I have been engrossed in the world of chemicals for the past 22 years. As a result, I’m a true believer that at the core of chemicals handling is the need for ongoing, immersive training and education programs. As a technical services consultant for Veolia’s sulfur products division, my job is that of product stewardship for the business. That means helping educate our customers on safe handling and distribution of our products (i.e., fuming and non-fuming sulfuric acid); working with fire department Haz-Mat units and first responders on training and emergency response drills; customer site risk assessment; and transportation risk assessments and preparation planning with key stakeholders such as local officials, emergency responders, carriers, plant operations and maintenance.
My initial interest in product stewardship — and the reason I love what I do — stems from an experience at a former employer. A sulfuric acid tank incident caused a fatality and injured nine of the emergency responders. I personally knew several of the injured responders and never want to witness that again. Now, education, training and prevention measures are a central part of my job, helping customers and emergency responders remain safe when handling sulfuric acids and other chemicals.
One of the training tools at our disposal — and by extension our manufacturers, carriers, local community Haz-Mat responders and government officials — is the fuming acids spill mitigation workshops. First established by DuPont in 1992, these workshops are held at the Department of Energy’s Non-Proliferation Test and Evaluation Complex (NPTEC) at the Mercury, Nevada, test site, which is one of the first nuclear bomb testing sites. The workshops were initiated to test the best method for mitigating a fuming sulfuric acid release in controlled conditions. It is the only training available that uses “live” releases of fuming sulfuric acids and is a true differentiator from other training workshops.
The objectives of the workshops are to:
• Witness firsthand the fumes that result from a fuming sulfuric acid spill/release.
• Train responders in the proper mitigation techniques for a fuming sulfuric acid spill/release — techniques which may be appropriate for other fuming acids as well (hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid and nitric acid).
• Enhance emergency preparedness at sites that produce or consume fuming acids and preparedness for local community Haz-Mat responders.
Participants receive training and education on fuming acids, including an understanding of the unique properties and characteristics of fuming acids, techniques on how to control and manage fuming acid safely and, perhaps most importantly, how to avoid any release of fuming acid from primary containment.
The workshops provide 24 hours of hazardous materials training developed specifically for the fuming sulfuric acids (sulfur trioxide, oleum and chlorosulfonic acid). This includes 10 hours of classroom training and 14 hours of “hands-on” training. The “hands-on” training consists of four components:
• Donning/doffing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) (including supplied breathing air).
• Spill mitigation (water spray and foam techniques).
• Neutralization and clean-up.
• Decontamination of responders.
Participants qualify as either “Hands-On” or “Professional/Observers.” The “Hands-On” participants that successfully complete the training receive a Hazardous Materials Technician Level training certificate, which meets the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120(q) requirements. The “Professional” participants complete a Study in Hazardous Materials Emergency Response, which meets OSHA 29 CRF 1910.120 (q) requirements toward Hazardous Materials Technician.
An important aspect of mitigating a fuming acid spill is employing the proper techniques to handle a release without making the situation worse. Over the years, many different mitigation techniques have been tested to understand the best response. While the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) states that sulfuric acid products — both fuming and non-fuming — are highly reactive with water, the fuming acid spill mitigation workshops teach the proper technique for applying water to a release. Most everyone who works with fuming sulfuric acid will tell you the best way to get a fuming acid release (inhalation hazard) to stop fuming is to apply water and apply water quickly. These workshops provide hands-on training in how to apply water quickly and correctly.
Participants in the workshops learn about water and foam application techniques. First responders not familiar with the fuming acid chemicals will initially consult the ERG book for guidance and decide that, due to the water reactivity, they “don’t put water on it.” But as industry experience has shown, understanding how to apply water properly and quickly is often the most effective mitigation technique.
The fuming acids spill mitigation workshops are very well received by participants, with many commenting on their uniqueness.
“The workshop was fabulous, with real-life exercises that you do not get during HAZWOPER training,” said Tony Starkus, Purolite production manager. “The real-incident exercise is the key to realizing what can happen. My crew has taken the training very seriously, and many suggestions have been coming forth on opportunities that we want to bring here to Purolite.”
“I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your course. I learned a tremendous amount of information and was impressed with the knowledge and professionalism of your employees,” said Ed Bergamini, hazardous materials battalion chief, fire department of New York. “But most of all, I wanted to thank all of your team for treating me and my members like family.”
Industry coalitions and other organizations provide various levels of training for other chemicals, so it’s important to do your research to see the relevant training offerings available to your employees and emergency response partners.
