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August 2006
Table of Content
TRAINING MANUAL.............................................................................................................................................................................I
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................................1
RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ...........................................................................................................2
DATA COLLECTION.......................................................................................................................................................................3
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ....................................................................................................................................................................3
Note: There are two user type’s State user and Field user in the HSEES system. The State User can complete any event as described in
this manual. The Field user can enter data for a new event, save an event with a status of Review, open an existing event with a status of
Review, or modify data in an event with a status of Review. Question 3 is not an available option to the Field user. The State user must
answer Question 3 in an event with a status of Review in order to save the event as Pending and all other required questions to save it as
Complete. Question-Specific Instructions ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
Question-Specific Instructions....................................................................................................................................................................... 5
MAIN IDENTIFIER ................................................................................................................................................................................5
EVENT IDENTIFICATION...................................................................................................................................................................5
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Event Identification. ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Date that this event was entered in the HSEES system. ...................................................................................................... 5
Based on the HSEES protocol, is this event eligible to be entered into the surveillance system? ....................................... 6
Revised Case Definition Effective January 1, 2006 ......................................................................................................................6
Inclusion Requirements: ................................................................................................................................................................7
Exclusion Requirements:...............................................................................................................................................................9
Question 4
Were the substances associated with this event? ............................................................................................................... 11
NOTIFICATION TAB ...........................................................................................................................................................................12
Event Notification Information ...................................................................................................................................................12
Question 5
Question 6
Question 7
Date of Notification........................................................................................................................................................... 12
Notification Source. (Who first notified the state health department?) ............................................................................ 13
Notification Contact .......................................................................................................................................................... 14
DESCRIPTION TAB .............................................................................................................................................................................15
Event Date, Time, and Location ..................................................................................................................................................15
Question 8
Question 9
Question 10
Question 11
Question 12
Question 13
Question 14
Question 15
What was the date of this event? ....................................................................................................................................... 15
On what day of the week did this event occur? ................................................................................................................. 16
What time did the event start? ........................................................................................................................................... 16
Were multiple locations contaminated during this event? ................................................................................................. 17
Event location.................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Event Location Name........................................................................................................................................................ 18
Is the industry listed in Question 13 the same as industry (or entity) that ......................................................................... 21
Event Responsible Party.................................................................................................................................................... 21
AREA/FACTORS TAB .........................................................................................................................................................................23
Area affected by event and factors contributing to event ............................................................................................................23
Question 16
Question 17
Question 18
Were any of the following within a ¼ mile of the event?.................................................................................................. 23
What is the general land use in the surrounding area?....................................................................................................... 24
What were the general weather conditions at the time of the event?................................................................................. 25
TRANSPORTATION/FIXED FACILITY TAB...........................................................................................................................................27
Transport of substances involved in an event..............................................................................................................................27
Question 19
Question 20
Question 21
Question 22
Question 23
Question 24
Question 25
Question 26
What type of event was this?............................................................................................................................................. 27
What mode of transportation was involved? ..................................................................................................................... 29
What phase of transportation was involved? ..................................................................................................................... 30
What area/equipment of the fixed facility was involved in the event? .............................................................................. 30
How many people were working at the facility at the time of the event? .......................................................................... 33
How many non-working people were present at the facility at the time of the event? ...................................................... 33
Factors contributing to the release..................................................................................................................................... 35
Did the release impact closed structure? ........................................................................................................................... 37
SUBSTANCE TAB................................................................................................................................................................................38
Description of Substance(s).........................................................................................................................................................38
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Question 27
What is the total number of chemicals reported for this event?......................................................................................... 38
Question 28
Chemical number. ............................................................................................................................................................. 39
Question 29
Chemical or trade name of substance. ............................................................................................................................... 39
Question 30
Was the substance ............................................................................................................................................................. 49
Question 31
Type of substance.............................................................................................................................................................. 51
Question 32
Was this substance used as a pesticide? ............................................................................................................................ 51
Question 33
Please provide identification information if the chemical name is not on the picklist....................................................... 51
Question 34 Type of release. ..................................................................................................................................................................... 52
Question 35
Quantity released............................................................................................................................................................... 52
Question 36
Unit of measure. ................................................................................................................................................................ 53
VICTIMS TAB .....................................................................................................................................................................................54
Morbidity and Mortality ..............................................................................................................................................................54
Question 37
How many people were transported to a medical facility for a check-up or observation, but did not have any symptoms?
54
Question 38
How many people were injured in this event (number of victims)? .................................................................................. 55
Question 39
Victims .............................................................................................................................................................................. 56
Question 39A
Category of victim. .................................................................................................................................................... 57
Question 39B
To be answered if the victim is a responder: Is the victim a certified HazMat technician? ........................................ 58
Question 39C
Severity and disposition of victim .............................................................................................................................. 61
Question 39D
Adverse health effects................................................................................................................................................ 63
Question 39E
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ...................................................................................................................... 65
Question 39F
Sex of victim............................................................................................................................................................... 66
Question 39G
Age of victim. ............................................................................................................................................................ 66
Question 39H
Describe the physical location of the victim at the time harmed in relation to the point of release............................ 67
Question 39I
Decontamination of injured person............................................................................................................................. 67
DECON/POPULATION TAB ..................................................................................................................................................................69
Decontamination..........................................................................................................................................................................69
Question 40
Question 41
Question 42
Question 43
Question 44
Question 45
Question 46
Question 47
Question 48
Question 49
Question 50
Question 51
Question 52
Question 53
Question 54
Question 55
Question 56
Question 57
Total number of uninjured people decontaminated ........................................................................................................... 69
How many uninjured employees were decontaminated at the scene? ............................................................................... 70
How many uninjured responders were decontaminated at the scene? ............................................................................... 70
How many uninjured members of the general population were decontaminated at the scene? ......................................... 70
How many uninjured students (at school) were decontaminated at the scene? ................................................................. 71
How many uninjured employees were decontaminated at a medical or other facility? ..................................................... 71
How many uninjured responders were decontaminated at a medical or other facility?..................................................... 71
How many uninjured members of the general population were decontaminated at a medical or other facility? ............... 71
How many uninjured students (at school) were decontaminated at a medical or other facility? ....................................... 71
Approximately how many people live within ¼ mile radius of the event?........................................................................ 74
Approximately how many people live within ½ mile radius of the event?........................................................................ 74
Approximately how many people live within 1 mile radius of the event?......................................................................... 74
Approximately how many people were actually at home within ¼ mile radius at the time of the event? ......................... 74
Approximately how many people were actually at home within ½ mile radius at the time of the event? ......................... 75
Approximately how many people were actually at home within 1 mile radius at the time of the event? .......................... 75
Define the area impacted by the release ............................................................................................................................ 75
Was a hospital or ambulance or other patient transport vehicle contaminated as a result of the event?............................ 75
Did the event affect any of the following routes of transportation? (select all that apply): ............................................... 76
EVACUATION TAB .............................................................................................................................................................................77
EVACUATION AND IN-PLACE SHELTERING ..............................................................................................................................77
Question 58
Question 59
manager, etc.)
