Article Critique: Hazardous Materials - Essay Example

These include location and site occupancy; placards, labels, and other markings on the mode of transportation, buildings, and containers; as well as information about the physical and chemical properties. All this information provides HAZMAT professionals with knowledge and guidance in the handling of hazardous materials and in responding to HAZMAT incidents. Finally, the article tackles personal protective equipment or PPE’s which helps reduce risks from hazardous materials encountered by HAZMAT professionals.

Implications for the Emergency Responder All the initial information provided in the article should be well-known to the emergency responder of incidents involving hazardous materials. Moreover, all the inputs provided by the article should be further studied by individuals who deal with these materials. Lack of appropriate knowledge about hazardous materials not only runs the risk of exacerbating the incident but also fatal risks for HAZMAT professionals. They should be well-versed in the laws and regulations concerning such materials to be able to prevent untoward incidents.

Emergency responders should also be able to recognize the presence of these materials and must know how to safely handle them. Additionally, in responding to emergency situations involving hazardous materials, HAZMAT professionals should be equipped with appropriate PPEs and should be well-trained in their use. Key Points The key points presented by the article are laws and regulations covering hazardous materials, sources of information for the recognition of hazardous materials personal protective equipment to be used by HAZMAT professionals when handling hazardous materials.

The article provides an introduction to laws, regulations, and regulating bodies concerned with hazardous materials. It gives examples of regulating bodies such as the EPA, OSHA, DOT, and NFPA; as well as examples of regulation such as SARA-EPCRA, HAZWOPER, and NFPA standards. Even from the examples presented, the reader is made to realize that many entities are concerned with safety as related to hazardous materials. Although the examples are not explained at length, mere mention provides the interested reader with a take-off point for further research.

In a similar manner, the article also provides sources of information for the recognition of hazardous materials and potential threats, as well as introductory information regarding PPEs. It identifies some professional organizations such as the ICC, BOCA, ICBO, and SBCCI for placards, labels, and markings for hazardous materials. It also very briefly touches on the roles of the DOT, the NFPA, the military, OSHA, NRC, and CHEMTREC. Summary On overall, the article provides very valuable introductory information about hazardous materials, which should be very useful albeit confusing to the HAZMAT professional.

In this author’s opinion, the article is an eye-opener for cursory readers, as well as a good source of introductory information for those interested in hazardous materials, as well as those who may want to start a career as HAZMAT professionals.