Ammonia Emergency Response Training
By
Doubl-Kold and PM Hazmat

All classes meet OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 (q) requirements.

Lead instructors: J. Patrick Johnson and Kem Russell, PE

-- Live ammonia release.

Pat is President of PM Hazmat, Inc. and past president and director of ASTI, the Ammonia Safety & Training Institute.  He is a member of the IIAR Safety Task Force, founder of NH3 World Report on the Internet at NH3.org, (changed from NH3.com) and chairman of the Percy R. Johnson International Ammonia Safety Summit.  As an Assistant Chief Training Officer in Hazardous Materials for the Shreveport Fire Department, he was burned 72% of his body in an ammonia explosion on September 17, 1984. Doug Hill of Hill Brother Chemicals and Chief Gary Smith of Watsonville, California, heard about his accident. (Watsonville has over one million pounds of ammonia inside its city limits.)  Together, with Pat, they decided to form a nonprofit organization, ASTI, with the mission that “through training, ammonia would become the safest handled chemical in the world.” After many years dedicated to ASTI, Pat finally resigned to train full-time.

Kem, Vice-President of Engineering for Doubl-Kold, is a graduate of the University of Washington with a BS in Mechanical Engineering.  He has been involved with the design, construction and startup of ammonia industrial refrigeration systems for 35 years.  He has assisted many companies with PSM and RMP requirements. Currently, he is a registered Professional Engineer in eight states; serves on the IIAR Safety Task Force; is a member of RETA; has been a speaker at IIAR and RETA annual meetings and has reviewed numerous technical papers and publications; serves as a member of the Yakima County Local Emergency Planning Committee and is the Associate Technical Editor for the Internet website NH3.org.

Classes:

• 8-Hour Refresher
• 24-Hour Technician Level
• Incident Command System Training

OSHA 29 CFR- 1910.120 (q) Training Requirements

First Responder Awareness Level:

(No specific hours of training are required)

Individuals who are likely to witness or discover a hazardous substance release and who have been trained to initiate an emergency response sequence by notifying the authorities of the release. They would take no further action beyond notifying the authorities of the release.  First responders at the awareness level shall have sufficient training or have had sufficient experience to objectively demonstrate competency in the following areas:

• An understanding of what hazardous substances are, and the risks associated with them in an incident.
• An understanding of the potential outcomes associated with an emergency created when hazardous substances are present.
• The ability to recognize the presence of a hazardous substance in an emergency.
• The ability to identify the hazardous substance, if possible.
• An understanding of the role of first responder awareness individual in the employer’s emergency response plan including site security and control and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Emergency Response Guidebook.
• The ability to realize the need for additional resources, and to make appropriate notifications to the communications center.

First Responder Operations Level:

(8 hours of training or be able to demonstrate competency in the following)

Individuals who respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous substances as part of the initial response to the site for the purpose of protecting nearby persons, property, or the environment for the effects of the release.  They are trained to respond in a defensive fashion without actually trying to stop the release.  Their function is to contain the release from a safe distance, keep it from spreading, and prevent exposures. First responders at the operations level shall have received at least eight hours of training or have had sufficient experience to objectively demonstrate competence in the following areas in addition to those listed for the awareness level and the employer shall so certify:

• Knowledge of basic hazard and risk assessment techniques.
• Know how to select and use proper personal protective equipment provided to the first responder operational level.
• An understanding of basic hazardous materials terms.
• Know how to perform basic control, containment and/or confinement operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective equipment available with their unit.
• Know how to implement basic decontamination procedures.
• An understanding of the relevant standard operating procedures and termination procedures.

Hazardous Materials Technician:

(Shall have received at least 24 hours of training equal to the first responder operations level and in addition have competency in the following areas)

Individuals who respond to releases or potential releases for the purpose of stopping the release. They assume a more aggressive role than the first responder at the operations level in that they will approach the point of release in order to plug, patch or otherwise stop the release of a hazardous substance.  Hazardous materials technicians shall have received at least 24 hours of training equal to the first responder operations level and in addition have competency in the following areas and the employers shall so certify:

• Know how to implement the employer’s emergency response plan.
• Know the classification, identification and verification of known and unknown materials by using field survey instruments and equipment.
• Be able to function within an assigned role in the Incident Command System.
• Know how to select and use proper specialized chemical personal protective equipment provided to the hazardous materials technician.
• Understand hazard risk assessment techniques.
• Be able to perform advance control, containment, and/or confinement operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective equipment available with the unit.
• Understand and implement decontamination procedures.
• Understand termination procedures.
• Understand basic chemical and toxicological terminology behavior.

Hazardous Materials Specialist:

(Shall have received at least 24 hours of training equal to the technician level and in addition have competency in the following areas.)

Individuals who respond with and provide support to hazardous materials technicians. Their duties parallel those of the hazardous materials technician; however, those duties require a more directed or specific knowledge of the various substances they may be called upon to contain. The hazardous materials specialist would also act as the site liaison with Federal, State, Local and other government authorities in regards to site activities.  Hazardous materials specialist shall have received at least 24 hours of training equal to the technician level and in addition have competency in the following areas and the employer shall so certify:

• Know how to implement the local emergency response plan.
• Understand classification, identification and verification of known and unknown materials by using advanced survey instruments and equipment.
• Know the State emergency response plan.
• Be able to select and use proper specialized chemical personal protective equipment provided to the hazardous materials specialist.
• Understand in-depth hazard and risk techniques.
• Be able to perform specialized control, containment and/or confinement operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective equipment available.
• Be able to determine and implement decontamination procedures.
• Have the ability to develop a site safety and control plan.
• Understand chemical, radiological and toxicological terminology and behavior.

On Scene Incident Commander:

Incident Commanders, who will assume control of the incident scene beyond the first responder awareness level, shall receive at least 24 hours of training equal to the first responders operations level and in addition have competency in the following areas and the employer shall so certify:

• Know and be able to implement the employer’s incident command system.
• Know how to implement the employer’s emergency response plan.
• Know and understand the hazards and risks associated with employees working in chemical protective clothing.
• Know how to implement the local emergency response plan.
• Know of the state emergency response plan and of the Federal Regional Response Team.
• Know and understand the importance of decontamination procedures.

Refresher Training:

Those employees who are trained in accordance with paragraph (q)(6) of this section shall receive annual refresher training of sufficient content and duration to maintain their competencies, or shall demonstrate competency in those areas at least yearly.