The aim of this page is to provide our members with a comprehensive facility for accessing chemical / HNS spill response tools, manuals, guidelines, case histories and other information from a wide range of sources. Users are invited to recommend inclusion of additional information that will be useful to other members. Please send your suggestions to [email protected]

Members are requested to report any broken links or other problems in order that corrective action can be taken

These pages are revised and updated from time to time but content may not always contain latest information that has recently been uploaded on websites of the listed organizations. You can check for updates by visiting the websites of the listed information sources.

LIST OF CONTENTS / INFORMATION SOURCES

CENTRE OF DOCUMENTATION, RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION ON ACCIDENTAL WATER POLLUTION  (CEDRE)

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO)

ITOPF LTD.

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA)

NHL UNIVERSITY  –  CHEMICAL SPILL RESPONSE MANUAL

PIPELINE & HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (PHMSA) – EMERGENCY RESPONSE GUIDE (ERG)

REGIONAL MARINE POLLUTION EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTRE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA (REMPEC)

US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

US NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE (NLM – NIH) – WIRELESS INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS (WISER)

SAFE WORK AUSTRALIA

CENTRE OF DOCUMENTATION, RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION ON ACCIDENTAL WATER POLLUTION  (CEDRE)

 We regret to advise that the links for downloading the guidelines given below are currently not active. Cedre has advised that it is hoped to reactivate the links soon. Links will be re-activated and new material will be added as soon as they become available from Cedre.

http://wwz.cedre.fr/en/

Cedre produces custom-made documents providing an overview of field issues and compiling operational information for use in the event of a spill.   Cedre documents are available in French, English and Spanish.

The dissemination of Cedre’s knowledge in the form of guides and operational documents is intended to help readers to manage, or prepare to manage, accidental water pollution.

Cedre Operational Guides provide information for decision-makers and operators in the event of a spill of pollutant into an aquatic environment.  In this section links are provided for downloading Cedre Operational Guides but you can find much more useful information by visiting the Cedre website at http://wwz.cedre.fr/en/ 

First line information in case of chemical spills into water

IMPORTANT: Please note that some of the CEDRE guides listed in the CEDRE section within the Oil Spill Response part of the ISCO Technical & Reference pages have application in both Chemical and Oil Response situations. You should therefore also visit the CEDRE section under Oil Spill Response for relevant information. 

Ammonia

Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) 

PHMSA’s 2012 Emergency Response Guidebook provides first responders with a go-to manual to help deal with hazmat accidents during the critical first 30 minutes. DOT’s goal is to place an ERG in every emergency service vehicle nationwide.

Download the ERG

REGIONAL MARINE POLLUTION EMERGENCY CENTRE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA (REMPEC)

http://www.rempec.org 

 The “Regional Oil Combating Centre” (ROCC) was originally established in 1976 by the decision of the Contracting Parties with the mandate to strengthen the capacities of coastal States in the Mediterranean region and to facilitate co-operation among them in order to combat massive marine pollution by oil, particularly by developing national capacities to combat oil pollution and by establishing a regional information system with a view to dealing with marine pollution emergencies. In 1989, the name of the Centre was changed to the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC). REMPEC is administered by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in cooperation with UNEP/MAP.

REMPEC has developed a series of Guidlines with particular relevance to the Mediterranean Region.

Material safety data sheet

The document provides an explanation of the basic terminology and definitions contained in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).  MSDS is an important source of information on physical and chemical properties of a chemical that might be released during an accident, and it is essential that these are clearly understood by the personnel handling chemicals. 

MSDS regularly contain information on the biological and hazardous properties presented by the chemical in question and the preventive measures to be taken when the chemical is spilled.

Guide for the significance of a Safety Data Sheet

Personal protective equipment and monitoring devices

The document gives background information on various aspects to consider in the acquisition of personal protection equipment and provides those in charge of response operations with the necessary information for the selection of the appropriate equipment in relation to the conditions and hazards encountered in a hazardous material spilled.  It deals with the following topics:
             – the routes of exposure of response personnel to hazardous substances;
             – a description of personal protective equipment;
             – personal portable monitoring devices for chemical spill response;
             – spill protection levels and the associated protective equipment required;
             – the requirements for entry into enclosed spaces;
             – decontamination procedures

Guide for Personal Protective Equipment and Monitoring Devices for Maritime Chemical Emergencies

Foams in Chemical Spill Response

The main body of the document is a synopsis of the subject matter and aims at providing those involved in response operations with background information on the various technical issues associated with the use of foam as a response method.  It contains four main sections: (i) the fundamentals of a foam, (ii) foam concentrates, (iii) the production of a finished foam, and (iv) application of finished foam, and various Annexes, one of which (Annex III) lists common terminology associated with foam use.

Guide for Theory Proactive in Chemical Spill Response

Gaseous releases from maritime incidents

The document provides emergency-planning personnel with informative background on the issues related to releases of gases, and it is intended for the response personnel, in particular decision-makers, who have a basic maritime and technical background. The document deals with the following topics: aspects of the chemistry of gases pertaining to their carriage at sea, container systems for packaged gases, layouts of gas carriers, international regulations governing the transportation of gases by sea, hazardous properties of gases, behaviour of airborne gas releases, and response measures for gas releases.

Since it is recognized that the overall topic of the transport of gases   by sea is extremely complex, some liberties have been taken in the way   some of the information has been presented. This has been done to  ensure  that the various concepts can be easily understood by a wide  audience.

Guide for Risks of Gaseous releases resulting from Maritime Accidents

US NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE (NLM – NIH) – WIRELESS INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS (WISER)

http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/

WISER is a system designed to assist emergency responders in hazardous material incidents. WISER provides a wide range of information on hazardous substances, including substance identification support, physical characteristics, human health information, and containment and suppression advice.

WISER is available for download as a standalone application on Microsoft Windows PCs, Apple iPhone and iPod Touch, Google Android devices, and BlackBerry devices.

Visit the training page to download materials that aid with training on the usage of WISER.