Safety & Emergency Hazardous Materials (HazMat) 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the NFPA 704 diamond's blue quadrant indicate?
- Health hazard (Correct answer)
- Flammability
- Reactivity/instability
- Special hazards
Correct answer: Health hazard
The blue (left) quadrant of the NFPA 704 fire diamond indicates health hazard on a scale of 0–4.
Question 2: What does a DOT placard with an orange background and the number 1090 identify?
- Flammable liquid (acetone) (Correct answer)
- Explosive
- Corrosive material
- Poison gas
Correct answer: Flammable liquid (acetone)
UN/NA 1090 is the four-digit identification number for acetone, a flammable liquid displayed with an orange flammable liquids placard.
Question 3: What is the primary reference document used by emergency responders at hazmat scenes?
- Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) (Correct answer)
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120
- NFPA 472
- DOT 49 CFR Part 172
Correct answer: Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)
The DOT Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) provides first responders with initial guidance on hazardous materials identification and safety actions.
Question 4: What does the 'Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health' (IDLH) value represent?
- A concentration that poses an immediate threat to life or causes irreversible health effects within 30 minutes (Correct answer)
- The safe exposure limit for 8 hours
- The odor threshold of a chemical
- A level requiring evacuation of a 1-mile radius
Correct answer: A concentration that poses an immediate threat to life or causes irreversible health effects within 30 minutes
NIOSH defines IDLH as the maximum concentration from which a worker could escape within 30 minutes without irreversible health effects.
Question 5: What is decontamination in a hazmat response?
- The process of removing or neutralizing contaminants from people, equipment, and the environment (Correct answer)
- Evacuating people from the hot zone
- Sealing off the contaminated area
- Identifying the hazardous material
Correct answer: The process of removing or neutralizing contaminants from people, equipment, and the environment
Decontamination (decon) removes or neutralizes hazardous substances from personnel and equipment to prevent further exposure and contamination spread.
Question 6: Which hazmat zone is the area of contamination where the substance is present?
- Hot zone (exclusion zone) (Correct answer)
- Warm zone (contamination reduction zone)
- Cold zone (support zone)
- Buffer zone
Correct answer: Hot zone (exclusion zone)
The hot zone (exclusion zone) is the area of actual contamination where only properly protected responders may enter.
Safety & Emergency Hazardous Materials (HazMat) 1
What does the NFPA 704 diamond's blue quadrant indicate?