Lesson 1: Hazardous materials and your role
Hazardous materials (hazmat) are products that can harm people, property or the environment if they leak, burn or react. Examples include fuels, cleaning chemicals, compressed gases, pool chemicals, batteries and some medical waste. Guards meet them on loading docks, construction sites, parking lots, warehouses and in trucks passing a site.
Most guards work at an awareness level. That means you recognize a possible hazard, stay back, isolate the area, protect people and call for help. You do not clean up spills, move leaking containers or try to identify a product by smell or touch.
- Recognize: leaks, odd smells, vapour clouds, hissing, dead plants, people coughing or falling ill.
- Isolate: keep people and vehicles out. Use doors, tape or cones if your site provides them.
- Notify: call 9-1-1, then your supervisor. Follow your site emergency plan.
- Report: write down times, what you saw and what you did.
Lesson 2: Arriving at a spill or leak
The Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) is used by first responders across Canada, the United States and Mexico. Its first-arrival advice fits guards too.
- Approach cautiously from upwind, uphill and/or upstream. Resist rushing in.
- Stay clear of vapour, fumes, smoke and spills. Keep your vehicle well back.
- Secure the scene: isolate the area and protect yourself and others.
- Identify the hazard from a distance: placards, labels, shipping papers, safety data sheets and people on scene.
- Call for help: 9-1-1 first. For advice on dangerous goods in transport, CANUTEC can help.
Never assume a gas is harmless because it has no smell. Some deadly gases have no odour. Check the wind with a flag, smoke or blowing dust, and move people upwind.
CANUTEC
CANUTEC is the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre, run by Transport Canada. It gives emergency advice on dangerous goods. Numbers: 1-888-CAN-UTEC (1-888-226-8832), 613-996-6666, or \*666 from a cellphone.
| Tell 9-1-1 or CANUTEC | Example |
|---|---|
| Exact location | North gate, 1200 Example Road, loading bay 3 |
| What you see | Clear liquid leaking from a tanker valve |
| Placard or UN number | Red placard, class 3, number 1203 |
| Wind and weather | Light wind from the west |
| People affected | Two workers coughing, moved upwind |
Lesson 3: Placards and the Emergency Response Guidebook
Trucks and rail cars carrying dangerous goods show placards. A placard is a diamond-shaped sign that shows the hazard class. Some also show a 4-digit UN number that identifies the exact product. Canada's Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) rules use 9 classes.
| Class | Type of dangerous goods |
|---|---|
| 1 | Explosives |
| 2 | Gases (flammable, non-flammable non-toxic, toxic) |
| 3 | Flammable liquids |
| 4 | Flammable solids, spontaneous combustion, water-reactive |
| 5 | Oxidizers and organic peroxides |
| 6 | Toxic and infectious substances |
| 7 | Radioactive materials |
| 8 | Corrosives |
| 9 | Miscellaneous (for example, lithium batteries) |
Using the ERG
| Page colour | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Materials listed by 4-digit ID (UN) number |
| Blue | Materials listed by name, A to Z |
| Orange | Response guides: hazards, public safety, first steps |
| Green | Isolation and protective action distances for certain materials |
Find the number (yellow) or name (blue), note the guide number, then read that guide in the orange pages. If a DANGER placard is shown or the product is unknown, use Guide 111.
Lesson 4: WHMIS labels and safety data sheets
WHMIS 2015 is the Canadian system for hazardous products used at work. It is based on the international Globally Harmonized System (GHS). It has three main parts: labels, safety data sheets and worker education.
Flammable Oxidizer Gas under pressure Corrosive Acute toxicity (fatal or toxic) Serious health hazard Less severe health hazard Explosive or self-reactive
Labels use a signal word. Danger means a more severe hazard. Warning means a less severe one. A supplier label shows the product name, supplier, pictograms, signal word, hazard statements and precautions, in English and French.
A workplace label is needed when a product is poured into another container, unless it is used right away or stays with the one person who poured it. It shows the product name, safe handling steps and a reference to the SDS.
Safety data sheets (SDS)
Every hazardous product needs an up-to-date SDS with 16 sections. Employers must keep them easy for workers to reach. Know where the SDS binder or computer is at your site.
| SDS section | Use it for |
|---|---|
| 2 Hazard identification | What the dangers are |
| 4 First-aid measures | What to do if someone is exposed |
| 5 Fire-fighting measures | Information for firefighters |
| 6 Accidental release measures | Spill and leak steps |
| 8 Exposure controls / personal protection | Gloves, eye protection, ventilation |
Lesson 5: Gas leaks and unknown substances
Natural gas
Natural gas has no smell of its own. Utilities add a chemical so it smells like rotten eggs or sulphur. You may also hear hissing near a meter or pipe.
- Stop work and leave the area right away. Get others out.
- Leave doors open behind you only if you can do it without delay.
- Once you are safely away, call 9-1-1 or the gas utility emergency line.
- Keep people from going back in.
- Do not use light switches, phones, electronics or lighters near the leak.
- Do not start or move vehicles nearby.
- Do not search for the leak or try to fix it.
- If gas is burning, call 9-1-1. Do not try to put it out.
Unknown powders and suspected drugs
You may find powders, pills or drug items on patrol. Do not touch, taste, smell or move them. Step away, keep others back and report to your supervisor or police as your post orders say.
If your skin touches a suspected drug, do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth. Wash with soap and water. Do not use alcohol hand sanitizer, which may increase absorption through the skin, and do not use bleach on skin. Tell a co-worker and watch for signs of exposure.