In Unit IV, the mandated legal requirements and employer responsibilities for responding to a spill of hazardous materials were introduced. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) regulation was introduced. Unit V will expand on the HAZWOPER discussion with a focus on emergency response. The process of developing a written emergency action plan (EAP) that includes the OSHA mandated elements will be explained. These required elements are important to ensure that a comprehensive plan is developed. In this units required reading, Chapter 2 of the textbook, Hazardous Material Spills and Response, the details for spill response will be covered. In the unit journal assignment, you will have the opportunity to discuss your experience with spill response. As you work through the unit material, think about if all the required elements and other spill responsibilities have been included in your previous or current place of employment’s spill response plans.
In preparing spill response plans, hazard assessments serve a critical role. This typically involves the use of a job hazard analysis (JHA). Existing JHAs for job tasks can be utilized to determine what would happen if the hazardous materials used in the workplace were spilled or released into the environment (i.e., the air, water, or soil). These JHAs can be expanded to include the potential adverse effects on people, property, or the environment. The JHA for a spill should use a risk-based approach to determine the probability of that spill or release happening. This process is commonly called a risk assessment. The Study Guide provides example risk assessment matrices that are commonly used for this assessment process. The risk assessment process can be used to rate the risks associated with hazardous materials at a workplace. This information can be valuable when developing a written spill response plan. Hazardous materials with higher risks would be more likely to require full spill response with enhanced protection for the employees, the public, and the environment. Pay close attention to this risk assessment process as it will be needed to complete the unit assignment.
For this assignment, assume you have been given the task of developing a spill response program for Acme Chemical Manufacturing, Inc. The company uses chemicals in large containers to produce specialty chemical blends for clients that they then ship in smaller containers. Using the existing chemical inventory list, you confirm the following hazardous materials are present in the following locations:
Chemical Quantity (Container) Location
Acetone (100%) 10,000 gal. (AST) Building 2
Benzene (100%) 600 gal. (5 plastic totes) Storage Room A
Formaldehyde (100%) 1,000 gal. (AST) Storage Room A
Methanol (100%) 500 gal. (5 gal. bottles) Storage Room A
Sulfuric Acid (70%) 250 gal. (2 plastic totes) Storage Room B
AST=Aboveground storage tank
Building 2 is a 15’ X 15’ building with a concrete floor, CMU block walls, and no drainage that is located adjacent to the main building. Acetone is transferred to the main building through piping. The room has a portable ABC fire extinguisher on the wall.
Storage Room A is a 20’ X 20’ storage room inside the main building. The plastic totes and glass bottles are stored on commercial racks on two separate walls inside the room. The aboveground storage tank (AST) is located in a corner of the room. The room has a concrete floor with CMU block walls and no drainage. There is a diked area around the AST that can hold up to 1,500 gallons of a liquid. The room has three portable ABC fire extinguishers spread throughout the room.
Storage Room B is a 10’ X 10’ storage room in the main building. The room has a concrete floor and CMU walls with no drain. There are no fire extinguishers in the room.
In your written spill response program, address the areas below.
Explain what additional information you would need to perform a risk assessment for the hazardous materials used at the site. Where could you obtain the necessary information?
After obtaining the necessary information, perform a risk assessment for health on each of the hazards using the risk assessment matrix in the unit lesson. Report the numerical score for each hazard.
Discuss which hazard you believe represents the greatest health risk to workers in the area.
Discuss which hazard you believe represents the greatest environmental hazard.
Develop a list of the equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) that you would recommend to be procured and maintained for a spill response for each of the hazards.
Explain why you chose each of the pieces of equipment and PPE and where you would store the equipment and PPE relative to the locations of the hazardous materials.
What level(s) of training do you think would be necessary for members of the spill response team if you were planning to conduct spill response operations with in-house employees?
Your assignment must be at least three pages in length, not counting the title page and references page. You must include at least two academic references to support your assignment. One of the references must be from the CSU Online Library. The following tutorial on How to Research Occupational Safety and Health Topics in the CSU Library may be helpful in your research for this assignment.
Adhere to APA Style when constructing this assignment, including in-text citations and references for all sources that are used.
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