Facilities must be designed, constructed, maintained and
operated to minimize the possibility of fire, explosion, or any unplanned
sudden or nonsudden release of dangerous waste or dangerous waste constituents
to air, soil, or surface or groundwater which could threaten the public health
or the environment. This section describes preparations and preventive measures
which help avoid or mitigate such situations.
(1) Required equipment. All facilities must
be equipped with the following, unless it can be demonstrated to the department
that none of the hazards posed by waste handled at the facility could require a
particular kind of equipment specified below:
(a) An internal communications or alarm
system capable of providing immediate emergency instruction to facility
personnel;
(b) A device, such as a
telephone or a hand-held, two-way radio, capable of summoning emergency
assistance from local police departments, fire departments, or state or local
emergency response teams;
(c)
Portable fire extinguishers, fire control equipment (including special
extinguishing equipment, such as that using foam, inert gas, or dry chemicals),
spill control equipment, and decontamination equipment; and
(d) Water at adequate volume and pressure to
supply water hose streams, foam producing equipment, automatic sprinklers, or
water spray systems.
All facility communications or alarm systems, fire protection
equipment, spill control equipment, and decontamination equipment, where
required, must be tested and maintained as necessary to assure its proper
operation in time of emergency.
(2) Access to communications or alarms.
Personnel must have immediate access to the signalling devices described in the
situations below:
(a) Whenever dangerous waste
is being poured, mixed, spread, or otherwise handled, all personnel involved
must have immediate access to an internal alarm or emergency communication
device, either directly or through visual or voice contact with another
employee, unless such a device is not required in subsection (1) of this
section;
(b) If there is ever just
one employee on the premises while the facility is operating, he must have
immediate access to a device, such as a telephone or a hand-held, two-way
radio, capable of summoning external emergency assistance, unless such a device
is not required in subsection (1) of this section.
(3) Aisle space. The owner or operator must
maintain aisle space to allow the unobstructed movement of personnel, fire
protection equipment, spill control equipment, and decontamination equipment to
any area of facility operation in an emergency, unless it can be demonstrated
to the department that aisle space is not needed for any of these
purposes.
(4) Arrangements with
local authorities. The owner or operator must attempt to make the following
arrangements, as appropriate for the type of waste handled at his facility and
the potential need for the services of these organizations, unless the hazards
posed by wastes handled at the facility would not require these arrangements:
(a) Arrangements to familiarize police, fire
departments, and emergency response teams with the layout of the facility,
properties of dangerous waste handled at the facility and associated hazards,
places where facility personnel would normally be working, entrances to and
roads inside the facility, and possible evacuation routes;
(b) Arrangements to familiarize local
hospitals with the properties of dangerous waste handled at the facility and
the types of injuries or illnesses which could result from fires, explosions,
or releases at the facility;
(c)
Agreements with state emergency response teams, emergency response contractors,
and equipment suppliers; and
(d)
Where more than one party might respond to an emergency, agreements designating
primary emergency authority and agreements with any others to provide support
to the primary emergency authority.
(5) Where state or local authorities decline
to enter into such arrangements, the owner or operator must document the
refusal in the operating record.
