Hazardous materials are substances with the potential of harming people or the environment. Hazardous materials can be gaseous, liquid, or solid, and can include chemical or radioactive materials. (Radiological exposure will be covered in depth in chapter 8 of this manual. Radioactive materials are regulated by specific instructions/directives.) The most common substances involved in incidents of hazardous material (HAZMAT) exposure are volatile organic compounds, pesticides, ammonia, chlorine, petroleum products, and acids.

Your initial action at the scene of a hazardous materials incident must be to assess the situation, since your safety-as well as that of the public and any patients-is of primary concern. You must first determine the nature of the HAZMAT, then establish a safety zone. Only after these things have been accomplished can a victim who has been exposed to hazardous materials be rescued, transported to an appropriate facility, and properly decontaminated.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) publication, Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG series, published every four years), RSPAP5800.8, is a useful tool for first responders during the initial phase of a hazardous materials/dangerous goods incident. ERG series addresses labeling, identification, toxicity, safety/contamination zones, and decontamination procedures. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ALL PERSONNEL INVOLVED WITH HAZMAT INCIDENT RESPONSE BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PUBLICATION. It is also available on the Internet at http://hazmat.dot.gov/gydebook.htm.

DETERMINING THE NATURE OF THE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL

When an incident involving the exposure of hazardous material occurs, it is of prime importance to any rescue operation to determine the nature of the substance(s) involved. All facilities that produce HAZMAT are required by law to prominently display this information, as is any vehicle transporting it. Any carton or box containing such material must also be properly labeled. The name of the substance may also be displayed, along with a required four-digit identification number (sometimes preceded by the letters UN or NA).

The various kinds of hazardous materials usually have different labels to assist in their identification. These are generally diamond-shaped signs that have specific colors to identify the type of HAZMAT involved. Table 5-7 provides a list of the Department of Transportation (DOT)-mandated classifications of hazardous materials.

The ERG series provides a list of hazardous materials and appropriate emergency response actions. The Guidebook is primarily a tool to enable first responders to quickly identify the specific or generic classification of the material(s) involved in the incident, and to protect themselves and the general public during the initial phase of the incident.