Justin Petersen - Hazmat Teams: Disposing of Dangerous Materials

In addition to the standard hazmat suit, there are many other types of PPE, and each has a specific use.

• Respiratory protection Responders use respirators to protect against breathing toxic or contaminated air.
• Eye and face protection Goggles and plastic face guards protect against flying fragments, hot sparks, and chemical splashes.
• Skin protection Hoods, booties, and gloves are taped to the hazmat suit so that skin is never exposed to harmful substances.
• Noise protection Earplugs or earmuffs help prevent damage to hearing due to loud noises.

The term HAZWOPER refers to all training that deals with hazardous waste operations and emergency response.

In a functional or full-scale exercise, a team of trainees responds to a mock emergency. Hazmat trainers go to great lengths in setting up these fake emergencies. These exercises sometimes involve working with several organizations to safely create a realistic situation. For example, a team of trainees may arrive on the scene of a make-believe oil spill or a dangerous chemical leak. First, they quickly identify the hazardous materials involved. Then they assess the health and safety risks present. The trainees work as a team, carefully putting on their PPE as they develop a plan of action.

Trainees learn how to test their equipment to ensure that it is working properly.

Radioactive materials begin to leak from a medical shipment in the receiving room at an airport. These dangerous materials need to be contained, or thousands of people will be put at risk. The airport is alerted, and people begin to panic. Minutes later, the local hazmat first responders unit arrives and takes control of the situation. How were they able to get there so fast? How do they prepare to safely contain an incident as soon as they arrive?

First, an airport employee called 911 when he saw a strange liquid oozing from an open container. The container had been labeled with a warning label, which allows people to quickly identify dangerous substances.

After the airport employee called 911, the local emergency communications center contacted a hazmat team at the local fire department. That team quickly assembled the appropriate PPE for a radioactive leak. They knew exactly what to pack because they had trained for scenarios just like this one. Then they jumped into a specialized hazmat vehicle. This vehicle contained a variety of safety equipment. Many hazmat vehicles, for example, contain mobile laboratories. These allow hazmat workers to test materials on site. They also contain equipment such as ventilation hoods and eye wash stations to deal with accidental exposure.