11 Air Monitoring And Sampling Flashcards
(71 cards)
What instrument can detect, identify, and measure all hazmat
Not one device can measure all
When can an operations level responder do air monitoring and sampling
With proper training, under direction of hazmat tech or allied pro, or with written sop
Air monitoring can be an important as peck of mitigation, assisting in the following tasks
ID hazards
Determine appropriate ppe, tools, equipment
Determine perimeter and scope of incident
Check effectiveness of defensive ops
Ensure efficacy of Decon
Detecting leaks
Monitor Decon runoff
Instrument reaction time
Elapsed time from air moving into device to reading provided
Monitoring must be done at different levels in the air because
Gasses vary in specific gravity, some lighter or heavier causing sinking or rising
Dose
Quantity of chem ingested or absorbed into body
Concentration
Quantity of chem inhaled, percentage of chem mixed in air or water
Parts per million measures concentration in what mediums
Water or air
Exposure limits may be expressed in terms such as
Threshold limit value TLV
short term exposure limit STEL
threshold limit values ceiling TLV-C
Permissible exposure limit PEL
Concentrations that are high enough to cause serious injury or death are expressed in terms of
IDLH immediately dangerous to life or health
The lower the exposure limit of a chemical…
The potentially more harmful it is
You should be safe from any toxic effects from an exposure if
Your exposure level never exceeds the lowest number indicated. I
What should be monitored for
O2, radiation, corrosives, flammables, oxidizers, explosives, toxics, exothermics
Many detection devices require what to function properly
Sufficient oxygen
It is important to document the detection finding, such as,
Time of reading
Level (height) the reading was taken at
Reading obtained
Instrument used
Issues to consider when selecting monitoring equipment
Mission- rescue or control Suspected hazards involved Portability and user friendliness Instrument reaction time Sensitivity and selectivity- how well and to what degree Calibration Training
Improperly maintained or calibrated instruments are a safety hazard because
Readings may be inaccurate or misleading
Devices should be calibrated, maintained and Deconed according to
Manufacturers directions
All devices and instruments have their strengths and
Limitations
PH should always be one of the first hazards monitored unless specific hazard is known because
A large percentage of hazmat incidents involve corrosives and can damage detection instruments and ppe
PH
Measurement of hydrogen ions in solution indicating strength.
Concentration
Reflects amount of acid or base mixed with water. Higher percentage, higher damage. 95 percent formic acid solution is 95 acid 5 water.
Each who,e ph value below 7 is how many more times acidic than the next highest value
10 times. 4 is 19 times more than 5 and 100 times more than 6
For each whole number above 7 how much more basic is it
10 times more than the previous. 10 is 10 times more than 9, 100 more than 8