Question 60
Question 61
Question 62
Question 63
Question 64
How many people self-evacuated as a result of the event?................................................................................................ 77
Did an official order an evacuation? (An official may be the incident commander, a fire marshal, police officer, plant
78
What criteria were used to define the evacuation area?..................................................................................................... 78
Record the number of people who were officially evacuated as a result of the event. ...................................................... 79
How many hours was the evacuation order in effect? ....................................................................................................... 79
Did an official order in-place sheltering? .......................................................................................................................... 79
Was access to the area restricted in any way? ................................................................................................................... 80
RESPONSE TAB..................................................................................................................................................................................81
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RESPONSE TO AND TERMINATION OF EVENT ..........................................................................................................................81
Question 65
Question 66
Question 67
Question 68
Question 69
Were actions taken, excluding decontamination, to stop or control the release?............................................................... 81
Activities taken to protect public health as a result of this event? (May have ONE or TWO entries)............................... 82
Emergency action terminated. ........................................................................................................................................... 83
Enter the time that the emergency phase of the event ended according to the incident commander. ................................ 83
Who responded to this incident? ....................................................................................................................................... 83
COMMENTS/SYNOPSIS TAB ...............................................................................................................................................................85
Extra comments relevant to the event..........................................................................................................................................85
Question 70
Question 71
Are there any comments on the data collection form?....................................................................................................... 85
Please enter a brief synopsis of the event (200 characters or less) .................................................................................... 86
Final Instructions .........................................................................................................................................................................86
QUALITY CONTROL .........................................................................................................................................................................87
PUBLICATIONS..................................................................................................................................................................................88
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History of Training Manual Updates
Date
Updated
01/31/2005
Page (s)
Updated
Page 80
Update Description
01/31/2005
Page 18
01/31/2005
Page 20
02/15/2005
Page 3
03/02/2005
Page 62
03/25/2005
03/25/2005
04/12/2005
04/12/2005
04/22/2005
Page 18
Page 21
Page 4
Page 18
Page 86
05/16/2005
Page 42
06/20/2005
Page 33
10/04/2005
Page 19
10/04/2005
Page 21
10/04/2005
10/04/2005
Page 18
Page 18
10/04/2005
08/01/2006
08/01/2006
08/01/2006
08/01/2006
Page 18, 24,
72
Page 6
Page 8, 9
Page 11
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Change Question 66 from [10] None to [A] None
Q:13 - Added pop-up alert window when invalid NAICS code is
entered.
Q:15 - Added pop-up alert window when invalid NAICS code is
entered.
Rewording of 90 day start-end date explanation.
Changes wording from “Not Chemical” to “Thermal”. Added
explanation for unknown burn recording.
Q:13 – Revised “Event Location Name” language.
Q:15 – Revised “Event Responsible Party” language.
Created new user type Field User
Modified NAICS codes language to allow entry of a 5 digit code
Q:71 – Added “required field to save the event”
Added “manure pit gasses” to Q:28 Chemical substance
description.
Q:23 - Added clarification of the term facility and people working
in a facility.
Q: 13 – Added optional field to capture additional information
about where event occurred to assist in determining the Type of
Industry.
Q: 15 – Added optional field to capture additional information on
Released Industry Name (figure 3) description.
Q: 12 – County added to GeoCode lookup.
Q: 12 – Added popup warning when latitude and longitude are out
of range for state.
Q: 12 – Added pop-up prompt advising user to push ‘D’, ‘P’, or
‘G’ if information in Q: 12 is changed.
Revision to Case Definition
Modified Inclusion list
Modified Exclusion list.
Update to substance identification list.
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HSEES Training Manual
Introduction
The Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) Training manual is
designed to provide state coordinators with specific instructions to successfully input data for the
HSEES system. This manual provides explanations and instructions for each question in the
system. If, however, you are unable to answer a question after consulting this manual, contact
your ATSDR technical advisor.
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Responsibilities of State Health
Departments
In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of HSEES, each state is responsible for
conducting the activities listed below:
1. Develop a mechanism for state health department notification of events in a timely manner.
This includes developing formal or informal agreements with all agencies within the state
that are notified of hazardous substances emergencies. These agencies may include, but are
not limited to, state police and fire departments, environmental agencies, and various offices
of emergency government. The agreements should provide the participating state health
departments with notifications of hazardous substances emergencies shortly after the event
occurs.
2. Investigate the emergency event by gathering information from various sources. Sources
may include, but are not limited to, those agencies mentioned in item 1 and other relevant
Federal, state, local, and private agencies in keeping with the surveillance protocol.
3. Establish and maintain an appropriate and timely schedule of gathering and entering
information into the web-based system in keeping with the HSEES protocol.
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DATA COLLECTION
The following two sections provide instructions to complete the data collection form. The first
section lists general instructions. The second section discusses the intent and instructions for
each question of the data collection form.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Information may be directly entered into the HSEES system from documentation. Print a copy
of the HSEES record and attach it to the documentation for storage. Completing a hardcopy of
the data collection form is no longer required.
Always use the version of the data collection form with the current OMB number and expiration
date.
See the HSEES System User Guide for instructions on using the HSEES system.
Events entered into the HSEES system cannot have an end date (date emergency response was
completed) greater than 90 days from the start date (date event occurred).
Complete all applicable questions for the event. In the HSEES system, the fields for Questions
3, 8, 12, and 71 are required fields.
Write down or directly enter information immediately. Do not rely on memory to complete the
data entry at a later time.
Verify information (e.g., repeat information back to the notification contact and verify spelling).
Use leading zeros for dates when necessary.
Verify that the answer is within the allowable range for each question.
Leave questions blank when the skip pattern allows you to skip a question or if the answer is
unknown.
Use the Other option sparingly and only when none of the available options are appropriate. For
questions where the Other option is available, do not repeat or combine any of the response
options listed for that question in the Other text field. For example, when you select Other, and
enter descriptive text in the adjacent blank field the description cannot include terms that
describe the other available options. Enter the descriptive text using all uppercase letters.
Use the hardcopy and supporting documentation to assist in completing the data entry in the
web-based system.
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Unless there is absolutely no information available, use best ‘guestimates’ of categories for
approximating item responses that are not literally known, such as time of event, chemical
quantity, and age of victim.
Make all attempts to receive notifications and enter all existing preliminary data in HSEES
within 48 hours of the occurrence of the event. You can no longer enter events in batches. To
save the event you need information at a minimum for:
•
Question 3 (whether the event meets the HSEES case definition)
•
Question 8 (the event date)
•
Question 12 (the event state)
•
Question 71 (description of event location)
However, you should enter all available data. You should only save the event as complete if you
feel that you have all of the data that you can get for that event. If you make an event complete
and receive additional information at a later time, you can still make changes to the record.
However, once you delete an event, it is no longer editable. If you delete an event by mistake,
you will need to create a new record.
Note: There are two user type’s State user and Field user in the HSEES system. The State
User can complete any event as described in this manual. The Field user can enter data for a new
event, save an event with a status of Review, open an existing event with a status of Review, or
modify data in an event with a status of Review. Question 3 is not an available option to the
Field user. The State user must answer Question 3 in an event with a status of Review in order
to save the event as Pending and all other required questions to save it as Complete.
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Question-Specific Instructions
MAIN IDENTIFIER
Event Identification
Figure1: Event Identification
Question 1
Event Identification.
Intent:
Identifies each event in the computer files by a specific code number. This
number identifies each unique event and is used to link the records of events from
the different data files. Use the event identification number to recall an event in
order to view or edit the record.
Instructions: The HSEES system automatically generates a 10-character identification code for
the event in the Event identifier field (Figure 1) when you save the event. The
first two digits of the event identifier equal the state abbreviation where the event
occurred. The next four digits equal the year in which the event occurred. The
last four digits equal a sequential number.
Write this number into your written documentation.
Notes:
Never reuse event identification numbers, even if the previous record using that
identification number was deleted. If a record is a duplicate, delete it.
If this is a non-qualifying event, select No for Question 3.
Question 2
Date that this event was entered in the HSEES system.
Intent:
Indicates the date when the event was entered in the HSEES system.
Instructions: The current system date (mm-dd-yyyy format) is automatically entered in the
Date entered system field (Figure 1) when the event is entered into the HSEES
system. Write this date into your written documentation.
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Notes:
This date is not necessarily the date when the event occurred or the date when you
were notified of the event.
Initial entry of events should commence within one day of notification of the state
health department. It is desirable to have initial entry of the event into the
database within 48 hours of occurrence. Events may no longer be entered in
batches.
Question 3
Based on the HSEES protocol, is this event eligible to be entered into the
surveillance system?
An event is a release of any hazardous substance, except petroleum, in an amount
that needs to be removed, cleaned up, or neutralized according to Federal, state, or
local law. Threatened releases of such substances are also included if the threat
led to an action (e.g., evacuation) to protect public health.
Revised Case Definition Effective January 1, 2006
A HSEES event is an uncontrolled or illegal acute release of any hazardous
substance (except petroleum when petroleum is the only substance released),
in any amount for substances listed on the HSEES Mandatory Chemical
Reporting List, or if not on the list, in an amount greater than or equal to 10
lbs or 1 gallon. Threatened releases of qualifying amounts (any amount if on
the HSEES Mandatory Chemical Reporting List, or if not on the list in an
amount greater than or equal to 10 lbs or 1 gallon) will be included if the
threat led to an action (e.g., evacuation) to protect the public health.
