Study guide to FEMA IS 5.A An Introduction to Hazardous Materials containing correct FEMA IS 5.A answers and course notes. A very general introduction into hazardous materials that should prepare you for much more comprehensive courses in the future. You will also learn about laws and environmental regulations and how to use legislation to protect yourself from these materials. For some example hazardous materials answers and questions, check out below.

Course Overview This Independent Study course is intended to provide a general introduction to hazardous materials that can serve as a foundation for more specific studies in the future. This course does not meet Hazardous Materials response requirements identified in HAZWOPER standard (29CFR1910.120(q)(6)(i). The course has five Units which are outlined below. No prior knowledge of the subject is required or assumed. At the end of the course, the participant should be able to: Explain the roles of Federal, State, Tribal and local governments in reducing hazardous materials risks through Health and Environmental Regulations;

Discuss the two major hazardous materials identification systems used within the United States;

Identify possible terrorist’s targets of opportunities in the use of toxic industrial chemicals (TIC) as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD);

Identify locations where hazardous materials are commonly found and how to determine their potential health effects;

Describe basic terms that pertain to exposures to hazardous materials;

Read and interpret a materials safety data sheet (MSDS);

Explain how hazardous materials enter the body and contaminate the environment;

Describe what communities can do to increase their emergency preparedness to respond to hazardous materials incidents; and

Identify steps individuals and communities can take to protect themselves during a hazardous materials release. The five Units are: Unit 1: Health and Environmental Regulations. This Unit explains the roles of Federal, State, Tribal and local governments in reducing hazardous materials risks, and reviews the key provisions of critical Federal legislation. Unit 2: Hazardous Materials Identification Systems. This Unit discusses the two major hazardous materials identification systems currently being used in the United States. It also outlines how communities should be able to recognize a terrorist use of toxic industrial chemicals as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Unit 3: Identifying Hazardous Materials. This Unit provides an overview of locations in which these materials are commonly found and discusses ways of determining what particular chemicals, with what health effects, exist in these locations. Unit 4: Hazardous Materials and Human Health. This Unit introduces many of the basic terms used to discuss hazardous materials problems, and explain how hazardous materials enter and move through the body and the environment. Unit 5: Preparing for Hazardous Materials Incidents. This Unit explains what local communities can do to increase their emergency preparedness to respond to hazardous materials incidents of any size. It also identifies steps individuals can take to protect themselves during a hazardous materials release. From IS 5.A: An Introduction to Hazardous Materials

Example FEMA IS 5.a Questions & Answers

The body has very efficient internal defenses which can remove any quantity of an unwanted substance.

A. True

Answer: False

Health affects resulting from contact with a hazardous substance over a long period of time is called:

A. Doxological exposure

B. Systemic exposure

Answer: Chronic exposure

D. Serological exposure

The local role in reducing public risks from hazardous materials includes:

A. Developing an emergency plan for hazardous materials incidents

B. Regulating hazardous materials transportation through local ordinances

C. Regulating safe disposal of hazardous waste

Answer: All of these

The presence of hazardous materials can always be detected by the sense of smell.

A. True

B. False

A toxic accident occurs in your neighborhood. Several adults, teenagers, and small children are present. Which group, if any, would likely be most severely affected?

A. The small children would be most severely affected

B. The adults would be most severely affected

C. All would be affected to the same degree

D. The teenagers would be most severely affected

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) includes information on:

A. Laws governing the use of a specific chemical

B. The cost of a specific chemical

C. Health effects and physical properties of a specific chemical

D. The amount of a specific chemical that can be legally released

The EPCRA grants citizens the right to obtain information on hazardous materials in their community.

A. True

B. False

A primary purpose of conducting a hazardous materials exercise is to find out:

A. Whether planned procedures work

B. What Federal and State resources could be made available for such an incident

C. Which responders should receive raises

D. What type of incident is most likely to occur

Permissible exposure limits are levels of exposures mandated by:

A. OSHA

B. EPA

C. USCG

D. ACGIH

Which Federal law is intended to assure, so far as possible, safe working conditions?

