
Control measure
Substance identification: Toxic materials
TRAINING SPECIFICATION
Knowledge and understanding
Control measure element | Learning outcome |
---|---|
Gather information and recognise symbols, labels and other marking to identify toxic materials |
Understand:
Refer to – Substance identification – Hazardous materials training specification |
Practical application
Control measure element | Learning outcome |
---|---|
Gather information and recognise symbols, labels and other marking to identify toxic materials |
Demonstrate the ability to:
Refer to – Substance identification – Hazardous materials training specification |
Control measure knowledge
This control measure should be read in conjunction with National Operational Guidance – Hazardous materials: Substance identification.
Ensuring that personnel immediately recognise the presence or potential presence of substances with toxic health hazards will enable suitable control measures to be implemented to protect responders and the public particularly in the initial stages of an incident.
Materials with the primary hazard of ‘toxic’ (other than toxic gases) will be assigned to UN Hazard Class 6.1. It covers substances that possess a low lethal dose.
Labelling
Materials labelled for transport or use will be displayed with one of the following symbols:
The exclamation mark symbol is used for other hazards in addition to ‘harmful’ (e.g. irritant).
UN Transport Class 2.3 is for toxic gases only, such as ammonia, chlorine or hydrogen chloride.
As well as labelling on containers, other information sources will enable other toxic/harmful hazards to be identified, such as Chemdata, Wiser and the Emergency Response Guidebook.
Information gained from containers or data sources should be compared with other information from the scene (such as signs and symptoms from casualties) to triangulate the information and increase confidence.
Strategic actions
Have procedures and support arrangements with regard to recognising toxic substances and how to protect people from acute health effects
Tactical actions
Use signs, labels, markings and container types to identify the presence of toxic materials
Use detection equipment to identify and monitor levels of the toxic materials involved
- HazardExposure to materials with acute health effects
- Control measureCordon controls: Toxic materials