Intent:
Determines the eligibility of an emergency event in the surveillance system.
Instructions: Select the Yes or No option in the Eligible for entrance to surveillance system:
field (Figure 1).
If you select the No option, select one of the following reasons that the event is not
eligible in the adjacent Why field (Figure 1):
[1] Hoax
[2] Petroleum
[3] Small quantity
[4] Chronic
[5] Insufficient information
[6] Not a hazardous substance
[7] Controlled/legal/permitted release
[8] Duplicate
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[A] No release, no public health action
[B] Suspicious activity (potentially terrorism)
[C] Not a potential HSEES event
Note:
A hazardous substance includes, but is not limited to, any element, substance,
compound, or mixture including disease-causing agents, which after release into
the environment and upon exposure, ingestion, inhalation, or assimilation into any
organism either directly from the environment or indirectly by ingestion through
the food chain, will or may reasonably be anticipated to cause death, disease,
behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutation, physiological malformations
including malformations in reproduction, or physical deformation in such
organisms or their offspring. The term hazardous substance does not include
petroleum such as crude oil or any fraction thereof that is not otherwise
specifically listed or designated a hazardous substance. Hazardous substances
include chemical, biological, radiological, and medical materials.
Suspicious activity should have the potential for the release of a hazardous
substance to be an event.
Inclusion Requirements:
• All substances on the EPA Extremely Hazardous List were added to the
HSEES Mandatory Reporting List with a zero threshold quantity. Mercury and
acetone were also added to the list with a zero threshold quantity.
• All substances with a CERCLA RQ of 1 (except mercury), that are not also on
the EPA Extremely Hazardous List, are reportable at 1 lb.
• Releases of unknown quantity of substances on the Mandatory Reporting List
are included. Releases of unknown quantity of substances not on the list are
included if there is sufficient information to assume it is over 10 lbs/1 gallon.
• States are highly encouraged to record as surveillance=no events that have
injusry, but don’t meet the reporting quantity criteria, so that the substances
involved can be analyzed at the end of the year for inclusion on next year’s list.
• Include releases above permitted quantities, even if the violation is excused.
For example, if a company reports to the environmental department that it is to
perform maintenance and will release 2,000 gallons of chlorine in the process.
Even if the environmental department does not charge the company with a
violation because it reported ahead of time, the amount is still above
permissible quantities and should be included.
• Include acute, emergency releases (i.e., short-term, sudden, unexpected,
uncontrolled, serious events requiring immediate action). For example, include
a release of PCBs from a transformer struck by lightning or a car. Use 72
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hours as a rule of thumb; an event that lasts longer than 72 hours is considered
to be chronic.
• Include events involving both the release of a case definition substance and
a petroleum product (e.g., a truck carrying hazardous substances rolls and
100 gallons of diesel fuel is spilled along with the other hazardous substances
in the truck).
• Include threatened releases that meet qualifying criteria.
• Include pesticide events when regulations are not followed or operator error
occurs, such as application to the wrong location, in a wrong concentration or
quantity, spills, neglecting to make appropriate changes to ventilation system,
and inappropriate work practices.
• Include intentional, illegal, and acute releases of hazardous substances, such
as the release of Sarin by terrorists. Similarly, deliberate exposure of
individuals to pepper spray would be an event except when the exposure is
controlled, legal, and permitted such as by law enforcement officials.
• Include fires in private residences if an unusually large quantity of a
hazardous substance or a hazardous substance that is not usually present in
private homes was in the house prior to the fire (e.g., fire at a house containing
an unusual quantity of old PCB-containing transformers because the PCBs
would not normally be present in this quantity; fire in a house where hydrazine
[rocket fuel] was present because hydrazine is not normally present in homes).
• Include events at private homes if they meet HSEES criteria, even when they
involve consumer products such as drain cleaner. For example: (1) children
who find and contaminate themselves and other surfaces with elemental
mercury, or (2) circulation via the ventilation system in an apartment building
of vapors from a spilled household pesticide.
• Include events where a hazardous substance is released from an overflow
and/or containment structure to the general environment or workers were
exposed either during release, chemical recovery, or cleanup. Also include
threatened releases from the containment structure if they meet the criteria for a
threatened event.
• Include a small freight package (e.g., UPS, FedEx) incident if the identity of
the hazardous substance is known, and regulations require that the hazardous
substance be removed, cleaned up, or neutralized. Using kitty litter or other
absorbent material to soak up a hazardous material for removal does qualify as
cleanup; hence, small spills of hazardous materials do qualify as events if they
are cleaned up in this manner.
• Include releases associated with illegal drug laboratories when the HSEES
criteria are met. The mere existence of these labs does not qualify them as an
event. Include them when a hazardous substance was released within 72 hours
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of the authorities initiating its investigation, and met the case definition or if a
threatened release occurred. Determining whether or not the release occurred
within 72 hours can be difficult; however, if there is no apparent evidence of a
release, but responders suffered injuries while entering the premises, this is
evidence of a release and should be included. If there is absolutely no evidence
of a release of chemicals or a public health action, such as EPA performing a
clean-up, then exclude it. If it is not known that a release or a public health
action has occurred (and every attempt has been made by the HSEES state to
find this out), and no one was injured, then exclude it. If the primary issue is
that there was a known release, but you do not know what the chemical was
and you have attempted to find out what the specific chemical was then type in
Meth Lab Chemical NOS in the Entered Name field (see Figure 8). Because
most Meth Lab chemicals are on the HSEES extremely hazardous list, the 10
pound/1 gallon minimum reporting limit does not apply.
• Include incidents involving suicide and attempted suicide only when the
method was non-medicinal, persons other than the individual attempting
suicide were exposed, and the hazardous substance met the case definition.
The chemical must have been released to the environment, not confined to a
bottle or other container. Include suicides where other persons who found the
body or cleaned up the hazardous material were exposed, or if there was
secondary contamination such as to emergency services or medical personnel.
Do not include suicide from carbon monoxide gas if no one else is exposed
once the source is shut off, and no clean up is required. For example, a suicide
by chloroform in an enclosed space where responders were exposed and the
chloroform had to be cleaned up from contaminated surfaces should be
included.
• Include explosions that are uncontrolled or illegal, and where the explosion
caused a dispersal of hazardous substances.
Exclusion Requirements:
• Do not include chronic releases (e.g., releases occurring over a period of time
or releases that do not meet the 72-hour rule for actual and threatened releases).
For example, do not include a PCB leak at a transformer that has been
occurring for years or PCBs found in a landfill when it is not known how long
they have been there. These are chronic, non-emergency situations, and do not
qualify as HSEES events. Do not include the long-term or continuous
release of hazardous substances above permitted quantities (e.g., smokestack
or waste water effluent above regulatory amounts). While these may constitute
public health problems, they are chronic events, and thus are not eligible for
HSEES.
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• Do not include releases where the only substance involved was petroleum fuels
(butane, crude oil, kerosene, gasoline, or propane).
• Do not include events where the substance cannot be identified or
categorized. However, include events where the substance can be classified
into a substance category, such as acid, pesticide, methamphetamine
production chemicals, or paint “not otherwise specified” (NOS).
• Do not include pesticide drift (i.e., aerial application that drifts beyond the
target area) when it is properly applied, but due to unexpected conditions, such
as a change in wind conditions, it drifted.
• Exclude house fires where no unusually hazardous substance was present
before the fire (e.g., a house fire that is unusually difficult to put out due to the
presence of polystyrene insulation or Styrofoam packaging peanuts, even
though the smoke was thick and noxious, firefighters were decontaminated, or
neighbors were evacuated, because the polystyrene/Styrofoam was not
hazardous before the fire).
• Exclude fires at other locations if there was no hazardous substance present
before the fire (e.g., a fire at a lumberyard because no hazardous substances
were present before the fire; a fire where the only substances present before the
fire was petroleum; a fire where plastics and rubber had been dumped long
before because the substances present before the fire were not hazardous and
had been there a long time; tire fires because no hazardous substances were
present before the fire).
• Exclude spills contained within a closed overflow and/or containment
system that is operating as designed and intended, there is no release to the
general environment including gases or vapors, and no one was exposed even
during any cleanup. These chemicals may need to be recovered and recycled
from the containment structure, but this is not considered cleanup if the
chemicals remain contained within closed systems.
