CHEMICAL SPILLS- BOILER PLANT
HAZWOPER PLAN
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Departments storing and using hazardous chemicals are responsible for the safe containment of those materials. Every effort should be made to prevent an accidental spill or release of a hazardous chemical. Personnel should be properly trained, procedures developed, and appropriate emergency equipment provided. Failure to incorporate preventive measures may result in the university becoming liable for emergency management and decontamination expenses associated with a hazardous material release incident. Environmental contamination can bring EPA citations and penalties for the university and individuals. All personnel working with hazardous chemicals at the boiler plant and emergency personnel should be familiar with this plan.
2.0 SCOPE
These procedures are designed to minimize hazards to human health, property, and the environment from unplanned releases of hazardous chemicals at the Boiler Plant. This plan is in compliance with OSHAs HAZWOPER regulations (1910.120).
3.0 AVAILABILITY
The plan is kept in the Boiler Plant and in the Safety Office. Copies will be made available to employees within 15 days of a request.
4.0 MAJOR SPILLS
Initial Response & Notification
1. Any incident which could endanger personnel, property, or the environment should be treated as a major spill. If you are unsure about the severity of the spill or the hazards are unknown, treat it as a major spill. In addition, any fires involving hazardous chemicals or spills that cause any injury such as unconsciousness should be considered a major spill.
2. The following are examples of spills that should be considered major:
| Type of spill | Amount | Examples |
| Extremely flammable liquids (flash point <0 F) | > 1 pint | ethyl ether |
| Flammable liquids (flash point <100 F) | > 1 quart | toluene |
| Combustible liquids ( flash point >100 F) | > 1 quart | mineral spirits |
| Highly toxic liquids | > 1 pint | acrylonitrile |
| Toxic liquids | > 1 quart | ammonia |
| Concentrated acids | > 1 gallon | sulfuric acid |
| Concentrated alkalis | > 1 gallon | lye solution |
| Concentrated Hydrofluoric Acid | any amount | Hydrofluoric Acid |
| Poisonous, reactive materials | any amount | cyanides, sulfides |
| Oxidizing agents | > 1 pound | concentrated nitric acid |
| Leaks from gas cylinders | uncontrolled | chlorine, acetylene |
3. Do not attempt to clean up a major spill. Only individuals who have received the 40-hour HAZWOPER training course and are part of an emergency response team should clean up major spills.
4. If flammable or combustible liquids are spilled, immediately turn off all sources of ignition.
5. Evacuate persons in the immediate vicinity of the spill. If occupants in the building are in danger, activate the air horn to evacuate the building. Evacuate to an upwind location for toxic gases. Assemble in a designated area well away from the building. Distances from the building will be determined from the DOT Emergency Response Guidebook based upon the type of spilled material. Individuals trained to at least the first responder operations level (Level II) will determine the evacuation distance.
6. Report the spill to the University Police Department. The Police Department will call the Safety Manager. If appropriate, the Police Department will also call the Vice President for Business Affairs, Assistant Vice President for Communications, and the Assistant Vice President for Facilities. If deemed appropriate, the Vice President for Business Affairs will notify the President.
7. Provide the following information and wait in a safe place for emergency personnel to arrive and direct them to the spill:
8. If you have been properly trained (at least Level III training ) and can do so without putting yourself in danger, don appropriate PPE and attempt to stop the leak or reduce contamination by quickly doing the following:
9. The Safety Office will obtain the MSDS during normal hours if the identity of the spill is known. The Police Department will obtain the MSDS after hours.
10. A Police Officer will proceed to the site and cautiously evaluate the situation while waiting for the Safety Manager. The officer will evacuate the building if there is clear danger to the occupants of the building. If the spill is clearly beyond the capabilities of the university to handle, the Police Officer will immediately call the Radford City Fire Department.
11. The Safety Office and Police Department will evaluate the hazards. The Safety Office will attempt to clean up the spill if it is within the capabilities of university personnel. Safety Office personnel will wear proper personal protective equipment based on the nature of the spill.
12. If the Safety Office cannot handle the spill, they will call the Radford City Fire Department and a spill response contractor.
13. The Safety Office will notify the City of Radford and Pepper's Ferry Treatment Authority as soon as possible, but within four hours, of an accidental discharge into the sanitary sewer system. This notification will include the location, type of waste, concentration and volume, and corrective actions being taken. A written report will be submitted within five days describing the incident and the measures taken to prevent a future occurrence.
Specific Emergency Procedures
1. The Police Director is the Campus Emergency Coordinator and has overall responsibility at the spill site until the arrival of the Fire Chief. The Police Director will ensure that appropriate emergency responders have been called.
