Fire Inspection & Code Enforcement (6th Edition)
Chapter 10 Terms
Identification of Hazardous Materials & Storage, Handling, & Use of Flammable & Combustible Liquids
Acute
Severe, rapid onset, usually of short duration.
Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE)
The failure of a closed container as a result of over pressurization caused by an external heat source.
Boyles Law
This law states that the volume of a gas varies inversely with the applied pressure. The formula is: P1T1 =P 2 T 2 where P1 = original pressure, T1 = original volume, P 2 =final pressure, and T 2 =final volume.
Charles Law
Scientific law that says the increase or decrease of pressure in a constant volume of gas is directly proportional to corresponding increase or decrease of temperature. The formula is stated: P1T1 =P 2 T 2 where P1 = original pressure, T1 = original temperature, P 2 =final pressure, and T 2 =final temperature.
Chronic
Of long duration (opposite of acute).
Compressed Gas
Gas that, at normal temperature, exists solely as a gas when pressurized in a container.
Corrosives
Those materials that cause harm to living organisms by destroying body tissue.
Cryogenics
Gases that are converted into liquids by being cooled below -150oF.
EX
Rating symbol used on lift trucks that are safe for use in atmospheres containing flammable vapors or dusts.
Explosive
Any material or mixture that will undergo an extremely fast self-propagation reaction when subjected to some form of energy.
Flammable Liquid
Any liquid having a flash point below 100oF and having a vapor pressure not exceeding 40 psi absolute.
Gas
A compressible substance, with no specific volume, that tends to assume the shape of a container. Molecules move about most rapidly in this state.
Hazardous Material
Any material that poses an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of persons and/or the environment if it is not properly controlled during handling, storage, manufacture, processing, packaging, use, disposal, or transportation.
Liquid
An incompressible substance that assumes the shape of its container. The molecules flow freely, but substantial cohesion prevents them from expanding as a gas would.
Liquefied Gas
A confined gas that at normal temperatures exists in both liquid and gaseous states.
NFPA 704 Labeling
A system for identifying hazardous materials in fixed facilities. The placard is divided into sections that identify the degree of hazard with respect to health, flammability, and reactivity, as well as special hazards.
Noncombustible
Incapable of supporting combustion under normal circumstances.
North American Emergency Response Guidebook (NAERG)
A manual that aids emergency response and inspection personnel in identifying hazardous materials placards. It also gives guidelines for initial actions to be taken at hazardous materials incidents.
Oxidizer
Any material that provides oxygen for combustion.
Placard
A diamond-shaped sign that is affixed to all sides of a vehicle transporting hazardous materials. The placard indicates the primary class of the material, and in some cases the exact material being transported.
Threshold Limit Value (TLV)
The concentration of a given material that may be tolerated for an 8-hour exposure during a regular work week without ill effects.
Toxic Material
Any material classified as a poison, asphyxiant, irritant, or anesthetic.
Toxicity
The ability of a substance to do harm within the body.
Unstable Material
Material that is capable of undergoing chemical changes or decomposition with or without a catalyst.