• Do not include small freight package incidents involving stained packages
where no apparent spill occurred, unless a hazardous substance leaked and the
incident meets the case definition (e.g., an emergency situation requiring
removal, clean-up, or neutralization). Stained packages are often over packed
for tidiness. This action does not qualify as cleanup, so over packing by itself
would not normally qualify an incident as an event.
• Do not include medical mishaps due to misadministration of medical
treatments or diagnostic tests (e.g., radiation or pharmaceutical treatment to the
wrong patient or in excessive doses) or deliberate internal (controlled)
poisonings (e.g., date-rape drug).
• Do not include explosions where essentially no chemical exposure occurred
(e.g., the hazard was the physical force of wind velocity). For example,
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exclude events where the only chemical listed is dynamite. The logic is that
exposure to nitroglycerin in an unexploded stick of dynamite is minimal, and
the purpose of HSEES is to track exposures to hazardous substances.
• Do not include hoaxes. A hoax is a situation where a false claim is made that a
hazardous substance is present. For example, a letter is sent containing a
message that the envelope contains anthrax bacteria, but is subsequently
determined that no anthrax is present. Hoaxes are not events. If you desire to
retain hoaxes for state analyses, select the No option for Question 3. Do not
code hoaxes as threatened events because no hazardous substances are present.
• Stack emissions of SOX, NOX, or CO are not reportable at any quantity,
unless there is another hazardous substance present, or there is also a fire or
explosion.
• Home events with an injury, but no outside response or public health action
(e.g., evacuation) are not included. Outside response can include
environmental agencies, but not calls to the Poison control center.
• Carbon monoxide at levels less than 50ppm, where concentration is known, are
excluded.
Miscellaneous Issues:
Multiple events in a short time period. If more than one release occurs of the
same chemicals from the same source within the same facility on the same day
and each release is distinct (e.g., the release started, was controlled and stopped,
then happened again), enter each release as a separate event even if the company
considers them one incident.
Question 4
Were the substances associated with this event?
Intent:
Determines if:
• all substances were actually released into the environment
• all substances were threatened to be released and no actual release occurred
• some substances were released and some were threatened to be released
Instructions: This question is answered by what you have entered into Question 30 for all
chemicals. See Question 30 for additional instructions.
1 = All actually released into environment
2 = All threatened to be released into environment
3 = Some actually and some threatened to be released
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NOTIFICATION TAB
Event Notification Information
Figure 2: Notification Tab
Question 5
Date of Notification.
Intent:
Indicates the date when the HSEES staff was notified of the event
Instructions: Select or type the date (mm-dd-yyyy format) notified in the Date field.
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Notes:
Question 6
Intent:
This date is used to help identify events entered into the database after more than
48 hours have passed, due to a lag in notification.
Notification Source. (Who first notified the state health department?)
Identifies the state health department’s initial or primary source of information
concerning the event.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the Notification source field (Figure 2):
[0] Media
[1] On scene commander/incident commander or staff (e.g., fire, police, EPA)
[2] Health agency other than the state health dept
[3] Medical facility (or poison control center)
[4] Environmental department or division
[5] Emergency government/emergency services
[6] Citizen or citizen’s group
[7] Owner/operator of facility, vehicle, or vessel
[8] Other_________________(15)
[9] Unknown
[A] DOT/HMIS and ERNS
[B] Other government agency
[C] Other program within state health department
If you select Other, type the person’s affiliation in the adjacent field.
Notes:
In most cases, the initial sources are records kept by another state agency, such as
the Environmental Protection Agency designated to receive the first reports of
spills. In other cases, someone may call or contact the state HSEES coordinator
directly or there may be a story in the news media.
Include media if you initially learned about the event through the news media.
Include only those responders who are part of the onsite team in On scene
commander/incident commander or staff.
Include environmental department databases in Environmental department or
division.
Include NRC, 911 operators, and other responders such as fire and police who are
not part of the onsite team in Emergency government/emergency services.
Include Department of Transportation, DOT’s Hazardous Material Information
System, and EPA’s Emergency Response Notification System in DOT/HMIS and
ERNS.
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Include Federal, state, and local agencies such as Labor and Industry and the
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in Other government
agency.
Question 7
Notification Contact
Intent:
Indicates the full name, agency, address, and telephone number of the person who
provided the initial information concerning the event or the person to contact for
follow-up.
Instructions: Since the Notification Contact field (Figure 2) is encrypted, you may enter
whichever is better for your purposes, but try to be consistent. Type or select the
appropriate information in the following fields:
Name field - name of the contact person
Agency field- agency name associated with the contact person
Street field- street address (do not use a Post Office box) of the contact person
City field - city in which the street address is located
State field - two-character state abbreviation in which the city is located
County field - county in which the street address is located
Zip code field - five-digit ZIP associated with the street address
Country field – country in which the state is located.
Phone number field - area code and phone number of the contact person
Notes field - any additional information regarding the contact person
Verify that the information is correct by repeating the information back to the
notification contact and verifying the spelling.
Note:
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The State field is inactive until you select an option in the Country field. The
County field is inactive until you select and option in the State field.
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DESCRIPTION TAB
Event Date, Time, and Location
Figure 3: Description Tab Screen
Question 8
What was the date of this event?
Intent:
Indicates the date when the event started.
Instructions: Select or type the date (mm-dd-yyyy format) the event started in the Date of the
event field (Figure 3). This is a required field. You must know the date when the
event started.
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Note:
If you enter a date for one of the following holidays, the “population at home”
calculation for Questions 52 – 54 should be treated as a weekend:
•
New Year’s Day
•
Memorial Day
•
Independence Day
•
Labor Day
•
Thanksgiving
•
Christmas
Question 9
On what day of the week did this event occur?
Intent:
Indicates the day of the week when the event started.
Instructions: The day is automatically entered in the Day of the week the event occurred field
(Figure 3) when you enter the date in the Date of the event field (Figure 3).
Question 10 What time did the event start?
Intent:
Indicates the time when the event started.
Instructions: Select or type in the time using the 24 hour format (e.g., 15:59) that the event
started in the Time of the event field (Figure 3). If the time is unknown, select a
time category. If time category unknown, leave blank. Remember to enter the
time that the event occurred, not the time when you were notified of the event.
The time category is automatically displayed in the adjacent field if you entered a
time in the Time of the event field. If you did not enter a time, select one of the
following:
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•
00:00 am - 05:59 am
•
06:00 am - 11:59 am
•
12:00 pm - 05:59 pm/12:00 - 17:59
•
06:00 pm - 11:59 am/18:00 - 23:59
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Notes:
Try to get the time, but if that is not possible, select the best approximate time
category. Try not to leave both the time and time category blank.
If the date entered in Question 8 and Question 67 is the same, the time entered in
Question 10 must be earlier than the time entered in Question 68.
If the date and time are changed you will be prompted to
Question 11 Were multiple locations contaminated during this event?
Intent:
To indicate whether or not the event contaminated more than one location. Leave
the option blank if unknown.
Instructions: Select either of the following
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
Notes:
Some events involve multiple locations. This could happen for any event that
involves secondary contamination at another location (e.g., hospital emergency
room contaminated by victims brought in without being decontaminated
appropriately). It could also happen when a transportation event takes place over
a distance (e.g., a moving truck spills over a number of miles). Different actions
(e.g., contamination, injury, evacuation, clean up) might occur at different
locations. In these instances, describe the location of the original spill, even if it
is over a long distance, and select the Yes option in the Were multiple locations
contaminated during this event field. You can write a more detailed narrative of
the event in the Comments section to reflect the locations and what happened.
Question 12 Event location
Intent:
Indicates the address and location where the event first occurred.
Instructions: The street and longitude/latitude in the Event Location field (Figure 3) are
encrypted to ATSDR and can only be viewed by the state. Type or select the
appropriate information in the following fields:
Street field - street address (do not use a Post Office box) where the event started.
If the exact address is unknown, enter other locating information such as cross
streets, highway mile marker, railroad crossing, etc.
