, which I could not answer! So, I am turning to the ER and Safety community to see who can provide the "source" of this DECON practice... Read more ... Add new comment
DOT/PHMSA have compiled the most important changes from ERG2020 to ERG2024, organized by the color of the corresponding section in the guidebook
In addition to the changes listed below, all sections have undergone minor editorial changes for accuracy and consistency. In this edition, DOT/PHMSA has added QR codes to the back cover of the hard copy version of ERG2024, offering quick access to critical incident reporting information for users on the scene of an emergency. If you have already downloaded ERG for iOS or ERG2020 for Android, published by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), no action needed! Your app will update automatically to ERG2024.
It comes from this requirement in OSHA's HAZWOPER standard and has sound logic behind it... (emphasis by me)
I spend anywhere from 2-3 hours in a 24-hour Tech course. In my 40-hour Tech course I spend an additional hour just on Respiratory Protection because this single OSHA requirement is rarely fully understood by those attending a Tech level course. I teach this concept by asking... What are the four (4) pieces of atmospheric-related data we MUST know to go from a Positive-Pressure SCBA (APF=10,000) used in LEVEL A and B ensembles down to a LEVEL C ensemble that uses an Air-Purifying Respirator (operating in a negative mode and has an APF of 50)? Quite the change from an APF of 10,000 to 50, so we MUST fully understand these four (4) bits of data to assess the needed RP... #1 - The hazardous substance involved This may be easy to obtain in many cases due to the container labeling. But without proper labeling, this is 100% an UNKNOWN. In some cases, where I see a contradiction between how the HAZMAT is behaving once it exits its container and what the container label is saying, I will ALWAYS manage this as an UNKNOWN and an UNKNOWN environment is ALWAYS managed as an IDLH environment (1910.134(d)(1)(iii))
The source is unknown, but this is hilarious. The supporting actor gets my vote for an Oscar.
This week, I conducted a 24-hr HAZMAT Tech course for a client. The facility had purchased some new SCBA cylinders, and we noticed an odd difference between two of the cylinders. One cylinder was manufactured in 2021, and one was manufactured in early 2022, just six months apart. As I was covering the requirements for "Emergency Respiraors" to be 90% full BEFORE they can be used in an emergency, one of the students asked, "How do we do that?" The cylinder gauge he looked at would have had an experienced responder asking the same question! Here is what OSHA's standard states: (emphasis by me)
FRA is amending its regulations related to occupational noise exposure in three (3) ways. Special NOTE: although I agree with this new requirement, it will be virtually impossible for the railroads to comply by March 2024. There are NOT enough EEBAs in inventory to supply the Class 1s. Then there is the written program and training that has to be put in place, and one month is impossible if we want to do it RIGHT.
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Partner Organizations
I am proud to announce that The Chlorine Institute and SAFTENG have extended our"Partners in Safety" agreement for another year (2024) CI Members, send me an e-mail to request your FREE SAFTENG membership
Member Associations
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