HAZWOPER First Responder Awareness

OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) Standard

applies to employees who are exposed or potentially exposed to hazardous substances.

What Are Hazardous Substances?

A hazardous substance is any substance which through exposure results or may result in
adverse effects on the health or safety of employees.

This definition includes various forms of chemicals such as solids, liquids, gases, vapors,
mists, smoke and fumes that cause ill health or physical hazards.

Exposure to hazardous substances may cause or add to many short- and long-term health
effects.

Many hazardous substances are also safety hazards that may cause fires and explosions and
other serious damage.

OSHA's Hazard Communication (HazCom) Standard requires employers to educate their

employees about those workplace chemical hazards and how to prevent injuries and illnesses
due to hazardous substance exposure.

You don't always need to memorize everything about substances in your workplace, but you
do need to be able to interpret signs and labels and be able to find more information in
resources such as safety data sheets (SDSs), shipping papers and the U.S. Department of
Transportation Emergency Response Guidebook (DOT ERG).

Please contact your supervisor if you have concerns about your ability to meet these
expectations or if you need additional training.

What Is the Role of First Responders?

First responders encounter hazardous substances in many types of situations. Follow the
local, state, company or site emergency response plan (ERP) that your employer has adopted.
You will receive training about the ERP.

You are a first responder at the awareness level. You may be the first to notice or discover
an emergency that involves a hazardous substance. You will notify other responders about
spills and secure the area. You should NOT take any action to stop or clean up hazardous
substances. First responders at the awareness level help to prepare everyone who will take
defensive and aggressive actions to contain materials, address fires and explosions and treat
victims.

First responders at the Operations level will take defensive action, such as covering drains
or vents or remotely shutting down equipment.

Hazardous materials (HazMat) Technicians take aggressive action to plug, patch or stop a
release.

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HazMat Specialists work with technicians and coordinate other responders.

Incident Commanders assume control of the incident scene and oversee the response effort.

Safely Isolating the Emergency

The MOST IMPORTANT thing is your safety. Do not endanger yourself as you complete your
responsibilities. Treat all substances as if they are hazardous. Stay at a safe distance and
keep upwind, upgrade and upstream from substances. Your employer's ERP may specify safe
shelter or refuge areas and assembly points.

Isolate the area and deny entry, per your employer's ERP. The ERP may refer you to a
resource, such as the DOT ERG. Familiarize yourself with how the DOT ERG is color-coded if
you use it.

After you isolate the area, complete an identification and hazard assessment to safely identify
hazardous substances and immediately dangerous hazards at the scene.

Reporting the Emergency and Securing the Perimeter

After you complete the identification and hazard assessment, be prepared to provide your
name and agency (if different than the entity you notify), the location of the release, the nature
of the problem, what hazardous substances may be involved and in what quantities and any
other potential hazards. Use resources such as SDSs or the DOT ERG for information and
guidance.

While you wait for other responders to arrive, stay at a safe distance, isolate the area and
continue to deny entry. Evaluate the perimeter, and if flammability is a concern, eliminate any
ignition sources near the incident area and control entry points.

Do not provide medical care unless you know how to do so safely; wear appropriate personal
protective equipment (PPE). Do not touch, taste or breathe unknown materials. Do not allow
anyone to eat, drink or smoke in the incident area.

Recognizing Hazardous Substances

Your location alone may be enough to indicate that hazardous substances are present. If you
know that hazardous materials are manufactured, stored, used or transported at your location,
you know that they are likely to be present at an emergency.

Use safety data sheets (SDSs), shipping papers and other resources to identify and
appropriately react to the presence of hazardous substances. Even if you are unable to access
these materials during the emergency, you should know where and how others may access
them.

Some systems may have monitors, alarms and sprinklers that will go off in an emergency.

The shape, color and construction of containers can give clues to the type and amount of their
contents. You can use resources like the DOT ERG to familiarize yourself with the types of
containers and what they are used for. Check to see if you can read markings, labels or
placards on containers. You should receive training from your employer about how to read and
interpret markings, labels, placards and signs.
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Your sense of smell and taste can indicate that you may have been exposed to chemicals, as
can watering eyes and coughing. Pay attention to the symptoms and conditions of people who
have left the release area. If possible, ask for their observations.

Trust your common sense and instincts. Look for potentially subtle clues like smoke, visible
vapors, unidentified liquids, unusual colors or odors, a sheen on water or the presence of fire.
Don't ignore the presence of dead animals or discolored vegetation or paint. Stay safe,
observe and report. Catching problems early can prevent property damage, injuries and
deaths.

Identification and Hazard Assessment

One of the most urgent things to determine is if the incident has the potential for fire or
explosion. Stay safe and secure the area to prevent people from being injured or killed.

Ask: Is it a gas or vapor that can come after me? If something bad happens, will it hurt me? Is
it toxic? Is it flammable? Is it corrosive? Is it radioactive? You may be able to prevent injuries
and deaths simply by isolating the area and denying people entry.

Think about the stresses that hazardous substances place on the container, such as
mechanical stress, pressure, extreme heat or cold, or chemical corrosion. Containers can fail,
fracture, puncture or degrade. Ask yourself what will happen if these problems occur. Take
note of how the substance is dispersing out of the container and how that may change if the
container fails.

Consider the variables that may affect the situation, such as the location, date and time,
weather, nature of material and type of release.

Think about what may reasonably happen and what the worst-case scenario is so that you can
convey that information so other responders can prepare.

This job aid is intended to provide you with supplemental information associated with UL courseware.
© COPYRIGHT Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved.