Monday, October 16, 2006

 

 

Salem Fire Department HAZMAT Team Responds to Overturned Trailer on Freeway

(SALEM) - Salem firefighters responded to an unusual call around 7:00 tonight; a travel trailer had overturned on the I-5 at milepost 248 this morning and was still causing a problem.


Early contact with the vehicle made tow truck drivers feel ill according to reports, so they drew back and the trailer was determined to be a possible rolling meth lab.


Chris Riffle of Salem Fire says HAZMAT Team members donned level A HAZMAT suits and entered the overturned travel trailer to check for leaking contents and possible drug production equipment.


She says the trailer overturned early, during morning drive time, detaching from the truck that was towing it during a motor vehicle accident. A local towing company was called to remove the travel trailer from the side of the freeway to the off ramp area. There it sat through the day.

This evening, Oregon State Police called the towing company again to remove the vehicle from the scene. The two drivers from Wiltse's Towing, who were at the scene earlier this morning, reported feeling sick from an odor that was emitted from the vehicle.


That's when the HAZMAT response team was activated, according to Riffle. Salem Fire Department responded with the HAZMAT response vehicle, 3 engines, and a Battalion Chief.


As it turned out, the suspicious travel trailer was eventually determined not to be a drug lab.

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Wednesday, October 11, 2006

 

 

Do You Have The Right Suit?

Have You Got The Right Suit?By: Veronique Schmitt, Area Manager, Tyvek Chemical Protective Clothing, Luxembourg

Whenever there is a risk of exposure to hazardous substances it becomes a question of how to provide workers with appropriate protection that fulfills this universal requirement for 'adequate protection'.
This is not as easy at it might seem. Expert advice is not always instantly available and although specialists generally have a plethora of product information, this has to be assessed within the context of the specific hazard concerned. In practice this simply means that users are simply left to fend for themselves. Confusing and non-comparable product data makes it difficult to make the right choice, particularly when it comes to protective apparel.

This doesn't mean that it can't be done. There are some basic rules and tools which can make choosing protective clothing easier: To read more click here!


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Saturday, October 07, 2006

 

 

HAZMAT Introduction

Since this is a new blog and my first post I thought I would begin with a brief introduction explaing a bit about HAZMAT or hazardous materials.

The term HAZMAT refers to hazardous materials, hazardous materials are toxic chemicals that can cause harm to humans, animals and the environment. Any, compound, element, or combination of, which is flammable, corrosive, explosive, radioactive, an oxidizer, an etiologic agent, or highly reactive, and because of handling, storing processing, or packaging are considered to be hazardous materials and fall under Hazmat Regulations. Such materials are strictly regulated by Government Transportation offices such as DOT.

Some hazardous materials will require the use of Special Permits and Approvals before being transported. A Special Permit or Approval is a document which authorizes a person to perform a function that is currently not authorized under the authority of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) When transporting hazardous materials Hazmat signs or placards are used and usually pertain to vehicle restrictions through tunnels or heavily populated areas where a related incident or spill would have tremendous negative effects to the immediate surroundings. Shields and road signs are also now in place for hazmat preferred routes and banned routes.

When being exposed to and handling hazardous materials protective clothing must be worn. A Hazmat suit is a worn to cover the body completely to provide protection from hazardous materials such as chemical, biological or radioactive materials. Only qualified hazmat personnel are authorized to handle or transport these materials. To become endorsed to handle or transport hazardous materials you must first complete a qualified instructional course such as that provided by The Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)and also pass a rigorous background check.

In today’s ever evolving workplace environment and with the increasing threat of terrorist activity the demand for HAZMAT specialists is increasing. Working in the HAZMAT field can be exciting and rewarding as the pay is great but handling hazardous materials also has a certain degree of danger as well.

For more information on HAZMAT training and regulations you can visit my Hazmat Specialists website