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Hazardous materials are everywhere around us, and most of the time we so not know that they are even there. But under the guide lines that the U.S. Government, and the Canadian Government have set up, there are also some specific terms that are used. They include;

HAZARDOUS MATERIAL - As defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation ( D.O.T. ) in 49 CFR 171.8. " A substance or material, including a hazardous substance, that has been determined by the Secretary of Transportation to be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce, and which has been so designated".

HAZARDOUS WASTE - As defined by the U.S.D.O.T. in 49 CFR 171.8.
" Any material that is subject to the Hazardous Waste Manifest Requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency specified in 40 CFR part 262".

HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE - As defined by 42 USC 9601, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act ( CERCLA ) section 101[14]:
Any substance designated via the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
Any element, compound, mixture, solution, or substance designated pursuant to CERCLA.
Any hazardous waste having the characteristics identified under or listed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act ( SWDA ).( NOTE: this does not include those SWDA wastes whose regulation has been suspended by an act of Congress.
Any toxic pollutant listed under section 307(a) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
Any hazardous air pollutant listed under section 112 of the Clean Air Act.
Any imminently hazardous chemical substance or mixture with respect to which the administrator has taken action pursuant to section 7 of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
NOTE: Section 101 [14] of CERCLA does not include petroleum or any petroleum by-product, unless it is specifically listed or designated as a hazardous substance.

HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL - As defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] in 29 CFR 1910.1200. " Any chemical that is a physical or a health hazard".

EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE - As defined by the Environmental Protection Agency in 40 CFR 355.20. " Any chemical that must be reported to the appropriate authorities if released above the threshold reporting quantity. These hazardous substances are listed and identified in Title III of Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act ( SARA) of 1986".

DANGEROUS GOODS - As defined by the Canadian Transportation Commission. " any product, substance, or organism included by its nature or by the regulation in any of the classes listed in the schedule". NOTE: The schedule is the nine United Nations Classes of Hazardous Materials.


Ok got all that government double speak. I have a hard time following what is all says, and I have some training in the field. Maybe some of our cooking will fall into one of these section if we are forced to eat our own cooking !!!!.

Hazardous Materials are found in every community and workplace -- there are NO EXCEPTIONS. You will find them in transportation or in fixed facilities Some of the transportation modes include:
Roadways, Railways, Waterways, Airways, Pipelines. and most areas will have at least 2 of these methods in use. You will also find them in Large Manufacturing and storage facilities, along with Schools, Hospitals, Service Stations, Farms, Hardware stores, Homes, and even regular stores.

And us a tow truck drivers seem to think that we are only going to be dealing with cars, and trucks. What about the car that hits a train, or a pipeline valve, or the plane that crashes on the highway, or the car that runs into a building. All of this has happened before, and so count on it happening again.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ), and the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ), and the Canadian Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System ( WHMIS) require that responders to hazardous materials incidents meet SPECIFIC TRAINING STANDARDS. The OSHA rules are listed in Section q of 29 CFR 1910-1200, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response ( HAZWOPER) The EPA listing is the same, and it is in 40 CFR part 311.

What all this does is create 2 levels of responder, First Responder Awareness, and First Responder Operational. The levels will be discussed in a upcoming article.

A hazardous materials incident in one that involves a substance that has been released or is on fire, and poses an unreasonable risk to people, the environment, and property. A rolled over log truck is not much of a risk, with the exception of the spilled diesel fuel, but a gasoline tanker might make a BIG impact on the area, in one of many ways.

As the use, transportation, storage, and disposal of Hazardous Materials increase, there will be a increase in the amount of " incidents " involving Hazardous materials. Government regulations cover :
packaging
labeling
placarding
use
training of personnel
Inspection and operation of facilities
transportation vehicles and methods

But we all know that nothing can be done to prevent incidents caused by human error, package failure, vehicle accidents. This is the area that we are most concerned with, because this is where we will be involved.