In part one of this article, which ran in the December/January issue of BIC Magazine on p. 26, I discussed why the traditional definition of the HazMat hot zone - a perfectly round circle - is wrong and how we at Industrial Rescue define this area. In this article, I will finish explaining our definition and how we consider wind speed and direction to determine zone size.
To recap, to define the hot zone, there are a variety of circumstances and factors you must take into account, including terrain, humidity, temperature, building layout, the product being released and more. If you need to perform a rescue, you may have to consider whether a person is involved, the patient's injury or condition, the severity of the injury or condition, obstructions to rapid movement of the patient, the location of the patient (downwind, upwind or crosswind) and whether the location can easily be reached.
At Industrial Rescue, we propose that even with the lowest amount of wind at the scene, the parameters of the hot zone can change. We propose that for every 1 mph of wind current, the hot zone will elongate 10 percent in the downwind direction. At 2 mph, your cone extends 20-percent further downwind than on the upwind side, etc.
This principle will continue using an increase in wind speed to show that at a 10-mph wind, your hazard cone will be 100 percent - or 10 times longer -- downwind than on the upwind side.
Remember, always start with the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) isolation distances of 25 meters (75 feet) for solids, 50 meters (150 feet) for liquids and 100 meters (300 feet) for vapors. However, you must quickly adjust these distances based on scene factors. For example, specific chemicals at your site may warrant larger initial isolation distances. Time of day is also a crucial factor (reference the green pages in the ERG).
This technique of quickly defining the hazard area falls in line with all other aspects of emergency response (fire, rescue and EMS), in that the plan of who does what, where, how, etc., has to be quickly formulated. During training, teams should spend extra time focusing on the first four minutes of HazMat response. Remember to ask: How big is my hazard area? Are people in danger?
Industry has the great advantage of knowing exactly every chemical and hazard that is on the site. Pre-incident plans can be formulated for specific locations. Emergency responders can develop response strategies, determine staging areas based on windsocks or building construction, and know beforehand which area of the process requires which levels of PPE.
Why these principles are important
A basic rule of HazMat we teach is, "What we deal with is invisible, and it will kill you." Just as we sometimes see in our classes or out in the field, there may be limited personnel on duty. It is imperative that we teach responders why certain actions need to occur and how to formulate solutions so that each person is efficient and safe in his or her response to a HazMat incident.
While attending a recent safety show, our team saw a warning sign that brought all of this home. It stated, "Danger ⦠Not only will this kill you; it will hurt the whole time you're dying."
Why do we teach these principles? We do not want anyone to get hurt. The incident is temporary, but a person's injury or death is permanent and will affect their family and the company forever.
Students must understand and apply skills to accomplish a particular task. We strive to teach the principles that responders can apply 100 percent of the time, 100-percent correctly. We show students why each component of the HazMat response system works for a particular job and how to use the fastest and safest methods.
Industrial Rescue uses the most up-todate practices and equipment to meet the challenges industrial and municipal responders face. We are constantly meeting with manufacturers and other HazMat response professionals to evaluate the safest, most efficient hazardous materials instruction and techniques. Consider us for your training and standby rescue team needs. We promise to provide a dedicated, knowledgeable teaching staff and standby personnel with worldwide experience in many facilities. Visit our training facility at 600 Marina Drive, Beaumont, TX 77703. We'll buy you lunch after the tour.
Let us show you why and how.
For more information on defining the hot zone in HazMat, visit www.industrialrescue.com, email Elgin Browning at elgin@irisrescue.com or email David Lawson at lawson@irisrescue.com.
