Controlling Pesticide Incidents Part I
Gene Carlson’s Volunteers Corner
The use of pesticides is becoming more and more common in today’s society. This has led to an increasing number of pesticide emergencies. Firefighters responding to such incidents must be prepared to react in a manner that will safely confine the poisonous material and control the situation. This includes:
- Early identification of the substances,
- Taking safety precautions,
- Confining the products,
- Controlling the fire,
- Post-incident operations.
In this month’s column, I will discuss identification and safety precautions. I will address the other three areas in Part II, which will appear in the April issue.
Identification
You can identify the presence of pesticides by taking the following steps: note Department of Transportation (DOT) placards on the outside of vehicles, note DOT labels on boxes or containers, read shipping papers or inventories, obtain Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Registration Numbers, and read the pesticide label on the container.
The label will state the trade name, usually in large print. The ingredient statement will contain the common name or the chemical name. The ingredient statement lists only those items that have pesticidal activity. Thus, inert ingredients that may be flammable or corrosive will NOT be listed, even though they may be of interest to emergency responders. To obtain specific product identification, you can report the EPA Registration Number—with the dashes in place—to the Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (CHEMTREC) or the National Response Center.
Unfortunately, most common reference books do not list many pesticides. In order to obtain detailed information on the product once you have identified it, you must contact the manufacturer or the Pesticide Safety Team Network through CHEMTREC. You could also refer to a Material Safety Data Sheet, if you have one from preincident planning. A good data base is necessary at pesticide fires because of the health hazards involved.
A major problem with identification is that it may be impossible to acquire the necessary information without getting close to the incident. This could be hazardous!
Safety precautions
All safety precautions must be taken around pesticide related incidents. Pesticides can cause health problems when they enter the body by absorption, ingestion, inhalation, or through the eyes. You must consider the safety of all company members when determining the approach and positioning of the apparatus. For example, if you choose a downwind approach, you will have to stop well in advance of the incident and don positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) before you proceed.
At the scene, you must be careful not to drive through or into leaking, spilled, or runoff liquids, or through vapors, gases, or products of combustion. Officers performing size up or reconnaissance (if the apparatus was positioned at a safer distance in order to make a final approach size up) must plan their route so that they avoid direct contact with any liquids, vapors, gases, or smoke.
Driving into the immediate area with the entire company on a potential ignition source (the apparatus) can be a dangerous procedure. It may be much safer for a properly protected team of two firefighters to reconnoiter the incident scene in order to identify the material and obtain other pertinent data about the products, buildings, vehicles, rescue needs, etc.
When you encounter pesticides that are stored in structures, you must take normal fireground safety precautions. Cover all exposed skin and use respiratory protection.
In some cases, additional protection will be required. Because some pesticide products, especially technical grade pesticides, will permeate butyl or man-made rubber, special gloves or boots, such as those constructed of natural latex rubber, or polyethylene, may be necessary. Technical grade pesticides are concentrated and will be diluted before use. They may be present at manufacturing plants, storage locations, or where aerial crop applications are being conducted.
Another problem at these incidents occurs when several pesticide products are mixed together. The resulting vapors, smoke, and runoff create a potentially dangerous situation.
Summary
The safest tactical operation at a pesticide incident may be to do nothing but protect exposed people and property, including all emergency response personnel.
In Part II, I’ll discuss confining the products, controlling the fire, and post-incident operations.