City field - city in which the street address is located
State field - two-character state abbreviation in which the city is located
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County field - county in which the street address is located
Zip field - Five-digit ZIP associated with the street address
Country – Country in which the event takes place. By default your home country
is shown
Latitude field - latitude in either degree-minutes-seconds or decimal degree
format. The latitude and longitude given in the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)
database for fixed facilities is sometimes incorrect, so double-check these values.
Longitude field - longitude in either degree-minutes-seconds or decimal degree
format. The latitude and longitude given in the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)
database for fixed facilities is sometimes incorrect, so double-check these values.
User entered latitude and longitude data that is out of range for your state
will generate a message to on saving the event.
Click
to automatically enter the longitude and latitude of the address. If you
change the data in Questions 8 - 10 after using the GeoCode, Proximity, and
Demographics buttons, you will be prompted to press the buttons again to update
the coordinates and the population data.
Question 13 Event Location Name
Intent:
Indicates the description of the industry where the event first occurred.
Instructions: The Event Location Name field (Figure 3) is encrypted to ATSDR and can only
be viewed by the state. Type or select the appropriate information in the
following fields:
Event Location Name field - name of the event location. For example, the
company name for fixed-facility events, a parking lot, or a personal residence.
Type of Industry field - the type of industry based on the provided pick-list of
2002 NAICS codes (see Notes below for additional instructions). The pick-list
provides a hierarchical structure that begins with 20 broad sector two-digit codes.
At the most specific level, NAICS industries are identified by a six-digit code. At
least a three-digit NAICS code is required to save an event as complete. ATSDR
strongly encourages at least a four-digit NAICS code.
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Please know that you can go to the web-site directly and do your search from
there.
http://www.census.gov/epcd/naics02/naicod02.htm
The text search box at the top of this web-site can be very useful.
When in doubt about the appropriate NAICS code, if possible please contact the
company and ask.
If the event did not involve an “industry”, do not enter or select a NAICS code.
Instead, select “Not an industry” from the window below the NAICS Code Select
window where is says “Select below if no appropriate NAICS code is found”. If
not enough information is available to discern whether the event involved an
industry, do not enter or select a NAICS code. Instead, select “Not identified”
from the window below the NAICS Code Select window where it says “Select
below if no appropriate NAICS code is found”.
If a meth event occurs in a private residence; select 814110 Private Household for
Question 13, and “No” for Question 14. Do not select a NAICS code for
Question 15, instead select “Not an Industry” from the window below the NAICS
code select window where it says “Select below if no appropriate NAICS code is
found”. The secondary Factor in Question 25 should be [Q] Illicit drug
production related.
Entered Industry field – open text field to provide a description of where the event
occurred when an exact NAICS code (or NAICS alternative) can not be found or
additional description is desired. This field is available for both states and
ATSDR to view.
Notes:
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) was adopted by the
United States Office of Management and Budget as the official industry
classification system in 1997. The pick list is linked to the census website which
provides a drill down hypertext file for reviewing NAICS codes and definitions.
Choose a NAICS code by opening the folder to the left of the description and
click on “Lookup” to automatically link to the text descriptions.
Industry can be defined as the type of activity that is carried out at a person’s
place of work (e.g., factories, stores, offices, farms, and construction sites). Select
the overall type of activity of the facility, not the part of the facility where the
event occurred. Use business directories that describe companies within your
state to determine industry type or call the company, if needed. For chemical
manufacturing, identify the specific chemical being manufactured at that facility.
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If more than one chemical is manufactured, report the primary or major chemical
or category of chemicals manufactured at that location. For transportation events,
select the specific mode of transportation involved in the event (trucking, water
transport, air transport, railroad, bus/subway, taxicab, or pipeline). Companies
involved in shipping packages, such as UPS or FedEx, can be coded to a variety
of industry codes (such as trucking; air transportation; services incidental to
transportation; business services, n.e.c.) depending on the particular facility. If a
company is transporting goods for another company, select the transport
company.
Be as specific as possible with agricultural industries because they are coded
differently (e.g., crop farm, livestock farm, agriculture-related operation, or
service). For example, “Grain elevator” can be coded to either “424510 Grain
and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers" or “493130 Farm Product Warehousing
and Storage.” Distinguish between these two industries with the correct NAICS
code.
Select health care locations and services as specifically as possible (e.g., hospital,
laboratory, physician’s office).
For events that happen in private residences (house) and involve the homeowner
or tenant or domestic personnel (such as cooks, maids, chauffeurs, and gardeners),
select “814110 Private Households” in Q13, select “No” for Question 14, and in
Q15, select “Not an industry” from the window below the NAICS code select
window where is says “Select below if no appropriate NAICS code is found.”
If an event involves an apartment, select “531110 Apartment building rental or
leasing”. If the event was caused by the apartment tenant, select ‘No’ for
Question 14. For Q15, select “Not an industry” from the window below the
NAICS code select window where it says “Select below if no appropriate NAICS
code is found”.
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Question 14 Is the industry listed in Question 13 the same as industry (or entity) that
caused the hazardous substance(s) release?
Intent:
To differentiate between the industry at the location of the event and the industry
that caused the event
Instructions: Select either of the following:
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
If you select Yes, skip to Question 16.
Question 15 Event Responsible Party
Intent:
Indicates a description of the industry or principal responsible party that caused
the event.
Instructions: Select or type the appropriate information in the following fields:
Released Industry Name field (Figure 3) is encrypted to ATSDR and can only be
viewed by the state. Type or select the appropriate information in the following
fields:
Released Industry Name field - name of the event location. For example, the
company name for fixed-facility events, a parking lot, or a personal residence.
Type of Industry field - the type of industry based on the provided pick-list of
NAICS codes (see Notes below for additional instructions). The pick-list
provides a hierarchical structure that begins with 20 broad sector 2-digit codes.
At the most specific level, NAICS industries are identified by a 6-digit code. At
least a 3-digit NAICS code is required to save an event as complete. ATSDR
strongly encourages at least a 4-digit NAICS code.
If the event was not caused by an “industry”, do not enter or select a NAICS code.
Instead, select “Not an industry” from the window below the NAICS Code Select
window where it says “Select below if no appropriate NAICS code is found”. If
not enough information is available to discern whether the event involved an
industry, do not enter or select a NAICS code. Instead, select “Not identified”
from the window below the NAICS Code Select window where it says “Select
below if no appropriate NAICS code is found”.
Entered Industry field – open text field to provide a description of the principle
responsible party that caused the event when an exact NAICS code (or NAICS
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alternative) can not be found or additional description is desired. This field is
available for both states and ATSDR to view.
Notes:
Notes for Question 13 above also apply for Question 15.
If an event occurs at a private residence, but it is due to another business (such as
a lawn care company), then select “814110 Private Households” as the industry in
Q13 and select “561730 Landscaping Services” as the industry in Q15.
When the event involves maintenance or repair staff employed by the apartment
complex, enter the industry in Q13 as “531110 Apartment building rental or
leasing”, and enter “Yes” for Q14. If the event involves maintenance or repair
staff working in an apartment who operate their own business and are not
employees of the apartment complex, then enter the industry in Q13 as “531110
Apartment building rental or leasing”, answer “No” to Q14, and select the
industry responsible in Q15 (i.e., “238220 Plumbing, Heating, and Air
Conditioning Contractors” or “238350 Finish Carpentry Contractors”).
In some cases, it is not immediately obvious which industry to list in Q13 and
Q15, and a determination needs to be made before the above instructions on
recording industry type can be implemented. In deciding which industry to list, it
is still the facility as a whole, not a sub activity that is coded. For example,
bulldozers involved in the installation of a water line uncover and break buried
vials of hazardous substances at a fairground, and subsequently learned that this
location was formerly a military waste disposal area. Select “713990 All Other
Amusement and Recreation Industries” as the industry for Q13, select “No” for
Q14, and select “238910 Site Preparation Contractors” for Q15.
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AREA/FACTORS TAB
Area affected by event and factors contributing to event
Figure 4: Area/Factors Tab
Question 16 Were any of the following within a ¼ mile of the event?
Intent:
Determines the proximity of the event location in relation to the selected areas.
Instructions: Select the Yes or No option for as many of the following in the within a ¼ mile
radius of the event field (Figure 4) that apply. Leave any of the options blank if
unknown.
