Photos by author
In the municipal fire service, responding to industrial incidents is not very common, as opposed to the everyday calls of medical response, vehicle accidents, automatic alarms, and fires. Private industry is located everywhere, and ranges from small, simple operations to very large and complex operations.
It is amazing to watch how much activity takes place on site as part of the daily operations of manufacturing at these locations. The operations result in increased exposure for potential incidents.
Actions can range from low risk to high risk in terms of injury potential. Considering how often these operations and actions occur, private industry does a good job of ensuring worker safety to reduce the number of injuries. However, sometimes incidents take place where the fire department needs to respond to the site to assist with mitigating the situation. These incidents can include hazardous material (hazmat) spills and leaks. They can also include any of the following:
- Hazmat releases to confined space rescues.
- Structural collapse incidents.
- Trench rescue incidents.
- Underground entrapments.
- Fires in and outside the facility or processing equipment.
- Machinery entrapment.
- Medical services from an industrial accident.
Most private industries will have an on-site emergency response team (ERT) that will respond to assist immediately with the incident but will still require the assistance of the local fire department.
Working Together
The ERT personnel will have limited training alongside limited equipment to start the process of assistance with the local fire department, in hopes that firefighters will have the remaining equipment and experience needed to take over and complete the process. This is where both local fire departments and private industry need to work together to ensure the best possible outcome for both parties. On private industrial sites, many hazards that will not be encountered daily present themselves. Photo 1 demonstrates a few examples of the hazards that may be encountered on site.
On a construction site, unique hazards, such as the protruding rebar sticking up from the ground, present themselves. As they are worked on, they are recessed below grade, which can create a fall hazard from the grade slab to the bottom of the pit and impale a person. The space itself is considered a confined space. This means that all regulatory requirements must be in place for the workers to be there. This will include atmospheric monitoring for any changes in the environment. If there is any hint of a change in normal atmosphere conditions, responding personnel will need to don the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and respiratory protection. The location of the work site presents some hazards as well. Surrounding the pit will be an overhead process, moving machinery around it and beside it. It will be incumbent to shut down this process or operating machinery to remove the hazard.
Machinery
In terms of moving machinery, there may be the possibility of larger mobile vehicles on site. Photo 2 shows a large vehicle next to a regular school bus. Notice how much larger the Caterpillar dump truck is compared to the school bus. Compare that to the people standing beside the tire of the giant Caterpillar dump truck. Drivers of these large vehicles have a hard time seeing smaller vehicles around them, let alone people. If the local fire department is on site, they must take the appropriate precautions of being seen by these larger trucks and work around them.
Photo 3 displays the small repair truck parked right near the large excavator. The scoop shovel is large enough for the repair truck to fit inside. Communications with on-site personnel such as security or the ERT members is required for assistance with shutting down these large machines or stopping the movement of them entirely. Even with the movement shut down, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic hazards still present within these machines. For some of these industrial sites, only electric vehicles, as opposed to fuel-based vehicles will be found operating on-site.
Confined Spaces
In cases of confined-space rescue incidents, hazmat considerations should also be included, depending upon the space in question. As workers enter the space to perform their work, they must be properly dressed in PPE and respiratory protection, with all components fitted and donned correctly. However, there are some instances where this may not be the case.
Use of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
In photo 4, we see a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)-donned on a worker, but the waist belt is not secured properly. If there is one item of the PPE ensemble not correctly donned or fitted, then we must question what else may be present or not present. As a rescue may be initiated to remove this worker, using the SCBA to drag or lift the person may not work due the improperly worn equipment. The SCBA used in the fire service must be compliant with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services, and certified by NIOSH. In the private industrial world, the SCBA being used does not have to meet these standards. This will mean the shoulder straps, waist belt, and other components will not be at the same level of construction in terms of the material and processes used to construct them.
Photo 5 shows an example of hazmat being included in the confined space incident. Most of the confined space entry work is due to maintenance or repairs, and this will involve removing the hazmat that may be present inside the space. The local fire department arriving on scene at an industrial confined space incident needs to be aware of this. If they do not have the required PPE to deal with the present hazmat, then they may expose themselves to the contaminant if contact is made.
The Big Picture
The local ERT team may have effected the rescue prior to the local fire department arriving, as required by legislation, but for the medical response aspect, firefighters will still require the proper PPE. Responding to industrial incidents will vary based on the unique hazards that are present on site. Be sure to liaise and collaborate with on-site personnel to effectively neutralize and remove hazards.
Mark van der Feyst has been in the fire service since 1999 and is a firefighter with the Fort Gratiot (MI) Fire Department. He is an international instructor teaching in Canada, the United States, and India, and at FDIC. He is also the lead author of Residential Fire Rescue (Fire Engineering Books & Video). He can be contacted at Mark@FireStarTraining.com.
