Introduction
This paper answers the questions taken from the case study on hazardous chemical containment. The case study from chapters 12 and 13 of the book, Chemistry of Hazardous Materials, fifth edition, authored by Eugene Meyer.
How to Proceed
Having established that the store has flammable drums, which can be of different chemicals, still unknown, I will immediately get my 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook to get a clear picture of what exactly the spilling chemical is. I will attempt to look at the labels on the drums and match them, if possible, with the guides on the ERG2008. Say I find the match to be a peroxide organic compound, speed becomes necessary given that the chemical is a strong oxidizer and therefore inflammable. The entire plant is in grave danger of catching fire at the slightest presence of heat and hence must be evacuated. The proximity of the chemical to other “flammable” drums complicate the situation further since oxidizers are fire intensifying. After evacuating the building, I will proceed to secure the scene and then wait for reinforcement (ERG, 2008).
The Information Needed. How it is Gathered. And the Instructions Given
The information seriously needed is the nature of the chemical that has spilled. It is this knowledge that will inform our next step. First, it has been identified that the storage is highly inflammable and therefore we minimize chances of heating (Meyer, 2009). We find the punctured drum and record its label; it is this information that we use to identify the chemical correctly. Emergency Response Guide 2008 becomes our invaluable resource for the chemical identification. As the first instruction to the team, I will insist on the necessity of protective clothing before getting to the scene. Secondly, I will highly discourage the touching of the chemical and encourage swiftness in getting the information from the label of the punctured drum. Lastly, I will warn against causing any heat/fire that can cause havoc.
Hazardous Situations Faced by the Team
The most obvious hazardous situation that the team faces when determining the nature of the spillage is the danger of the storage catching fire and being consumed by the conflagration. The chemical is a strong oxidizer and given the flammable nature of the adjacent chemicals, any slightest heat will engulf the building with fire. As an oxidizer, the priority will be to prevent fire by all means because it will be difficult to contain once started thus the destruction of colossal amount of property (Meyer, 2009). After determining the nature of the chemical, the next step will involve how to clear the spillage from the store without interfering with the other unpunctured drums.
Any other Restraint to be Exercised
People without expertise on responding to hazardous chemical situations should be kept at bay to avoid accidents. Only few experts from the team should be allowed to get to the store and find the label of the punctured drum. The reason is to minimize the loss of human life should the storage catch fire.
Advice to Individuals coming to the Scene
The scene will be cordoned off from the reach of individuals who will be coming to the site. Warning signs will be put depicting the site as dangerous and warning people to stay away. Given the high flammability of the chemicals in the storage, it will be imperative to evacuate all the employees from the entire building; no chances will be taken with lives. They will be asked to switch off all the machines that can generate heat, and if possible switch off the power from the main switch. However, the raw materials and other finished products should not be necessarily removed except those around the spillage that may increase the danger of fire breakout. Meanwhile, employees will be asked to stay at a safer distance from the scene and advised against panicking.
Conclusion
It is very important to determine the exact nature of the chemical that spilled in order to apply the appropriate skills and equipment to contain it without causing damage to either people’s lives or property. By securing the scene and putting a cordon around it, I will manage to minimize accidents by allowing people with little or no knowledge on hazardous chemical emergency response to get closer. Assuming that the chemical is a peroxide organic compound, which is a strong oxidizer, extra care is taken to avoid heat that can easily generate uncontrollable conflagration.
References
ERG. 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook: A Guidebook For First Responders During The Initial Phase of A Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident. U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Meyer, E. (2009). Chemistry of Hazardous Materials.5th Edition (pp. 525-658). New York, NY: Prentice Hall.