A. The Clean Air Act

B. The Safe Drinking Water Act

C. The Occupational Safety and Health Act

D. The Toxic Substances Control Act

The code OXY in the bottom white quadrant of a label conforming to NFPA 704 indicates that:

A. The material reacts with water

B. The material is radioactive

C. The material can easily release oxygen to create or worsen a fire or explosion hazard

D. The material will explode on contact with air

The key components of a complete local plan include a basic plan, supporting annexes, and implementing procedures. The supporting annexes typically include:

A. Lists of people to alert under certain conditions

B. ‘How to’ instructions for operating departments or individuals

C. Conceptual framework for emergency operations

D. Information on how specific functions (such as evacuation) will be carried out for particular hazards

A person whose skin is coated with a toxic substance gives his/her contaminated clothing to another individual. This likely will result in what is called:

A. Ingestion

B. Reckless endangerment

C. Cross-contamination

D. Risk

The chemical agent or hazardous material that interferes with the body’s ability to transfer oxygen to the cells is:

A. Tear gas

B. Phosgene

C. Nerve agent

D. Hydrogen cyanide

Under existing laws, States do not have broad authority to control how hazardous materials are stored, used, transported, and disposed of within their borders.

A. True

B. False

It is difficult and sometimes impossible to purify contaminated groundwater.

A. True

B. False

The Federal agency responsible for regulating interstate shipments of hazardous materials is:

A. Department of Transportation

B. Occupational Safety and Health Administration

C. Federal Emergency Management Agency

D. Environmental Protection Agency

The basic approaches to cleaning contaminated soil include:

A. Air stripping/aeration, activated carbon, and chemical precipitation

B. Containment, off-site containment, on- or off-site treatment, or disposal

Which of the following correctly identifies the four ‘routes of entry’ for toxic substances into the body:

A. Absorption, injection, ingestion, inhalation

B. Injection, ingestion, integration, absorption

C. Irritation, injection, absorption, asphyxiation

D. Absorption, injection, insertion, inhalation

Once approved, an Emergency Operations Plan should never be revised, since this would create potential confusion in responding agencies.

A. True

B. False

If you are caught outdoors in the vicinity of a hazardous materials incident, you should try to move away from the release:

A. Downstream, downhill, and downwind

B. Upstream, uphill, and upwind

C. Close to the incident responders

Results of Commodity Flow Surveys can be obtained from:

A. LAPD

B. SEMA

C. FEMA

D. LEPC

The Federal law designed to regulate hazardous waste ‘from cradle to grave’ is:

A. Toxic Substances Control Act

B. Superfund

C. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976

D. Safe Drinking Water Act

Which Federal agency provides training, resource information and technical assistance to States to help them prepare for hazardous materials emergencies?

A. The Federal Emergency Management Agency

B. The Environmental Protection Agency SARA Grants

C. The Department of Transportation HMEP Grants

D. The Department of Labor

What is the recommended minimum number of personnel needed to manage a hazardous materials incident safely?

A. 5

B. 3

C. 8

D. 3-5

If you encounter a suspicious substance, you should:

A. Notify the appropriate authority

B. Immediately dispose of it yourself

The primary hazard associated with most flammable liquids is:

A. Toxic vapors

B. Fire or explosion

C. Radioactivity

D. Faulty containers

The analysis of a situation to determine the level of risk inherent in that situation is called:

A. Risk management

B. Health effects assessment

C. Risk assessment

D. Risk search

Standard approaches to waste disposal are generally regulated and managed by the:

A. DOT

B. OSHA

C. EPA

D. FEMA

Besides the LEPC, what local agencies may maintain specific information on industries in your community that use, store, or generate EHS-listed hazardous materials?

