HAZWOPER Emergency Response Checklist
Initial notification
___Clear arrival report specifying chemical (with correct spelling),
chemical actions, volume, location, injuries and potential harm (property
damage, critical systems, environmental), person reporting
___Leak continuous?
___Administrators/supervisors advised
___Report of release recorded
___Release constitute RQ?
___Report release to appropriate federal, state and local authorities within
specified timeframe
___Call 911 if release is reportable or it poses or could pose a threat to
the public
Initial scene management
___Area of hazard identified or estimated (guidance)
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immediate spill area
areas of visible product, contamination, gases or vapors
areas where odors are detectable
areas where sounds such as hissing, reactions or other related
sounds can be detected
factor in volume released or potentially released and severity of
hazards
preliminary guidance from current edition of Emergency Response
Guidebook, risk management plans, process safety analyses or
other emergency planning documents
___Hazardous area adequately identified by banner tape or other means
___Entry into hazard area restricted
___Checks made to determine if there have been any injuries or
exposures and to ensure appropriate care
___Determine sufficiency of available resources and request additional
resources as needed. Allow for travel time to your site
___Hazardous area communicated to affected individuals nearby
___Steps taken to remove all individuals from hazardous or potentially
hazardous areas
___Emergency responders informed of hazardous area location and
safest route of access (upwind/uphill from release, a safe distance and
avoiding areas where released materials my have been tracked or wind
currents have eddied airborne releases)
___Location of hazardous area communicated to administrators and/or
supervisors
RESOURCE GROUP
___Communication of threat relayed to the public in a timely manner
___Public communications adequate, clear and regular
___Public communications taken over by PIO
Establish incident command on the incident scene
___Report by designated communication medium status of emergency to
other emergency response or emergency management personnel (name
and volume of chemical; actions of chemical; deaths or injuries; path of
release travel and threat to people, facilities or the environment)
___Recommend initial mitigation actions
___Recommend safe access routes for responders
___Announce command
“This is ________________________. We have (communicate
emergency specifics). I am assuming command and locating the command post
at ____________________________. All responding personnel should report
to___________________ for further instructions”
___Clearly mark command post and locate it in a safe location (upwind,
uphill and at a safe distance)
___Determine which ICS staff positions (safety officer, public information
officer and liaison) should be operational
___Determine which sections (operations, planning, logistics and finance)
should be made operational, appoint section leaders and provide tasking
___Establish a personnel accountability system to track personnel
___Evaluate adequacy of the initial isolation and adjust as needed
___Determine and delineate warm and cold zones
___Integrate both public and private resources into an effective command
structure. Individuals from the private sector can be most effectively
integrated into a command structure headed by a public official as a part
of or solely responsible for the following functions:
 share command in a unified command structure
 augment the knowledge of the Public Information Officer
 function as a resource to the Safety Officer and speak for the
private facility, organization business
 function in the Finance Section as the responsible party
 coordinate emergency actions and logistics on the site with the
Logistics Section leader
 participate in the Hazard Sector of the Operations Section to
augment public personnel resources and function as a
representative of the facility or transporter relative to chemical
hazards, containment systems, processes and facilities
RESOURCE GROUP
Conduct hazard and risk assessment
___Obtain all available information regarding the identity of the hazardous
substance involved
 names and other identifiers
 label, MSDS, placard information
___Determine material hazards using multiple references or a
combination of references, databases and technical advisors
___Determine the severity of chemical hazards
___Determine volume released or that could potentially be released
___Evaluate the containment system, its features and its condition. Work
with industry resources as needed to obtain information and guidance
___Determine stressors impacting containment system that may cause it
to fail or open and release materials
___Determine how containment system has failed or may fail
___Once released, estimate how released materials may travel and
determine exposures potentially impacted (i.e. people, property, the
environment or critical systems)
___Determine if response personnel can safely approach the emergency
scene (potential for explosions, violent container rupture, radiation, violent
chemical reactions or temperature extremes)
___If safe to approach, which exposure routes must be protected by
chemical protective clothing (i.e. inhalation, absorption and ingestion)
Preparation for entry into contaminated or potentially contaminated areas
___Site specific safety plan complete
___Sufficient personnel to work on buddy system with a minimum of two
entering and two providing backup
___All protective clothing inspected and found to be in good working order
___SCBA checked out
___Required PPE worn in hot zone
___All communication systems in place and checked for proper
operations. Communication system checked for feedback when working
in close proximity
___Hard hat, hearing and other protection worn as indicated
___Backup communication established in case of primary system failure
___Pre-entry hydration for personnel in warm to hot environments
___Pre-entry medical monitoring for entry personnel
___Pre-entry briefing of all personnel
 emergency signal
 second path of egress from hot zone
 site safety plan in place
 objectives for entry
 decon location and steps
 emergency decon
RESOURCE GROUP
 chemical exposure and heat/cold stress symptoms
 allowable work time
 hot zone re-entry policy
 tools/equipment need for entry
___Decontamination line operational and staffed
___Unfamiliar operations rehearsed and briefed
___Time on air noted and tracked
___Medical monitoring onsite
___SCBA facepiece inner and outer surface and suit facepiece inner
surface treated with anti-fog as indicated
___Airspace, highway, railroad and other traffic managed for scene safety
___Entry team provided transportation when traveling long distances
___Monitoring equipment calibrated or taken through fresh air startup.
Bagged to prevent contamination, and entrants have clear idea of what
and where to monitor.
___Necessary shutdown briefed
___Lockout/tagout briefed
___Establish policy regarding PPE reuse, air tank change and reentry
___All PPE required is worn and all fasteners functional and secured
Hot zone entry
___Entrants working on the buddy system with appropriate backup
___Required PPE worn
___Entrants check each other’s status
___Continuous monitoring for flammable atmospheres if indicated
___Avoid chemical contact
___Lockout/tagout as indicated
___Work from upwind/uphill direction when possible
___Obtain information to confirm identity as soon as possible if indicated
___Hot zone/warm zone communications checked and continue
periodically
___Entrants given fifteen and five minute warning
___Mitigation techniques utilized that minimize chemical contact and
physical strain
___Status/progress communicated along with estimated time of
conclusion
Post entry
___Management of decon wastes in accordance with applicable laws
___Debrief entrants
___Inform workers, supervisors, administrators and the public of incident
conclusion as appropriate or as indicated in emergency plans
___Confirm safe atmospheres following mitigation
___Service or decon of monitoring equipment
RESOURCE GROUP
___PPE deconned to render harmless or isolated, contained and handled
as hazardous
___Hazardous wastes contained or isolated, clearly indicated and secured
___Hazardous wastes stored in compatible containers and in a manner
appropriate for the hazard class and physical state
___Emergency response agencies and others notified of hazardous waste
location
___Responsible party in contact with and coordinating with environmental
authorities
___Incident command structure downsized as possible
___Entry, decon, medical monitoring and other critical information
documented
___All documentation complete, collected and archived
___Entrants and decon workers checked for exposure symptoms
___Post entry medical surveillance
___All on-scene personnel briefed regarding exposure symptoms and
steps to take if experienced
___Evaluate effectiveness of emergency plans, procedures
___Check for contamination and recalibrate air monitoring instruments
___Determine status of PPE: decon, test and reuse or retire
___Check supplies of consumables
___Identify equipment in need of repair and ensure it to be contamination
free
___Checkout and return SCBA and other respiratory protection to service
___Examine all equipment for indications of contamination
Notes and comments:
RESOURCE GROUP