The Emergency Response Guide, Essay Example

When driving, I regularly encountered placards from tralers that were listed as “Explosives 1.1”, “Flammable Gas 2”, “Gasoline 3”, “Radioactive 7”, and “Corrosive 8”. Ultimately, these placards are utilized to inform drivers and the members of the highway patrol what freight is being contained within these cargo trucks. This information is important for the safety of every individual on the road, because the driver of certain types of freight are required to avoid particular roads in order to mimize the imapct that a spill of these contents could have on the surrounding area. As a consequence, it is also important for the driver to be well aware of the hazards that his or her trucks contain.

“Explosives 1.1” indicates that there is a hazard of explosion. Therefore, to prevent a safety problem, it is important to keep these materials in trucks with regulated temperature to prevent against combustion. “Flammable Gas 2” must be stored similarly. Furthermore, it is important to cut this gas off from an oxygen supply, which would be necessary for it to ignite. “Gasoline 3” indicates a flammable liquid, rather than gas, and should be stored similarly to the flammable gas. “Radioactive 7” materials should be stored in metal carriers to prevent the radiation from being able to make contact with the driver or the other people on the road. Last, “Corrosive 8” should be shipped in a manner that prevents the chemicals from mixing.

To help rectify a hazardous situation, it is necessary to have chemical and regular fire extinguishers ready to address explosives and flammable cargo. In addition, PPE is needed when handling the cleanup of radioactive wastes, particularly in a manner that creates a glass or plastic shield. Last, corrosive materials can be handled by completing a neturalization reaction with eitehr a strong acid or base.

References

US DOT Hazmat Placards. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/hazmat/placards/