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Operational Examplesand Insights

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Waste Fire Objectives

What are your objectives Process to guide your response First objective is always to protect and

provide a safe working environment

Now What is the next objective? Smoke/Suppression/Contain/Cost

For ExampleLandfill Fire in Panama

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Cerro Patacon LF

Panama City Landfill20 + year operational history~ 7 million tons of waste in- place1,200 Tons Daily/24 hours a dayLast bench/lift did not have a soil cover

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Landfill Issues

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Landfill Fire March 19 the largest landfill in Panama was set

ablaze. While it is not official, apparently there were three

separate fires The landfill’s final cell (~200,000 cy) had no soil cover

to prevent the spread Slopes around 1.5 to 1 Add 15 to 25 mph trade winds that blow every day

and evening during the dry season 25 to 30 acres of burning trash

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Smoke Impact?Landfill less than 5 miles from the CityThe City has a population of 880,691 with a total

metro population of 1,272,672

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Prevailing Winds - Yes

Smoke plume into the population center

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Request US Embassy, Panama

Mr. John Law, e-mail on March 20th Video Conference with Panamanian

Officials on March 21st

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Request for AssistanceWhat is the objective?

Recommendations

Use ICS [Only Fire] Set Priority

Eliminate smoke impacts to the metro population Objectives

Provide for HS for site personnel Contain the fire Locate and Purchase Class A Foam Use soil and foam and work in tandem

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Process

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Status

75% Controlled the fire by Sunday Monday elected to use explosives to

“collect the methane” and blow out the south slope

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OK We Will Go

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Arrival

All Resources Released 35 to 40 hotspots remaining Project/Site given back to the LF operator No site information available No ICS No foam Now what?

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How Fast can You Run

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Ready? Establish LCES

Lookout

Communications

Escape Routes

Safety Zone

1st USE LCESLookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, Safe Zones

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Second- H&S Plan

Should account for all the potential exposures and site hazards

Communications Hospital Locations Emergency Numbers Air Sampling Procedures Respiratory Issues Work Zone (Cold, Warm, Hot)

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Third - Respirator Plan

Required Must account for multiple hazards based on

types of waste Define your work zones and have real-time

monitoring SCBA, Respirator, N95, real-time monitoring

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Respiratory Equipment

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Respirator

Air-Purifying Respirators Will Protect from particulates, dioxins, acid

gasses with limits, metals Will not protect from CO, H2S or Low O2

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SCBA

Limitations

Inter operability Different departments Different users Breathing/Operating Times (30 m/60m/8hr) Fill Requirements Training and Certs

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Tracy Suppression –Supplied Air

$411,000/5 days No contaminated water was generated 770,000 gal of water / 990 gal of foam $18 Million (US) to Remove

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Supplied Air Ground

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Supplied Air Equipment

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Warm Zone Firefight with Real-Time Air Monitoring

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Use of Personal Gas Monitor Technique developed in the field to reduce

exposures to hazardous gasses/chemicals from waste fires

Uses CO as an indicator of other byproducts of combustion

Allows work to be conducted in the warm zone without respirators, SCBAs or supplied air

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Real Time Air Data

Photo Ionization Detector (PID) Particulate VOC,CO,H2S, CH4, other gasses

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Personal Gas Meters Gasses to monitor based on site conditions The meter shall be intrinsically safe Look for water resistant models; Should clip or attach at breathing zone; Verify regulatory alert/alarm levels (e.g., STEL) Decide on disposable vs. calibrate type

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CO Monitors

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Special Equipment

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Ground Monitors

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Daspit™http://www.williamsfire.com

Ground Monitors

Equipment Safety

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Heavy Equipment Operations

PPE Communications Blind Zones Kill Zones Escape Routes Supplied Air Min. of 2 pieceof Heavy Iron

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PPE at a Waste Fire

Everyone in the hot and warm zone should be out fitted with the appropriate fire ground personal protective equipment (Bunker/Nomex®)

This includes operators of equipment

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Communications

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Heavy Equipment

Communications with FF Post a look out at a distance

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Heavy Equipment Issue

Visibility

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Equipment Zone and Rescue

How do you perform a rescue from an

excavator?

Blind and Kill Zones

42Clothing and Rescue

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Equipment Safety

Minimum of two pieces of equipment Rescue potential, you NEED at least two

Prefer enclosed cabs Pro: Operators are more protected Con: Operators are more aggressive

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Bottom Line for Waste Fires

Wear appropriate respiratory protection as directed by an industrial hygienist

Breathing air via a SCBA or supplied air should be used if you are in an area of smoke and/or H2S, CO

Wear fire ground PPE Exposure to visible smoke SHOULD BE

AVOIDED without respiratory protection Portable CO monitors can be used to delineate

the hot zone from warm

LF Suppression Summary

Pre Plan / LCES/ Health and Safety Plan/ Respirator Plan Use available resources Manage your water Monitor personnel and work zones ► AVOID SMOKE Have a stock pile of soil available at all times