2. The Chief of the Radford City Fire Department or his designate will be the initial senior emergency response official at the scene and direct the clean-up operation.
3. Until the arrival of the Fire Chief, the Safety Manager will serve as the Incident Commander for a hazardous chemical spill. The Safety Manager will also serve as the safety official at the site and will be familiar with the emergency plan, facilities, emergency equipment, hazardous materials, storage sites, and records. The Safety Manager has the authority to stop operations that pose an immediate threat to lives, property, or the environment.
4. The following monitoring equipment is available to the Safety Manager to take air samples to assess the spill and determine proper respiratory protection if needed:
5. The Radford City Fire Department in cooperation with university personnel will assess the severity of the spill, level of personal protective equipment needed, and implement appropriate emergency operations. If necessary, assistance will be requested from:
6. An evacuation of a building or the university may be ordered by the Fire Chief or the University Police Director. The evacuation plan for the university is in the Emergency Response Plan. Safe distances from the building will be determined from the ERG based on the material spilled. Safe distances will be determined by an individual trained to at least the first responder operations level (Level II).
7. Site security and crowd control to prevent entry into the hot zone will be provided by the Radford University Police Department.
8. Assistance with university facilities and equipment will be provided by Facilities Management.
9. As other emergency response teams arrive, the most senior emergency response official at the site will be in charge. All emergency responders and operations will be coordinated through this individual.
10. Spills requiring Level A or B protection will be handled by an outside hazardous materials team. SCBAs and chemical resistant suits will be worn. Spills requiring Level C or D protection may be handled by properly trained individuals from the Fire Department or Radford University. Proper PPE will be worn. The Personal Protective Equipment Program for the university is in the Appendices. Operations in hazardous areas will be performed using a buddy system.
11. Victims of a chemical spill will be taken to Radford Community Hospital.
12. Emergency medical treatment will be provided by the Radford Community Hospital EMS squad. First aid for emergency responders will be provided by Radford University Emergency Services (RUEMS).
13. Decontamination of victims, equipment, and emergency responders will be performed under the supervision of the Safety Manager in cooperation with the Fire Department and outside contractors. Individuals performing decontamination will wear proper PPE and be trained in decontamination procedures. PPE will be at the same level or one level below the emergency responders. Decontamination equipment is stored in the paint room next to the Allen Building.
14. The Safety Office will notify the National Response Center if a reportable quantity is released and file a report with the Department of Environmental Quality if required.
15. Immediately after the emergency, the Safety Office will ensure that recovered waste and contaminated materials are properly disposed.
16. Within a week of the incident the Safety Office will contact all parties involved in the incident and critique the emergency response. Necessary changes will be made to the plan.
5.0 MINOR SPILLS
Initial Response and Notification
1. Spills that can be cleaned up by personnel on the spot are minor spills. Minor spills are releases of low toxicity liquids or solids not generating dangerous gases or fumes, e.g., small acid and solvent spills, hydraulic fluids, fuel oils, etc. Minor spills are limited in quantity and pose no emergency or significant threat to the safety and health of employees.
2. Notify persons in the immediate area and prevent access to the spill if possible. Evacuate persons in the immediate vicinity of the spill if they are in danger.
3. If flammable or combustible liquids are spilled, immediately turn off all sources of ignition.
4. Avoid breathing vapors from the spill.
5. Contact the Safety Office if assistance is needed in cleaning up the spill.
Specific Emergency Procedures
1. Determine the chemical name of the spilled material by checking labels and shipping papers. Obtain the MSDS and identify the hazards associated with the spill. Is it flammable, combustible, reactive, toxic, corrosive, or an oxidizing agent?
2. Do not touch spilled materials. Consult the MSDS. Wear appropriate gloves, eye protection, and protective clothing if necessary. For concentrated acids and alkalis, a face shield is needed in addition to goggles. Wear an air-purifying respirator if hazardous gases, fumes, or dusts are present that are within the range of protection of the respirator. Ensure that proper cartridges are used. Anyone who wears an air-purifying respirator must be properly trained and medically evaluated.
3. Stop the leak at the source and try to prevent the spill from spreading. Prevent the spill from entering drains or leaking onto the ground. Upright overturned containers. Turn the container so that a hole points up. Transfer liquids from leaking containers to new ones. Plug or patch a leaking drum. Surround the spill with an inert absorbent such as vermiculite or spill booms.
