HAZWOPER 29 CFR 1910.120 By Lynn Reese and Gina K. Brooks

1. HAZWOPER 29 CFR 1910.120By Lynn Reese and Gina K. Brooks The Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response standard apply to three groups of workers. The standard is set up in paragraph (a) thru (q) • Paragraph (a) Scope, application and definitions • (b)-(o) Government body clean-up operations, RCRA corrective action clean-up operations, Voluntary clean-up operations. • (p) Treatment, Storage, & Disposal facility • (q) Emergency Response Operations

2. Activities that are required when responding to incidents can be divided into five broad, interacting elements. • Recognition Identification of the substance involved and the characteristics which determine its degree of hazard. • Evaluation Impact or risk the substance poses to the worker, public health and the environment. • Control Methods to eliminate or reduce the impact of the incident. • Information Knowledge gained about the conditions or circumstances particular to an incident. Information is often times called intelligence. In a response you gather intelligence and disseminate it. • Safety Protection of responders from harm.

3. RECOGNITION INFORMATION EVALUATION SAFETY CONTROL

4. Response System Hazards • Toxic Hazards • Fire and Explosion Hazards • Corrosive Hazards • Chemical Reactivity • Safety Hazards • Biological Hazards • Radiation Hazards

5. Hazards Effects Toxic materials cause local or systemic detrimental effects in an organism. Exposure to such materials does not always result in death although that is often the most immediate concern. The effects experienced by an organism depends on: (1) the inherent toxicity of the material itself; (2) the magnitude of the exposure (acute or chronic) and ; (3) the route of exposure (ingestion, inhalation, skin absorption).

6. Fire and Explosion Hazards Combustibility is the ability of a material to act as a fuel. Three components are required for combustion to occur: fuel, oxygen, and heat. At a hazardous material incident, the first two are not easily controlled. Consequently, while working on-site where a fire hazard may be present, the concentration of combustible gases in air must be monitored, and any potential ignition source must be kept out of the area.

7. Corrosive Hazards Corrosion is a process of material degradation. Upon contact, a corrosive material may destroy body tissues, metals, plastics and other materials. The pH scale range from 0 to 14 as follows: <Increasing Acidity Neutral Increasing Basicity> 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Measurements of pH are valuable because they can be quickly done on-site, providing immediate information on the corrosive hazard.

8. Chemical Reactivity • A Chemical Reaction is the interaction of two or more substances, resulting in chemical changes. Exothermic chemical reaction, which give off heat, can be the most dangerous. A separate source of heat is required to maintain endothermic chemical reaction. Removing the heat source stops the reaction. • Chemical reactions usually occur in one of the following ways: • Combination A + B > AB • Decomposition AB > A + B • Single Replacement A + BC > B + AC • Double Replacement AB + CD > AD + CB

9. Safety Hazards • Kinetic / Mechanical • Generally referred to as “slip-trip-fall” type injuries, the kinetic/mechanical category includes “struck-by” injuries along with the “striking” injuries. • Electrical • Ways for protecting personnel from shock are: • Grounding equipment • Using double-insulated tools • Having overcurrent devices • Acoustic • Excessive acoustic energy can destroy the ability to hear and may also put stress on other parts of the body, including the heart.

10. Biological Hazards • Animal bites/strings, contact with plants and microbes, and exposure to medical/infections wastes are examples of biological hazards that response personnel may encounter. • Animal bites or stings are usually nuisances (localized swelling, itching and minor pain) that can be handled by first aid. • Toxic effects from plants are generally due to ingestion of nuts, fruits, or leaves. Of more concern to response personnel are certain plants, including poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac, which produce adverse effects from direct contact. • Microbial hazards can occur when the materials the workers are handling have biological as well as chemical contamination. • Medical/infectious wastes include blood born pathogens on a hazardous waste site one must address proper engineering controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment to reduce the risk of contact with blood born pathogens.

11. Radiation Hazards Unlike many hazardous substances that possess certain properties which can alert response personnel to over-exposures (Odor, irritation, or taste), radiation has no such warning properties. Therefore, preventing radiation material from entering the body or protecting against external radiation is the best protection. As with biological and chemical hazards, the use of respiratory and personnel protective equipment, coupled with scrupulous personal hygiene, will afford good protection against radioactive particulates.