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Lost Knowledge – The General Hazardous Materials Behavior Model (

In the early 1970’s, Ludwig Benner, a chemical engineer working for the National Transportation Safety Board identified a model of container behavior in hazardous materials incidents that provides impact points for risk reduction actions and provides a model for container and product behavior to help guide emergency response.  The General Hazardous Materials Behavior Model  is a chain of events from the start of an incident through remediation and at each point there are opportunities for risk reduction activities to minimize the occurrence and impact of the incident.  Unfortunately, as the first generation of hazardous materials responders has left the trade, the knowledge of General Hazardous Materials Behavior Model has not been passed on as well as it should have been.  Below you will find a brief summary of General Hazardous Materials Behavior Model and you are encouraged to click the link to access the story of General Hazardous Materials Behavior Model to learn more about the process and how you can apply it to your planning and emergency response. 

 

 

General Hazardous Materials Behavior Model Overview

Incident Events

Examples of Factors Determining Occurrence

Examples of Emergency Response Strategies

Examples of Possible Response Options

Overstressing Event Occurs

Type of Stress

·         Thermal

·         Mechanical

·         Chemical

·         Human

Intensity of Stress

·         High

·         Low

Duration of Stress

·         Short time

·         Long time

Cool

Wash off

Neutralize

Minimize impact time

Protect container from damage

 

 

Move impingement

Shield

Move container

Container System Breach Occurs

Nature of stress

System failure

Change the breach size

Cool

Limit pressure

Ventilate

Material and/or Energy Escapes

Chemical and physical properties

·         Solid

·         Liquid

·         Gas

Location of breach

Force of release

Flow of release

Limit the quantity released

Limit the energy of the release

Change position

Minimize pressure

Cap breach

Escaping Material Engulfs Danger Zone

Quantity

Dispersion characteristics

·         Driving force

·         Path

·         Pattern

·         Distance

Wind, weather, and topography

Influence size of danger zone

Controlled ignition

D*** and dam

Dilute

Redirect vapors

Suppress vapors

Material and/or Energy Impinge on Exposures

Physical state

Warning time

Mobility

Influence impinged people and property

Shielding

Evacuate

Shelter-in-Place

Material and/or Energy Cause Harm

Duration

Intensity

Velocity

Influence severity

Decontamination

Reduce time of exposure

Shielding

Increase distance

Restoration

Size of impact

Environmental factors

Influence restoration time

Pre-stage restoration

Pre-incident planning

 

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