Module 9: Control Techniques - International Association of Fire ...

Student Text IAFF Training for Hazardous Materials: Technician©
Introduction
Questions
1. What is the difference between “confinement” and
“containment”?
2. What are three ways an overpack drum can be used?
3. Why are frangible disks designed to fail completely at
specified pressures?
You should conduct a hazard analysis at every emergency
response. A hazard analysis helps you determine what, if
any, offensive interventions are needed. At every incident,
your response team should ask:
• What is the product?
• How much is there? (A lot/a little)
• What is it doing? (Leaking product, releasing energy,
stressed?)
• Where is it going?
• How is it getting there? (Airborne, pressure, liquid,
heat, etc.)
• Who or what is threatened? (Responders, public, environment)
• What will happen next? (Nothing? Get worse?)
• What will happen if nothing is done?
• Can we protect the threatened?
• How? (Defensive or offensive?)
• When? (Can we wait?)
• With what? (Do we have the equipment and personnel?)
• At what risk? (Is it worth it?)
Asking the simple question, “What will happen if we do
nothing?” can sometimes save a great amount of risk, cost,
and aggravation. In some cases, no action is the best
action. This is not to say hazardous materials teams should
do nothing, but the idea that offensive actions are always
indicated should be discarded. Instead, determine what
dangers actually exist and balance them against what
actions can be taken to reduce them. The response action
steps outlined in Appendix B and the corresponding forms
will help you balance risk versus benefit.
Module 9: Control Techniques 9-11