4. Absorb small spills of acids, caustics, solvents, oil, and aqueous solutions with paper towels, spill pads, or spill control pillows. Paper towels should not be used for more than tiny amounts of volatile liquids because the paper will aid evaporation. Using tongs, carefully place the towels, pads, or pillows onto the spill. Pick up flammable liquid spill control materials using sparkproof tools (e.g. plastic, aluminum). Carefully pick up the saturated material with a scoop or tongs, place in a plastic bag, label, and dispose as hazardous waste. Keep oxidizers away from combustible materials (wood, paper towels, oil, etc.).
5. For a large liquid spill, use a squeegee to bring the liquid into contact with absorbents. Always work toward the center of the spill. If an absorbent is not readily available, cover the spill with a plastic sheet to reduce vaporization.
6. Carefully push solids into a pile with a plastic scraper. Brushes and brooms may create an unacceptable dust hazard and should be used with caution.
7. Acid and base residues that were not absorbed by the vermiculite or spill pillows should be removed with neutralizers. Small acid spills can be neutralized with sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate and alkali spills with sodium bisulfate, citric acid or vinegar. Commercial adsorbent spill control materials can also be used. Wash the contaminated area with soap and water to remove any remaining residues.
6.0 TRAINING
1. All individuals involved in the management of hazardous chemicals at the boiler plant will be trained in the proper handling of chemical spills and emergency procedures. The Safety Manager and the Environmental Inspector will receive OSHAs 40-hour HAZWOPER training class. Boiler Plant operators who may take limited action to prevent a spill from getting worse, e.g., shutting off a valve, will receive at least 24 hours of training at the hazardous materials technician level (Level III). Radford University Police Officers will be trained to at least the first responder awareness level (Level I).
2. In-house training at the awareness level is conducted by the Safety Manager. Training beyond the awareness level will be conducted by the Safety Manager or by qualified individuals located outside the university.
3. Individuals handling minor spills of hazardous chemicals will be properly trained in spill procedures by the Safety Manager per the requirements of the Hazard Communication Standard.
4. All employees trained in emergency response will receive annually retraining. Retraining will be performed by the Safety Manager or other qualified individual.
5. All training records are kept in the Safety Office.
7.0 MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE
1. Members of the chemical emergency response team on campus will be enrolled in a Medical Surveillance Program. Medical examinations will be given prior to assignment and every year thereafter at no cost to the employee. An examination will be given upon termination if the employee has not had an examination within the last six months. Members of the team will be trained to the first responder specialist level or receive the 40-hour HAZWOPER course.
2. Medical examinations will include a medical and work history with special emphasis on symptoms related to the handling of hazardous materials and to fitness for duty including the ability to wear PPE. The content of the medical examinations shall be determined by the physician.
3. The following information will be provided to the physician:
4. A copy of the physicians written opinion will be furnished to the employee. The written opinion will contain the following:
5. The written opinion shall not contain specific findings or diagnoses unrelated to occupational exposure.
6. Individuals trained to the first responder awareness level, operations level, or the technician level will not be enrolled in the Medical Surveillance Program.
7. Any emergency response employee who exhibit symptoms which may have resulted from exposure to hazardous substances during the course of or after the emergency will be provided with medical consultation at no cost to the employee.
8. Medical Surveillance records will be kept in the Safety Office.
8.0 DRILLS
1. Evacuation drills are conducted yearly at the Boiler Plant under the supervision of the Safety Manager. Evacuation routes are blocked to test employee response to alternate routes. Employees meet in a designated area and a roll call is taken. The roll call will be compared to the work schedule that is kept in the Safety Office to ensure that all occupants have evacuated.
2. Tabletop exercises are conducted every two years at the Boiler Plant under the supervision of the Safety Manager. Spill release scenarios and appropriate emergency response actions are discussed. Appropriate changes to the Emergency Response Plan are made by the Safety Manager.
3. All records of drills are kept in the Safety Office.
9.0 HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS ON SITE
Aboveground Storage Tanks (ASTs)
Two ATSs are located behind the boiler plant approximately fifty feet from the railroad tracks.
The two boiler ASTs contain 50,000 gallons each of fuel oil #2. The boiler tanks are double lined and have a pad catchment basin and an oil/water separator. The fueling pad catchment basin also has an oil/water separator. In addition, the tanks have a high-level switch that closes the flow control valve and shuts down the pump when activated. Each tank is surrounded by a secondary containment structure that has a capacity of 55,000 gallons.
Flammable Storage Room
The flammable storage room is located on the west side of the boiler plant adjacent to the main building. The following chemicals are stored in the building:
Chemical Storage Room
The chemical storage room is located in the main building. The following chemicals are stored in this room:
10.0 SPILL CONTROL EQUIPMENT
The following equipment is available for handling chemical spills:
Facilities Management
Safety Office ( emergency response van)
Boiler Plant