Detect the presence of hazardous materials. Begin identification of hazards. Evacuation. Decontamination/personnel protection.

Your first action is to quickly size up the situation and recognize the type and scale of incident you are responding to. If it is a HAZMAT incident, understand the initial scope and degree of hazard. As with any response, as soon as you have sized up the incident, you should activate the response system.

Level 3 incidents can require resources from state and federal agencies and private industry. These incidents generally pose extreme, immediate, and/or long-term risk to the environment and public health. The initial responders to the scene should be alert to signs that hazardous materials are involved.

Type 4. Initial attack or first response to an incident. IC is “hands on” leader and performs all functions of Operations, Logistics, Planning, and Finance. Few resources are used (several individuals or a single strike team) Normally limited to one operational period.

This type of incident extends beyond the capabilities for local control and is expected to go into multiple operational periods. A Type 2 incident may require the response of resources out of area, including regional and/or national resources, to effectively manage the operations, command, and general staffing.

A Level 3 incident involves hazardous materials “beyond the capabilities of a single state or regional response team and requires additional assistance.” These incidents generally pose extreme, immediate, or long-term risk to the environment and public health.

LEVEL 1: A major disaster or imminent threat involving the entire campus and/or surrounding community. Immediate notification mandatory. A timely resolution of disaster conditions requires University-wide cooperation and extensive coordination with external agencies and jurisdictions.

Level 3 means danger is currently affecting your area or is imminent, and you should leave immediately.

3=SERIOUS HAZARD Major injury likely unless prompt action is taken and medical treatment is given.

A chemical hazard rating at the highest level should be given to a room, unless chemicals are present in very small amounts or are present very infrequently. Level 4 – Materials that completely vaporize at normal pressure and temperature and burn readily.

The system uses a color-coded square with four rows in which numbers are used to signal the degree of health hazard, flammability hazard, and reactivity hazard. An asterisk (*) indicates chronic health hazards are associated with the chemical.

Commonly used identification systems that help in recognizing potential chemical hazards are NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) signage and DOT (Department of Transportation) package labels.

In the workplace there are two types of chemical hazards: health hazards and physicochemical hazards.

Some commonly used workplace chemical hazards include: Acids. Caustic substances. Cleaning products such as toilet cleaners, disinfectants, mildew remover and chlorine bleach. Glues.