INTRODUCTION: The following is a description of the basic process to respond to a
hazardous materials incident. For the scenarios that follow, this process is repeated with
variations in types of chemicals, with emphasis on different parts of the response
depending on the scenario. For example, one scenario might focus on what type of PPE
to use, whereas another might focus on how to control a spill. Most scenarios include
several of these steps in varying combinations.
THE NINE TASKS OF CHEMICAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE
1. Detect the presence of hazardous materials using:
 container condition
 container markings
 DOT hazard placards/labels/markings
 Manufacturer’s hazcom labels
 NFPA labels
2. Collect hazard information using:
 Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
 North American Emergency Response guide (DOT ER guidebook)
 NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
3. Initiate protective actions:
 notify
 isolate
 evacuate or shelter-in-place
 use PPE
4. Analyze the incident by:
 evaluating the hazard
 predicting behavior of the hazard
 estimating harm of the hazard
5. Plan defensive actions by using:
 decontamination
 spill control tactics
 site control
6. Implement defensive actions by using:
 PPE
 Hazard monitoring
7. Implement offensive actions by:
 plugging leaks/rendering containers safe
 overpacking containers
8. Establish an incident command system
9. Terminate the incident
SAMPLE SCENARIOS FOR VIRTUAL HEROES DESIGN
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Explosive/combustible chemical
Can’t see (or smell) release but co-worker (NPC) is passed out
Water reactive chemical and fire: how to put out fire without aggravating
water reactive chemical release.
Corrosive Chemical: select appropriate PPE and contain release
Release of chemical from container but there are no DOT or NFPA markings
visible on container. Container does have chemical name on it, player has to
determine what it is and what are related hazards, how to contain, PPE, etc.
Scenario #1
Summary: Explosive/combustible chemical
Chemical:
Aluminum Powder
Goal: select PPE and contain the release without creating the potential for an
explosion.
The player character enters a warehouse and notices a 55-gallon drum with these
markings on it:
In this scenario and for others with drums, there should be many drums shown with
all but one unmarked, or they could have labels on them but no printing, so the
player knows to focus on the drum with the labels being used for this particular
scenario. The drum with the labeling should be shown in a more prominent position
than the others with the labels/markings clearly visible.
Example of 55 gallon drum:
The drum with the labels shown above has a leak. The scenario should show some
material (solid, in powder or granulated form) leaking from a rupture in the drum,
spilling onto the floor.
The player needs to decide the following: what sort of personal protective
equipment (PPE) to put on before approaching the leaking drum and how to
control/contain the leak. The player should be able to select from some choices of
both PPE and equipment for controlling and containing the leak.
The PPE available to choose from should include the following: chemical resistant
gloves, chemical safety goggles, splash suit (these 3 are the correct PPE). Since it
could be argued that is always OK to go to a higher level of PPE just to be safe, I
think the incorrect answers should represent lower levels of PPE such as nitrile
(synthetic latex) or latex gloves (not chemical resistant), boot covers (OK to use in
conjunction with the chemical resistant gloves and protective eyewear but not by
itself), and/or hard hat. If player does not select the correct option, this results in a
decrease in the player’s health gauge, or results in player getting some sort of
notification of incorrect response and then they are given the option to try again.
Spill-control equipment to choose from should include: spark-proof shovels, regular
(non spark proof) tools, water (represented as a hose?), and broom. The correct
selection is spark-proof tools and broom. Selection of incorrect items results in same
as described above for PPE selection. Spark proof tools do not look any different
from non-spark proof tools so the spark proof tools will have to be labeled to
indicate the difference.
Examples of PPE:
Chemical Resistant Gloves
Goggles
Splash Suit
Chemical Splash
Nitrile Gloves
Boot Covers
Hard Hat
Examples of Clean-up/Decontamination Equipment:
push broom
spark proof (brass)
shovel
(polypropylene or natural bristle)
Scenario #2
Summary:
Can’t see (or smell) release but co-worker (NPC) is passed out
Chemical:
Hydrogen Sulfide gas
Goal:
enter the warehouse in a safe manner to assist a disabled co-worker
Player enters a warehouse with various 55-gallon drums and compressed gas
cylinders visible. One of the cylinders is marked with the following (important that
it is a cylinder, not a drum, because hydrogen sulfide is a gas and would not be in a
drum):
Example of compressed gas cylinder:
There are no visible ruptures or leaks or damage to any drums or cylinders. The
Player needs to be told somehow (through an NPC or through instructions in the
game) that there is a rotten-egg odor in the warehouse and a leak is suspected. The
player should be able to see the markings on the cylinder and take the cue of the
rotten egg odor to suggest that the leak is from the cylinder. If a rupture to the
cylinder (valve) can be illustrated, that would be fine, but realistically you would
probably not be able to see gas leaking from a compressed gas cylinder.
When the player moves into the room a bit or when he first walks in, he sees an
unconscious NPC (coworker). Player must decide how to proceed to help NPC and
find cause of odor/unconscious coworker. Player should have options on how to
proceed: they can enter to check on coworker without doing anything else which
will result in failure/lowering of health gauge or failure of the mission. They can
select PPE which should include a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Other
options that should be available to select from should include: half-mask air
purifying respirator, face shield, safety goggles (these answers are incorrect because
they do not offer enough protection from the poison gas). Once the player makes the
correct PPE selection there should be some indication that they were able to assist
the unconscious person and that they both got out safely.
