Interactions of hazardous materials - Essay Example

Interactions of Hazardous Materials No: Interactions of Hazardous Materials According to the given incident, the ‘class 8’ label on the tanker shows that the liquid is corrosive (like sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, Sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide). The NFPA diamond with a 0 at 12 o'clock, shows that the liquid will not catch fire, a 2 at 3 o'clock shows that the liquid will undergo violent chemical change under normal conditions, a 4 at 9 o'clock shows that the liquid is deadly and it should not be inhaled or allowed to touch a body part under any condition.

A slashed W at 6 o'clock depicts that the no water should be allowed to make contact with the chemical under any condition. The chemical will behave violently in contact with water. thus, it is clear from the label that the dripping liquid will nor catch fire but there is a need to maintain a distance between the dripping liquid, as the dripping liquid is vaporizing at normal temperature and pressure and may penetrate into the body through nasal passages and may harm the internal organs like lungs and throat (“NFPA Labeling Guide”).

After viewing the labels and information available on the truck, it is quite clear that the chemical is lethal and probably has an acidic nature. The UN number 1836 identifies that the chemical is ‘Thionyl Chloride’, which is harsh chemical and reacts vigorously in contact with water and alkaline chemicals. The most important step that should be taken before proceeding to the incident is to call the emergency service to reach immediately at the spot and inform them that the liquid is of corrosive nature and they should contain a neutralizer with them.

However, as, the emergency service lacks the suitable equipment to treat such chemical, it is better to contact the company’s emergency team giving then information what type of chemical they should take with them. On the other hand I will use my binoculars to locate an emergency contact number on the truck and inform then about the situation and ask them which type of chemical can be utilized as the neutralizer (United States Department of Labor, n.d.). However, as the equipment I have are only bricks, bags of cement and sand and different prices if wood.

Before proceeding, I will put the mask and safety glasses on my eyes to avoid any irritation. The better way is to put the sand on the dripping liquid as it will work as the absorbent and will reduce the vaporization of the liquid. The farm’s soil may also be utilized to absorb the liquid. There is a need to take serious steps to avoid any further accident at the spot. The equipment that I have bought for the backyard project can be utilized making the traffic away from the spot. The blocks and the pieces of the wood and limber can be utilized to on the road to stop the traffic from to the spot of the accident.

The concrete blocks and timber pieces can be placed vertically on the road to identify that there is some reason for closing the road. On the other hand, police department should be contacted to take control of the situation and properly close the road (United States Department of Labor, n.d). The more important step is to take advantage of the surroundings. Like as, there is field nearby, some materials can be obtained from the field to limit the traffic on the roads. I will advice any driver who wants to reach the spot that he should watch the road carefully and avoid utilizing the air conditioning unit of the vehicle or if there is a of air conditioning indoor air circulation mode should be selected.

This technique would prevent the fumes from entering the vehicle and thus the safety of the person driving the vehicle can be ensured. If the safety team arrives, I will suggest that they should spray water not directly put the water on the liquid. The spray of the water will show down the vaporization of the liquid. I will advice the individuals to stay away from the scene, as the fumes of the liquid can be lethal and may endanger the lives of the individuals. (United States Department of Labor, n.d). I will inform about the situation and inform them that the chemical is Thionyl Chloride that could harm the health share my knowledge with the other respondents coming to the scene, as my knowledge about the scene may influence the thoughts of the respondents and a better strategy can be made by utilizing the strengths and the weaknesses of the location and the available resources.

I will inform that the chemical is dangerous to the health and thus they must bring the oxygen masks with them. The emergency personal must employs the chemical protective suits for their own safety. As, the population of the world is increasing, the traffic on the roads is also increasing. Due to the increase in the traffic, the accidents also increased and thus the influenced many people to learn about the accidental safety and the precautions that would minimize the chance of accidents. However, the important this is accidents but the intensity of some of the accidents.

Some accidents are such intense that many people may be influenced by such accidents. However, having knowledge about the accidental safety is an important thing now a day and there is a need that the safety methods should be made compulsory for the people to learn about. It is better to make it a compulsory subject in junior classes. References “NFPA Labeling Guide” (n.d.). “NFPA Labeling Guide. Retrieved on 23 October 2012 from http://ehs.whoi.edu/ehs/occsafety/NFPALabelingGuide.pdf United States Department of Labor. (n.d.). Accidental Investigation.

Retrieved on 23 October 2012 from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/accidentinvestigation/index.html