•
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Notes:
•
School
•
Hospital
•
Nursing Home
•
Licensed daycare
•
Industry or other business
•
Recreational area
Look for other resources in your state that may already collect this information.
Use first hand account from the interview with the local emergency response
person. If unknown, leave blank.
Click
to automatically determine the facilities that are within the radius of
the event in Question 16 based on the latest census for the address (including
latitude and longitude) entered in Question 12. If you change the data in Question
12 (address) after using the Geocode and Proximity buttons, you will be prompted
to press the buttons again to update the coordinates and the facility resources.
A school includes grades K - 12 only.
A hospital is for a true hospital.
An industry or other business includes post-secondary school (e.g. college,
university, or technical school), any medical clinics (other than a hospital), and
any other businesses or industries.
A recreational area is where people go as a pastime (e.g. movie theater, park,
football stadium, or ice skating rink).
Question 17 What is the general land use in the surrounding area?
Intent:
Determines the type of area in which the event occurred.
Instructions: Select one or two of the following in the General land use in the surrounding area
field (Figure 4):
[0] Undeveloped area
[1] Industrial area
[2] Commercial area
[3] Residential area
[4] Agricultural area
[A] Military facility/DOE/DOD
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[C] Recreational area
Notes:
For all codes, describe the immediate surrounding area of the facility, not the
actual facility. For example, if a school is in a residential area, select Residential
or if the school is in a commercial area, select Commercial.
Include areas such as an empty lot, cemetery, field, undeveloped land, marsh,
swamp, or ocean as Undeveloped.
Include areas such as a civilian airport, office building, hospital, college, or
university as Commercial if they are in a commercial type area.
Include areas such as an army base, nuclear reserve, or military airport as Military
facility/DOE/DOD.
Include a spill onto a railway, rail yard, or roadway as the general area
surrounding the railway, rail yard, or roadway. For example, if a truck carrying
hazardous materials turns over and the materials spill on the roadway, select the
description of the general area surrounding the roadway.
Coastal/waterway events should map to one of the choices provided.
Question 18 What were the general weather conditions at the time of the event?
Intent:
Determines the weather conditions during the course of the event.
Instructions: Select one or two of the following in the General weather conditions field
(Figure 4)
[1] Clear Skies (No extreme weather conditions)
[2] Rain
[3] Snow, ice, sleet
[4] Fog
[7] High winds
[8] Other_______________(15)
[A] Weather Disasters (hurricane, tornado, flood)
[B] Extreme heat
[C] Extreme cold
[D] Lighting
If you select Other, type descriptive text in the adjacent field.
Notes:
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If you select Other, do not use or combine any of the other listed options. Instead,
select the listed option.
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Select No extreme weather conditions if none of the other weather conditions
were present or it can be reasonably assumed that they were not present.
Extreme heat includes temperatures above 90° F.
Extreme cold includes temperatures below 1° F.
High winds causing damage equivalent to a hurricane or tornado may be
classified as a weather disaster.
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TRANSPORTATION/FIXED FACILITY TAB
Transport of substances involved in an event
Figure 5: Transportation/Fixed Facility Tab
Question 19 What type of event was this?
Intent:
Determines if this incident was a transportation event, as opposed to an event at a
fixed facility.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the What type of event is this field (Figure 5):
[1] Transportation
[2] Fixed facility (Go to Question 22)
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If you select Transportation, proceed to Question 20. If you select Fixed facility,
proceed to Question 22.
Notes:
All events are coded as either transportation or fixed facility.
Transportation events include events involving hazardous materials being
transported by ground transportation (e.g., trucks, vans, automobiles), railroad,
aircraft, boats, ships, and pipelines outside the boundaries of a fixed facility or in
certain circumstances on fixed-facility property. Specifically, if the event occurs
on a vehicle that brought a substance to the facility or will carry it away from the
facility, it is coded as a transportation event. For example, it is a transportation
event if (1) a spill occurs along the route of a moving vehicle such as a truck or a
train, but is not discovered until the vehicle reaches a destination or(2) a release is
discovered in a truck that is stopped at a gas station or other location. If a
substance was obviously spilled from a moving vehicle (e.g., the substance
covered a large distance on the side of the road or barrels were lying in the road),
it should be coded as transportation.
If an event is not clearly transportation, then code it as a fixed facility. Two
examples of events that are fixed facility, but might not seem to be, are containers
of chemicals found dumped in a field or hazardous substances found spilled on
the ground. Events involving vehicles that are part of the operation of the fixedfacility and occur within a fixed-facility are coded as fixed facility events (e.g.,
farm tractors, forklifts, and fixed-facility railroads, which are meant to move
items within a fixed facility).
During loading and unloading of a vehicle that is carrying substances to or from a
fixed facility (e.g., a cargo ship docked at port; a train at a depot, loading station,
or rail yard; a truck at a loading dock; an airplane at an airport, etc.), an event is:
•
transportation if the release occurs before all of the material has been
unloaded from the vehicle
•
fixed facility if the release occurs before all of the material has been totally
loaded onto the vehicle
•
fixed facility if the hazardous material was totally unloaded on a loading dock,
conveyor belt, forklift, or other location that is part of the fixed facility before
the spill occurred
The same guidelines apply to a small freight carrier, such as UPS or Federal
Express. If leakage occurs while the package is on the vehicle, regardless of
whether the vehicle is moving or stopped, code it as transportation. If leakage
occurs while the package is off a vehicle that is transporting it to or from the fixed
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facility whether it is on a loading dock, conveyor belt, forklift, or in temporary
storage, code the event as fixed facility.
If a release occurs when transferring chemicals from one railcar to another railcar
and the railcars are used in a storage capacity, the event is coded as fixed facility.
If the railcars are not being used in a storage capacity, then code the event as you
would for loading/unloading of a vehicle as described above.
If a release occurs when unloading chemicals from a dock to a stationary barge,
code this event as fixed facility.
If a release occurs when unloading chemicals from a stationary barge to a dock,
code this event as fixed facility.
While a crop duster may be functioning as a part of the farm machinery when it is
spraying the crops, it is transportation because it carried pesticides to the farm and
has not totally unloaded its product until it is done. In order to keep it consistent,
all crop dusters in the air (not parked) will always be considered transportation.
Code spills from pipelines that commence and terminate within the same fixed
facility as fixed-facility events.
Question 20 What mode of transportation was involved?
Intent:
Determines the type of transportation involved in the event.
Instructions: Answer this question only if you selected Transportation for Question 19. Select
up to two of the following in the Mode of transportation involved field (Figure
5). After an area/equipment is selected, a drop box text field will be available to
further specify the area or equipment.
[2] Ground
[3] Rail
[4] Water
[5] Air
[6] Pipeline
Pick as many as apply from the drop box on Mode of Transportation:
Ground
Rail
Water
Air
August 2006
Tanker truck, non-tanker truck, van, automobile, bus, other
Container on flat car, tank car, box car, other
Container ship with own power, tanker ship with own power,
barge towed by other vessel, other
Crop duster, cargo plane, passenger plane, other
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Notes:
If the particular type of transport is unknown, leave the field blank.
Question 21 What phase of transportation was involved?
Intent:
Determines the phase of transportation involved in the event.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the What phase of transportation involved field
(Figure 5) If you answer either option in Question 21, then go to Question 25.
[1] Occurred during unloading of a stationary vehicle or vessel
[2] From a moving vehicle or vessel (e.g. moving vehicles involved in a crash)
[3] En route that was later discovered at a fixed facility
[4] Occurred from a stationary vehicle or vessel (e.g. staged at a transfer)
[8] Other
If you select Other, type descriptive text (up to 15 alphanumeric characters) in the
adjacent field.
Note:
This question is only enabled if Transportation is chosen for Question 19. This
includes any vehicle involved in a crash related to the incident.
Question 22 What area/equipment of the fixed facility was involved in the event?
Intent:
Determines the specific location at the fixed facility where the event occurred and
the equipment involved with the event.
Instructions: Answer this question only if you selected Fixed facility for Question 19 and a
specific NAICS code is selected in Question 13. Select one or two of the
following in the Area/Equipment of the fixed facility field involved (Figure 5):
After an area/equipment is selected, a drop box text field will be available to
further specify the area or equipment. If “Other” is chosen, you should enter
additional information in the text field. (Answer this question for NAICS
categories “21” Mining, “22” Utilities, “31” Manufacturing, “32”Manufacturing, and
“33” Manufacturing only Unless one of these NAICS codes is chosen the field will
not be active for selection.)