A. The local public works department

B. The local emergency services department

C. The local police

D. The local fire department

In the NFPA 704 labeling system, a rating of 4 in any quadrant corresponds to:

A. A moderately low hazard

B. The highest degree of hazard

C. The lowest degree of hazard

D. A moderately high hazard

A person works every day with a toxic substance, but does not take protective measures. The individual will experience what type of exposure?

A. Chronic

B. Carcinogenic

C. Acute

D. Lethal

In-place sheltering is never an appropriate option in an accident involving hazardous materials.

A. True

B. False

Under EPCRA, Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) are charged with the responsibility to:

A. Regulate hazardous materials within State borders

B. Write local ordinances to promote emergency preparedness

C. Develop an emergency plan to respond to hazardous materials incidents

D. Inspect local factories to ensure compliance with Federal legislation

You have just learned that a chemical you work with is a mutagen. What effect does this chemical have?

A. Increases the risk of physical defects in a developing embryo

B. Irritates the lining of the throat

C. Increases the risk of cancer

D. Causes a permanent change in the genetic material (DNA)

Existing landfills are generally considered sufficient to serve as the sole means of disposing of the Nation’s waste for the foreseeable future.

A. True

B. False

An industry’s smokestack is an example of what type of source?

A. Area

B. Point

Under what circumstances are judges likely to take immediate action to halt pollution before a violation of the law has been proven in court?

A. Whenever environmental lobby groups are in agreement that the problem exists

B. In extreme cases when the potential damage is clear and irreparable

C. Whenever there is cause to believe the environment might be harmed

D. When the polluting industry is large and can afford it

One benefit of a sound community plan to deal with a hazardous materials emergency is:

A. Roles and responsibilities are defined

B. The likelihood of an incident occurring is almost eliminated

C. Fewer resources are required to handle the incident

D. The need for assistance from other jurisdictions is eliminated

The five phases of a hazardous material’s life does not include production, transportation, storage, elimination, and disposal.

A. True

B. False

The success of good site operations and the ability of employees to respond during emergencies is:

A. Well rehearsed response team

B. Annual inspections of the site

C. Initial and annual refresher training

D. Good site planning

Sensory clues to the possible presence of hazardous materials in water include:

A. Dead fish

B. Unusual algae growth

C. White froth

D. All of these

The Federal agency primarily responsible for protecting our environment from contamination by hazardous materials releases is:

A. The Federal Emergency Management Agency

B. The Environmental Protection Agency

C. The Department of Transportation

D. The Department of Labor

A chemical that, in relatively small amounts, produces injury when it comes in contact with skin tissue is known as:

A. An explosive

B. A corrosive

C. A radioactive material

D. A flammable liquid

By reading the placard on a tanker bearing hazardous materials, you can find out:

A. The amount of the substance being carried

B. The name of the carrier

C. The hazard class of the substance being carried

D. The date the substance was shipped

What is the primary purpose of a Hazardous Materials Response Team?

A. To inspect buildings where hazardous chemicals are used or manufactured

B. To assist in the disposal of household hazardous waste

C. To develop a community plan for responding to hazardous materials incidents

D. To provide the skills, knowledge, and technical equipment needed to offensively handle hazardous materials incidents

Decontamination is needed in order to:

A. Treat injuries resulting from chemical emergencies

B. Estimate the amount of contaminant to which a person has been exposed

C. Remove contaminants from people and equipment

D. Identify chemicals involved in an accident

The tendency of chemicals to become more concentrated as they move up the food chain is known as:

A. Biodegradation

B. Biomagnification

C. Leachification

D. Chemical breakdown

When treating a household incident involving exposure to a poison, your most reliable source of advice and expertise is:

A. The police

B. The product’s label

C. The local health department

D. The Poison Control Center

Formal mutual aid agreements with surrounding jurisdictions are seldom if ever needed, since everyone is ready to pitch in when an incident occurs.

A. True

B. False

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