Examples of PPE:
SCBA
Face Shield
Safety Glasses
Scenario #3
Summary:
Water reactive chemical and fire
Chemical:
Acetic Anhydride (corrosive liquid, water reactive)
Goal:
put out a fire without aggravating the water reactive chemical
Player enters warehouse and sees two things: a leaking drum with these labels:
and a small fire. There should also be a W with a line through it in the white section of
the diamond.
Example of NFPA water reactive symbol (the white diamond in the bottom section with
the w is the water reactive symbol. In this particular scenario it would go into the NFPA
marking shown above with the 2 in the upper red portion):
Might also need to include “liquid” with the Corrosive label, unless the spill can be
clearly represented as a liquid.
The player also sees a fire in the same area. The drum containing the acetic anhydride
should not be on fire, but the fire should be close to the leak.
The player needs to control the small fire without aggravating the water reactive
properties of the chemical. The fire should be small (manageable), it should be something
that a non-firefighter would be able to contain. The player does not need to select from
PPE this time, although it could be included. The focus should be on what to do to put
out the fire without creating a more hazardous situation. The player should be given a
selection of options or tools to control the fire. There should also be an NPC to tell the
player to put out the fire and contain the release. The correct option is dry chemical
powder (fire extinguisher). Other (incorrect) options of tools available to control the fire
could be: hose, bucket of water, chemical sorbent material. After the player controls the
fire, they need to contain the release of the corrosive chemical. They should be given
some options of methods to control/contain the release: water spray (incorrect because
chemical is water reactive), shovel (this won’t work because it is a liquid) and sorbent
material (correct).
Example of sorbent material:
sorbent pad
Scenario #4
Summary:
Corrosive Chemical
Chemical:
Sodium Hydroxide. Class 8 Corrosive. Chemical is also water reactive.
Goal:
Select PPE and contain release
Player enters warehouse and sees 55 gallon drum with Corrosive label, also NFPA label
with water reactive marking for special handling (see example of water reactive marking
above in scenario 3). Drum has a puncture in it and is leaking a dry (pellet form)
chemical. Player must select appropriate PPE. Selection should include chemical
resistant gloves. If player does not select chemical resistant gloves, they will get burns to
their skin which will result in failure of the mission or their health gauge being lowered.
The second task is to make the correct decision for containment of the release. The
correct response is to sweep up the spill, and put the damaged container into a non-metal
overpack drum. The chemical that has been swept up should be disposed of as waste and
not placed back into the 55 gallon container. The 4 parts of the containment process for
this incident are: sweep up waste, put damaged container into non-metal overpack drum,
package contaminated waste from spill in non-metal container and dispose of as
hazardous waste. I don’t think this scenario needs to allow the player to select all 4 of
these….perhaps after the player selects the correct response of sweeping up the spill there
can be some text or message from an NPC to indicate that the spilled material was
disposed of as hazardous waste.
Example of non-metal overpack drum:
Scenario #5
Summary:
Chemical spill from drum with no DOT or NFPA markings.
Chemical:
Creosote oil
Goal:
determine hazards of chemical and associated control and containment
procedures from an MSDS
Player enters a warehouse and sees a 55 gallon drum with a leak (liquid). However, this
drum is not labeled with DOT or NFPA markings. The drum is marked with a chemical
name only. The player will need to look up the chemical in the Emergency Response
Guidebook or use a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to determine the correct PPE to
wear and correct method of containment to avoid hazards. This could be done in the
game by having an NPC tell the player that he already got the MSDS, maybe in response
to the player asking the NPC a question. The NPC can say they got the MSDS from the
warehouse office. The goal needs to be that the player has to figure out that they need to
obtain information about the chemical in another way than just reading the placarding.
Maybe there can be a few options of questions the player can ask/say. For example, “Do
you have the material safety data sheet?”, “we shouldn’t do anything because we don’t
have any way of knowing what this is”, “we should sweep up the spill and put it back in
the drum”, etc. If the player selects the MSDS question, then the NPC can provide the
player with information about the chemical such as hazard class, health & flammability
ratings, etc. The NPC should tell the player that creosote is a Class 9 Hazardous
Substance. The NFPA ratings are: Health 2, Fire 1, Reactivity 1. (would it be possible
to have some information from a generic MSDS for creosote appear in the game?) The
basic information that I would like to appear is as follows:
“Creosote is a brown to black oily liquid with a smoky odor. Vapor causes moderate to
severe irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract. Liquid can cause burning
and itching of the skin. Class 9 Hazardous Material. NFPA rating: Health 2 Fire 1
Reactivity 1. Wear long sleeves and non-porous gloves (neoprene, butyl rubber, nitrile,
etc.) Use safety glasses, goggles and/or face shield. Avoid skin contact when possible.
Store in closed containers. Avoid exposure to extreme heat. Contain the spill or leak
with solids such as sand, earth, etc.”
The player would then know how to contain the release and what type of PPE to wear.
The player would need to select PPE (gloves, eye goggles) and select how to contain the
leak (options could include some wrong answers such as: sweep up spill (can’t do this
because it is a liquid), dilute spill with water and hose off area, contain spill with sand
and dispose of as hazardous waste (this being the correct answer).