Dg & Safety

Ground Staff Emergency Procedures

The following general emergency procedures should be followed in the event of an emergency involving dangerous goods on the ground.

The general rules relating to dangerous goods incidents are as follows:

Notify the appropriate person / department as per the Operator’s Dangerous Goods Manual
Do not come into contact with the damaged package
If safe to do so, isolate container/article and the area
Stay clear of smoke and fumes

If the dangerous good incident involves a package marked & labelled as a dangerous good, then the Shipper’s Declaration should be consulted to identify the specific dangerous good within the package.

Further information on what actions should occur can be obtained by checking the appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet.

Various operators use different methods of reporting incidents. The form at the right shows what a hard-copy incident report form might look like. Many operators use an electronic system for incident reporting. Regardless of which type is used, the key points to know about reporting dangerous goods incidents are:

All incidents must be reported to the Operators Safety Department or appropriate responsible person ASAP.
There is a regulatory responsibility for the Operator to report all incidents to CASA within two (2) working days!

Always refer to the Operator's Dangerous Goods Manual for specific instructions on their requirements for reporting a dangerous goods incident.

Below is a list of general emergency procedures for each class

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Emergency Procedures Specific to Classes

Class	Inherent Risk	Fire Fighting Procedure	Spills or Leakage	First Aid
1 Explosives	If acceptable for air transportation, little immediate health risk.	Try to prevent fire from reaching explosive; evacuate the area.	N/A	If necessary, administer first aid.
2 Gases	Ignition followed by burning or explosion; vapour could spread and ignite elsewhere; poisoning disabling or suffocating; burns to skin and eyes from gases.	All types of fire extinguisher acceptable; BCF most effective on small fires; water spray or fog for big fires.	N/A	Move victim to fresh air; remove contaminated clothing; oxygen as required; keep victim quiet and maintain normal body temperature; administer first aid if required.
3. Flammable Liquids	Flammable vapour may spread away from spill. Vapour explosion hazard. Could cause dizziness or suffocation. Contact may irritate or burn skin and eyes. Fire could produce poisonous gases.	For small fires use dry chemicals, BCF, CO2, foam or water spray. For larger fires use foam, water spray or fog. Water spray also helps reduce any possible vapour.	For small spills take up with sand or other non-combustible absorbent material, then flush area with water. For large spills dyke far ahead of spill for later disposal.	Move victim to fresh air; administer first aid if required; Oxygen if breathing is difficult; remove and isolate contaminated clothing; In case of contact to skin or eye, flush area with running water for at least 15 minutes.
4. Flammable Solids	Will burn. Could produce flammable gases or ignite with the action of water. Fire may produce irritating or poisonous gases. Contact with body may cause burns.	Do not use water on goods displaying dangerous when wet! For small fires use dry chemicals, sand, foam, BCF, water spray. For larger fires use water spray, fog or foam.	For small spills shovel into dry containers, cover and move containers; then flush area with water. For larger spills ‘if dangerous when wet’ cover with dry sand or other dry non-combustible material. Dyke ahead of spill for later disposal.	Move victim to fresh air; give oxygen if breathing is difficult; remove and isolate contaminated clothing; in case of contact to skin or eye, flush area with running water for at least 15 minutes.
5 Oxidizing Substance & Organic Peroxides	Reaction with fuel may be violent. May ignite combustibles such as wood and oil. Contact with body may cause burns. vapours or dust may be irritating. Fire may produce irritating or poisonous gases.	For small fires use dry chemicals, foam, BCF, CO2 or water spray. For larger fires use water spray, fog or foam. If possible cool containers that were exposed to flames with water.	For small spills use sand, earth or other non-combustible absorbent material. For larger spills dyke far ahead of spill for later disposal. For small dry spills shovel into dry containers, cover and move containers.	Move victim to fresh air; give oxygen if breathing is difficult; remove and isolate contaminated clothing; in case of contact to skin or eye, flush area with running water for at least 15 minutes.
6 Toxic & Infectious Substance	May be fatal if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through skin. Contact to body may cause burns. Run off may cause pollution. Do not attempt to control or clean up yourself!	For small fires use dry chemicals, CO2, water spray, foam or BCF. For larger fires use water spray, fog or foam.	For small spills use sand or other non-combustible absorbent material, then flush area with water. For large spills dyke far ahead of spill for later disposal. For small dry spill shovel into dry containers, cover and move container; then flush area with water.	Move victim to fresh air; administer first aid if required; give oxygen if breathing is difficult; remove and isolate contaminated clothing (speed in removal is of extreme importance); in case of contact to skin or eye, flush area with running water for at least 15 minutes; call emergency medical care.
7 Radio-active Material	Degree of hazard will vary greatly depending on type and quantity of material. There can be external as well as internal radiation. Do not attempt to clean up area! When calling the police provide details of radioactive material using Shippers Declaration.	For small fires use dry chemicals, BCF, water spray, CO2 or foam. For large fires, use water spray or fog. Fight fire from maximum distance.	For small spills use sand or other non-combustible absorbent material. For large spills dyke far ahead of spill for later disposal.	Call emergency medical care! If not injured, remove and isolate contaminated clothing; shower victim with soap and cold water. If affecting injury, remove and isolate contaminated clothing and wrap victim in blanket before transporting. Advise medical care personnel that victim may be contaminated by radioactivity.
8 Corrosives	Can cause severe damage to skin and eyes. Dangerous if inhaled. May react with other material to form flammable, or explosive gases or noxious fumes. Fire may produce irritating and poisonous gas.	For small fires use dry chemicals, CO2, BCF, water spray or foam. For large fires use water spray, fog or foam. If possible cool containers that were exposed to flames with water.	For small spills use sand or other non-combustible absorbent material; then flush area with water. For large spills dyke far ahead of spill for later disposal.	Move victim to fresh air; give oxygen if breathing is difficult; remove and isolate contaminated clothing; in case of contact to skin or eye, flush area with running water for at least 15 minutes.
9 Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods	For this class the potential hazard can be unique to the type of item.

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Ground Staff Emergency Procedures