In this series of shows we will be tackling something that is typically an Operations concern. Behavior modeling and exploring how it questions the age-old answer, “It Depends?!?”

Thank you to our sponsor: First Line Technology

Register and enroll at THMG e-University here.

Courses being added weekly! Our hazardous materials training manual is finally available on Amazon! Click here to get your copy.

Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. Thanks!

Thanks for listening and watching!

Don’t just get on the job, get into the job!

5.  ACCORDING TO U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DOT) RECORDS, FROM 2006-2014, NEARLY 41 PERCENT OF ALL REPORTED HAZMAT INCIDENTS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO CONTAINER FAILURE

6.  RESPONDERS MAY ENCOUNTER ONE OR ALL THREE OF THE STRESSORS AT ANY HAZMAT INCIDENT

A.  FOR INSTANCE, HEAT (THERMAL STRESS) CAN INITIATE OR SPEED A CHEMICAL REACTION WHILE WEAKENING A CONTAINER AND INCREASING ITS INTERNAL PRESSURE

B.   SIMILARLY, A MECHANICAL BLOW CAN INITIATE A VIOLENT CHEMICAL REACTION IN AN UNSTABLE CHEMICAL WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY DAMAGING THE CONTAINER

7. WHEN EVALUATING CONTAINER STRESS, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING

A.  TYPE OF CONTAINER

B.  PRODUCT IN THE CONTAINER

C.   TYPE AND AMOUNT OF STRESS

D.   POTENTIAL DURATION OF THE STRESS

8.   CONTAINER STRESS MAY INVOLVE

A.  A SINGLE FACTOR

B.  SEVERAL STRESSORS ACTING ON THE CONTAINER SIMULTANEOUSLY

9.  PREVENTING CONTAINER FAILURE MAY REQUIRE REDUCING OR ELIMINATING THE FACTORS PLACING STRESS ON A CONTAINER

A.   THOSE FACTORS MAY BE READILY VISIBLE, SUCH AS A COLLISION OR A FIRE IMPINGING ON A CONTAINER SURFACE

B.  MAY NOT BE DIRECTLY OBSERVABLE AND MUST BE PREDICTED BASED ON CONDITIONS OR OTHER INDIRECT INDICATORS

C.   IF THE CONTAINER HAS ALREADY FAILED

I.   THINK ABOUT OTHER CONTAINERS THAT MAY BE EXPOSED

II.   EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF PRODUCT CONTACT WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

10. THE MATERIAL’S STATE OF MATTER WILL AFFECT THE STRESS EXPERIENCED BY CONTAINERS

A. FOR EXAMPLE, CONTAINERS HOLDING GASES ARE INHERENTLY SUBJECT TO STRESS

I.   HEATING OR COOLING MAY INCREASE OR REDUCE THIS STRESS

II.   THESE CONTAINERS MAY FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY AND/OR BLEVE IF THEY ARE DAMAGED OR SUBJECTED TO ADDITIONAL STRESS (SUCH AS HEAT FROM A FIRE OR EVEN HOT DAYTIME TEMPERATURES)

B.   LIQUID CONTAINERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE HOLDING LIQUIDS WITH HIGH VAPOR PRESSURES, MAY ALSO FAIL WHEN SUBJECTED TO FIRES

11. LIQUID CONTAINERS MAY ALSO TRANSPORT MATERIALS THAT POLYMERIZE

A.  THE STRESS CREATED BY AN UNCONTROLLED POLYMERIZATION (CHEMICAL STRESS) MAY CAUSE CONTAINER FAILURE

B.   THIS FAILURE MAY BE EXPLOSIVE

12. MOST SOLIDS CONTAINERS WILL BE DAMAGED VIA MECHANICAL STRESSORS RATHER THAN THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MATERIALS CONTAINED IN THEM

A.   EXCEPTIONS WOULD INCLUDE REACTIVE MATERIALS FROM HAZARD CLASSES, SUCH AS EXPLOSIVES, OXIDIZERS, PEROXIDES, AND WATER REACTIVE MATERIALS