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EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) Response

Health & Safety

Health & Safety

Health & Safety

EPA Safety Officer Toolbox
This web site is intended to support the Safety Officer in an Incident Management Team. It was developed based on Safety Officer positions and issues at a number of different responses to include: Hurricanes Katrina/Rita, Hurricane Irene/TS Lee, Enbridge Oil Spill, Deepwater Horizon, & Hurricane Sandy. It is constantly being upgraded and expanded as new information, policies and procedures are developed. The purpose of the site is to create a tool box for Safety Officers, Deputy Safety Officer, and Assistant Safety Officers.

Human Health or Community

EPA's Emergency Responder Health and Safety Manual
The manual consists of a series of chapters that outline steps that must be taken to protect the Agency’s Emergency Responders from job-related injuries, accidents, and exposures to hazardous materials. All 10 EPA regions, the Environmental Response Team, the National Decontamination Team, and Headquarters must implement the manual.

ATSDR Emergency Response
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Emergency Response site where ER Teams are available 24 hours a day, and are comprised of toxicologists, physicians, and other scientists available to assist during an emergency involving hazardous substances in the environment.

CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Emergency Preparedness and Response site is a resource for Emergency Health Professionals.

NIOSH Emergency Response
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) where protecting the health and safety of these workers by preventing diseases, injuries, and fatalities is a priority.

CDC Public Health Preparedness and Response
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) is committed to strengthening the nation's health security by saving lives and protecting against public health threats, whether at home or abroad, natural or man-made.

Material Safety Data Sheets
Ordered listings of MSDS websites.

Hazard Duty Order
Download the PDF for Authorization for the Performance of and Payment for Duty Involving Physical Hardship and Hazard.



Chemical

Chemical

NIOSH Online Pocket Guide
The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (NPG) is intended as a source of general industrial hygiene information on several hundred chemicals/classes for workers, employers, and occupational health professionals.

NIOSH Chemical Safety Databases and Other Resources
Listing of NIOSH related databases and site resources.

OSHA Chemical Protective Clothing Guide
OSHA Technical Manual on protective clothing applications.

NFPA Hazard Diamond
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed a system for indicating the health, flammability and reactivity hazards of chemicals. In addition, a special precaution symbol may be used where necessary.

OSHA Regulations
Searchable; includes 1910.120

Occupational and Industrial Safety Resources
Links to occupational safety, emergency and trauma, construction safety, welding safety, food safety, domestic violence, fire safety and safety directories are found on this page.

ATSDR Tox FAQs
The ATSDR ToxFAQs is a series of summaries about hazardous substances developed by the ATSDR Division of Toxicology. Information for this series is excerpted from the ATSDR Toxicological Profiles and Public Health Statements.

OSHA e-HASP Software - Ver. 2
The updated OSHA/EPA E-HASP Guide uses modern (Windows-based) software, more site-specific text, and expanded decision logic to assist the user in determining the appropriate controls of health and safety hazards for their sites. The chemical database will be updated and linked to the software. The electronic, interactive E-HASP Guide is intended to be used by health and safety professionals to provide "model" language that is acceptable to OSHA in preparing a site's HASP. These same professionals can also draw on the chemical database and embedded decision logic to assist them in identifying the hazards associated with site-specific contaminants and in choosing effective site controls for worker protection.

MedlinePlus Chemical Weapons
National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health Medline plus Website on Chemical Weapons.

Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders - (WISER)
WISER is a system designed to assist first responders in hazardous material incidents. WISER provides a wide range of information on hazardous substances, including substance identification support, physical characteristics, human health information, and containment and suppression advice.



Global Harmonization System
Global Harmonization System (GHS).  The current system used for chemical information and uses Safety Data Sheets (SDS) instead of MSDS.  This may helpful to  people who are new to the system and need to understand the hazards of the chemicals they are dealing with.  A guide is also available for download from the website.  

EPA website describing how the new GHS system affects pesticides
The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is a worldwide initiative to promote standard criteria for classifying chemicals according to their health, physical and environmental hazards. It uses pictograms, hazard statements, and the signal words “Danger” and “Warning” to communicate hazard information on product labels and safety data sheets in a logical and comprehensive way.

Biological

EPA Explores Building Decontamination Alternatives
This document presents an analysis of selected technologies that have been tested for their potential effectiveness in decontaminating a building that has been attacked using biological or chemical warfare agents, or using toxic industrial compounds.

CDC Bioterrorism
Information on terrorism and public health. Provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Center for International Security and Cooperation - (CISAC)
Degradation of Biological Weapons Agents in the Environment: Implications for Terrorism Response.

NIOSH: Emergency Response Resources
Terrorism Response Manuals and documents pertaining to Safeguarding Building Ventilation, Anthrax, Chemical Hazards and Bloodborne Infectious Disease.

World Health Organization - (WHO)
Global Alert and Response to Intentional Use of Biological Agents.

Recognizing Bioterrorism-Related Illnesses
Rapid Response Card in PDF format that helps emergency responders Recognize Bioterrorism-Related Illnesses.

APIC Bioterrorism Resources
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology is an association of healthcare professionals working to reduce, control and prevent infections associated with or acquired in a healthcare setting.

USAMRIID Reference Material
USAMRIID, an organization of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, is the lead medical research laboratory for the U.S. Biological Defense Research Program. The Institute plays a key role as the only laboratory in the Department of Defense (DoD) equipped to safely study highly hazardous infectious agents requiring maximum containment at biosafety level (BSL)-4.



Radiological

Manual of Protective Action Guides and Protective Actions for Nuclear Incidents
This links to the actual Manual via PDF for download produced by the Office of Radiation Programs United States EPA.

PAGs Website
Protective Action Guides (PAGs) help state and local authorities make radiation protection decisions during emergencies.  EPA developed the PAG Manual to provide guidance on actions to protect the public.



Nuclear

Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The NRC regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, such as in nuclear medicine, through licensing, inspection and enforcement of its requirements.

Nuclear Energy Institute
The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) is the policy organization of the nuclear energy and technologies industry and participates in both the national and global policy-making process.

Nuclear Science Library
The ABC's of Nuclear Science is a brief introduction to Nuclear Science. We look at Antimatter, Beta rays, Cosmic connection and much more. Visit here and learn about radioactivity - alpha, beta and gamma decay.