[0] Transport within fixed facility
[2] Process vessel
[3] Piping
[4] Material handling area (e.g., loading/unloading dock)
[5] Storage area above ground (e.g., warehouse, tank, storage shed)
[6] Storage area below ground
[7] Dump/waste area (e.g., sewer)
[8] Other_________________ (15)
[A] Ancillary process equipment
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[B] Transformer and capacitor
[C] Incinerator
[D] Heating/cooling for building
[J] Laboratory
If you select Other, type descriptive text (up to 15 alphanumeric characters) in the
adjacent field.
If you do not select Other, you can use the text field to enter additional
specification of the area/equipment involved in the event.
Notes:
Do not use or combine any of the response options listed if you select Other.
Instead, select the listed option(s).
Include moving hazardous substances within a fixed facility as Transport within
fixed facility. Examples include moving farm vehicular equipment, the spill of
materials due to containers falling off a moving forklift, events occurring on a
roadway and railway within a fixed facility, and radiator associated with a
vehicle. However, releases that occur on a vehicle carrying chemicals to or away
from the fixed facility are excluded from this category.
Process vessel refers to a chemical reaction chamber where chemicals are
processed such as a tank, reactor, distillation column, catalytic chamber, vat, or
other piece of equipment in which substances are blended to form a mixture or are
reacted to convert them to some other product or form. Do not select this option
unless the process vessel is involved.
The Ancillary process equipment option is used for other parts of the processing
equipment. For example, a blast furnace for steel that acts as the actual vessel is a
process vessel. If the furnace has a process vessel inside of it, it should be coded
as ancillary process equipment.
Include any type of lines, tubing, and piping as Piping. Also included are
coupling joint, expansion joint, valve, flange, nipple, gasket, plugged drain and
roof drain.
Include any material handling that result in a release, such as dropping a
container, spilling its contents, or other manual or mechanical manipulation as
Material handling area.
Include storage in sheds, warehouses, secondary containment structures, or
vessels (e.g., a container, tank, drum, bottle, can, barrel, tank car, cylinder) used
to hold a raw or input material, product, or byproduct at ambient conditions or at
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an elevated or reduced temperature or pressure as Storage area above ground or
Storage area below ground, depending on where they are located.
Include locations currently used and recognized as dump/waste areas (e.g., waste
sites at industrial facilities, municipal landfills, and sewers where wastewater is
dumped) as Dump/waste area. Do not use this code for locations formerly used as
dumps that have another use at the time of the event. For example, do not select
this option for a former military or industrial hazardous chemical waste site that
currently is a park, housing development, fairground, or other type of area. Do
not include illegally dumped hazardous materials (e.g., barrels at rest stop).
Include any equipment besides the process vessel and piping that is used in the
production of a product as Ancillary process equipment. The following (unless it
is to heat or cool the building) is included: boiler, chiller, furnace, air conditioner,
fan, evaporator, exchanger, filter, burner, flare, refrigerator, condenser, pollution
control device, compressor, pump, non-vehicular radiator, vent, engine, generator,
accumulator, instrument, meter, gauge, blower, recycling, and recovery.
Include boiler, furnace, air conditioning, fan, etc. if used to heat or cool the
building as Heating/cooling for building.
Include school laboratories, commercial laboratories, but not illegal drug
laboratories, as Laboratory.
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Question 23 How many people were working at the facility at the time of the event?
Intent:
Determines the number of people (employees and contractors) working at the
facility when the event occurred.
Instructions: Answer this question only if you selected Fixed facility for Question 19. Type the
total number of full-time and part-time employees, including contractors, who
were working at the time of the event in the Number of people working the
facility during the event field (Figure 5). Include only those people legally
working at the facility. The facility includes the grounds that are operated by the
company where the event occurred.
Note:
Do not include people that are engaged in any illegal activity (e.g. people making
illegal methamphetamine)
Places where people permanently reside (e.g. retirement home, house, apartment
building) do not constitute a "facility".
Working people in a private residence (including apartment) that is not part of a
legal business are not included (i.e. people working in a methamphetamine lab,
housekeeper, nanny).
Question 24 How many non-working people were present at the facility at the time of the
event?
Intent:
Determines the number of people who were not employees or contractors present
at the facility when the event occurred.
Instructions: Answer this question only if you selected Fixed facility for Question 19. Type the
total number of people who were not employees or contractors, but were at the
facility at the time of the event in the Number of people visiting the facility during
the event field (Figure 5). An example is people in a store when the release
occurred.
Notes:
Includes people in a mall, visitors at a business, prisoners in a prison, patients at a
hospital, students at school, etc.
Places where people permanently reside (e.g. retirement home, house, apartment
building) do not constitute a "facility". These people will be captured later in
Questions 49-54.
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Non-working people in a private residence (including apartment) that is not part
of a legal business are not included. These people will be captured later in
Questions 49-54.
You can assume 0 non-working people if there is no reason to think there would
be non-working visitors, rather than leaving blank.
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Question 25 Factors contributing to the release.
Intent:
Determines the primary and secondary factors that contributed to the release.
Instructions: Select a primary and secondary factor in the Factors field (Figure 4):
Primary:
[2] Equipment failure
[3] Human error
[8] Other_____________(15)
[G] Intentional
[H] Bad weather conditions/natural disasters
[S] Illegal act
Secondary:
[1] Improper mixing
[2] Equipment failure
[3] Human error
[4] Improper filling, loading, or packing
[8] Other_______________(15)
[A] Performing maintenance
[B] System/process upset
[C] System start up and shutdown
[E] Power failure/electrical problems
[F] Unauthorized/improper dumping
[I] Vehicle or vessel collision
[P] Vehicle or vessel derailment/rollover/capsizing
[J] Fire
[K] Explosion
[L] Overspray/misapplication
[N] No secondary factor
[O] Load shift
[P] Vehicle or vessel derailment/rollover/capsizing
[Q] Illicit drug production related
[R] Forklift puncture
There must always be a primary factor. If it is unknown, leave the field blank.
There is not necessarily a secondary factor. If there is no secondary factor, select
option [N] No secondary factor. If it is unknown, leave the field blank.
If you select Other as the primary and/or secondary factor, type descriptive text
(up to 15 alphanumeric characters) in the adjacent field(s).
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Notes:
A primary factor is the initial cause of the release (what started it), and a
secondary factor is the immediate cause of the release. Think of it as a “chain of
events”. In most circumstances, human error will have a secondary factor. In
rare situations, there will be no secondary factor.
If you do not know what caused a fire, explosion, or vehicle or vessel
derailment/rollover/capsizing, leave the field blank.
Do not use or combine any of the response options listed if you select Other.
Instead, select the listed option(s).
Equipment failure is defined as failure of process or storage vessels, valves, pipes,
pumps, or other equipment that allows the release of hazardous substances.
Safety valves are intended to open to reduce dangerous pressure levels. Do not
select Equipment failure if a hazardous substance is released when a safety valve
operates as intended.
Human error is defined as a mistake made by a person resulting in a release or
threatened release of hazardous substances. Examples include leaving a valve
open, failure to respond to process alarms, failure to maintain process variables or
conditions at the set point, maintenance failures, inappropriate use of equipment,
not following appropriate procedures such as lock-out or tag-out, removal of
safety devices, misjudgment of conditions, inappropriate action resulting from
faulty perception, mishandling accidents (e.g., dropping a vial), or mistakes such
as pushing the wrong button, being distracted, and other similar actions.
Include Meth events as Illicit drug production related.
Include only maintenance that is not due to human error as Performing
maintenance.
Include a vehicle/vessel colliding with another vehicle or object as Vehicle or
vessel collision.
Include a vehicle/vessel mishap that does not involve a collision (e.g. derailment,
rollover, or capsizing) as Vehicle/vessel derailment/rollover/capsizing.
System/process upset means any glitch in the system that upsets the process, such
as a chemical related problem or an upset due to a chemical reaction. The upset
has to be specific to the facility.
Include severe weather conditions and earthquakes, wild fires, and other nonweather disasters as Bad weather conditions/natural disasters.
