Hazard
Polluting materials
Hazard Knowledge
Polluting materials may affect the environment during or following incidents. Fire and rescue service actions may result in or increase pollution, for example, if fires are extinguished without applying appropriate control measures to contain fire water or firefighting foam run-off.
There may be sites in a fire and rescue service area where polluting materials are known to be stored, or are likely to be found.
The following table shows some types of incidents and activities, with examples of polluting materials commonly associated with them:
|
Type of incident or activity |
Examples of polluting materials |
|
Road traffic collisions |
Oils, fuel, coolants, battery vapours or wash water |
|
Spillages of non-hazardous materials |
Organic matter, such as:
|
|
Spillages of hazardous materials |
Corrosive, toxic, or flammable materials |
|
Casualty care |
Clinical waste, disposable gloves, medical face masks or dressings |
|
Fires |
Fire water run-off, smoke plumes, hazardous materials or foam (included in Polluting materials: Fire-related incidents) |
|
Incidents involving contaminating materials |
Biological, chemical or radioactive materials |
| Working on, in or near water |
Biological hazards, such as infectious diseases or sewage Biodiversity, such as invasive non-native species |
Any incident may result in contaminated personal protective equipment (PPE) or operational equipment. There is no defence under environmental regulations if pollution of the environment is caused by decontamination of PPE, equipment or body bags.
People can be exposed to polluting materials through inhalation, absorption, ingestion or injection. For more information refer to Operations – Infectious diseases.
Knowledge and understanding
| Hazard | Learning outcome |
|---|---|
| Polluting materials | Understand all associated hazard knowledge |