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Include power outage, power failure, short in equipment, and problems with an
electrical device (e.g., circuit breaker) as Power failure/electrical problems.
Include vandalism, prank, terrorism, and arson as Illegal act.
Include any event that involves illegally produced drugs (e.g. methane or
amphetamines) as Illicit drug production related for the secondary factor
whenever there is an illegal drug production involvement.
Illegal act is not the only primary factor that can be chosen in meth production
related incidents. For example, if the police mishandle evidence in a meth bust,
the primary factor is Human error.
Question 26 Did the release impact closed structure?
Intent:
Determines whether the release impacted inside or outside of a building or other
enclosed structure.
Instructions: Select one of the following for the Release impacted closed structure field
(Figure 5)
[1] Inside a closed structure only
[2] Outside of a closed structure only
[3] Both inside and outside of a closed structure
Notes:
Include for a fixed facility or transportation event where the release occurred
inside a structure but was vented outside as Outside a closed structure only. For
example, if in order to reduce emissions, hazardous gases are routinely burned in
boilers located inside a building and the fire goes out which causes a release of
hazardous gases to the outside environment through a chimney, ventilation pipe,
or other means, select Outside a closed structure only because the release
impacted outside the building.
Select both inside and outside of a closed structure if a large enough quantity got
outside of the building and caused, or could have caused, a public health problem.
Examples include (1) a fire that started inside of a building and moved to the
outside or (2) a release starting outside and moved inside is if pesticides were
sprayed outside and were sucked inside by a ventilation system.
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SUBSTANCE TAB
Description of Substance(s)
Figure 6: Substances Tab
Question 27 What is the total number of chemicals reported for this event?
Intent:
Determines the total number of chemicals reported for the event.
Instructions: Type the total number of chemicals reported in the Total number of substances
reported field (Figure 6).
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Notes:
Count a mixture as one chemical.
When the specific identity of two substances is unknown, but they are both in the
same category (e.g., Acid NOS) and are not identical chemicals, count them as
one chemical. Enter their combined quantity, and enter one for Question 23.
Reserve mixtures for when you have more than one substance to enter into the
substance table, not for single substance mixtures (e.g., Acid NOS).
When a chemical reaction changes your original chemical into another chemical
(e.g., mixing two cleaning products to produce chlorine gas), enter the reactants
and products that are known. The cleaning products are the reactants, and the
chlorine gas is the product.
Question 28 Chemical number.
Intent:
Indicates which substance involved in the event is described.
Instructions: The number is automatically displayed for each row on the Substances table
(Figure 6) created when entering a number in the Total number of substances
reported field.
Question 29 Chemical or trade name of substance.
Intent:
Indicates the complete name of the chemical substance.
Instructions: The name is automatically displayed for each row when all the information has
been entered on the Substance Makeup Information (Figure 7) and Chemical
Information screens (Figure 8).
Notes:
This information is needed for each substance involved in the incident.
Record substances that do not appear on the standard list in uppercase letters. For
single chemicals, use appropriate numbers and hyphens, and abbreviate only if the
complete name does not fit. For example, spell out 1,2-dichloroethane; do not use
1,2 DCA.
Exercise consistency and accuracy in spelling chemical names.
List the same chemical only once even though the release involved different
concentrations or different forms such as liquid and solid. Enter the combined
quantity of the various forms released.
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Releases consisting solely of petroleum are excluded from HSEES. Releases of
petroleum along with qualifying chemicals are HSEES events, and the petroleum
product is reported along with the qualifying chemicals in Questions 28-36.
Guidance for HSEES Substance Identification:
Introduction: Because many substances are often referred to by more than one
unique name, identifying substances and deciding on one “standard” name for each
substance is a challenge. Standardizing substance names in HSEES is a major goal
of the surveillance project since it allows for substance specific queries and
analyses of the data. One important tool in the HSEES effort to standardize
substance names is the substance picklist that is incorporated into the HSEES Data
Entry Software. The purpose behind the substance picklist is to facilitate the
standardization of substance names in HSEES. The HSEES Data Entry Software
does allow for the direct entry of a substance name, but every effort should be
made to locate and pick the substance name or a synonym from the picklist.
The substance names included in the picklist are the result of an effort to
standardize all previous substance names entered into HSEES. HSEES standard
names have been created by mapping all old substance names to new HSEES
standard names. Mixtures of substances were previously strung out and entered
into one substance field. The new data entry software allows for each component
of a mixture to be selected from the picklist separately. The new system also
allows for the reactants and product of chemical reactions to be entered
separately. Also the most common synonyms for substances are included on the
picklist. If a synonym is picked from the picklist the entry is “mapped” to the
appropriate HSEES standard name.
General Instructions: When entering a substance for a new event, first identify
the substance as thoroughly as you can. Many substances are commonly spilled,
easily identified, and quickly found in the picklist. For other, hard to identify
substances, get as much information as possible about the substance such as
Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) number, Department of Transportation (DOT)
or United Nations (UN) number, manufacturer, trade name, components, and
uses. Then try to match it up with an entry on the picklist. As a substance name
is typed in, if that substance name is on the picklist, then you will “arrive” at that
substance name on the list. If the substance name does not match with anything
on the picklist, there are other steps to follow. First, try entering your substance
name again, double-checking the spelling. Next, try entering a synonym of your
substance. Information on substances can be found in may sources, including:
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Farm Chemicals Handbook (www.greenbook.net)
•
Hawley’s Chemical Dictionary
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•
Dictionary Of Chemical Names and Synonyms
•
RTECS
•
Cross-Reference Index of Hazardous Chemicals, Synonyms, and CAS Registry
Numbers
•
Tox./Occ. Med./Envl. Series of Tomes (this contains RTECS and other
databases)
Once every effort is exhausted to find the substance on the picklist the substance
name must be entered manually. Once again, every effort should be made to find
a valid match for the substance on the picklist.
Mixtures and Chemical Reactions: For HSEES, a mixture is a combination of
substances that are stored together prior to being released. Hence, a mixture is
considered one substance when counting the number of substances released at an
event. In the past, long “mixture” substance names were created by listing out the
components of a mixture with each component name separated by a “/”. The new
HSEES Data Entry Software will allow each component of the mixture to be
selected separately from the picklist. Question 27 of the HSEES Data Collection
Form asks What is the total number substances reported for this event? Once this
question is answered a row of data for each substance will be created by the
software. For each substance a pop-up screen will appear to capture substance
specific information such as type of substance, quantity released, units of
measure, and whether the substance is an individual chemical, a mixture, or a
chemical reaction. For a mixture, choose Mixture and select the individual
components of the mixture in alphabetical order from the picklist. An example of
a mixture would be a large drum containing Benzene and Toluene that falls off a
truck and breaks open. The components are Benzene and Toluene and each of
these chemicals would be selected separately from the picklist.
If this is the special case of a chemical reaction then choose Reaction and select
both the reactants and the products of the chemical reaction from the picklist. The
reactants are those substances that were mixed together to create the chemical
reaction, and the product is the resulting substance released from the chemical
reaction, usually a gas. An example of a chemical reaction would be if sodium
hypochlorite is accidentally mixed with hydrochloric acid and chlorine gas is
released. Sodium hypochlorite and hydrochloric acid would be the reactants, and
chlorine gas would be the product.
Substance Names Ending in “NOS” on the Picklist: You will notice that the
picklist includes some substance names ending in “NOS.” Use these ONLY
when:
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1. The information you have available suggests the likelihood that another
(unnamed) hazardous substance(s) is present. Some common scenarios
include (a) a product for a specific purpose such as “lacquer thinner” or
“contact cement”, which often contains more than one hazardous chemical,
(b) where a substance is associated with words such as waste, wastewater,
wash water, residue, leachate, sludge, etc. suggesting a possible waste “stew”
of substances, or (c) you have a mixture of a known substance and another
substance that is mentioned but can not be positively identified. Some
examples:
Acetic Acid (Film Fixer Solution)
==>
Acetic Acid NOS [see (a)]
Acetone (Paint Thinner)
==>
Acetone NOS [see (a)]
Tetrachloroethylene Adhesive
==>
Tetrachloroethylene NOS [see (a)]
Force 1000 (Silicone Product)
==>
Silicone NOS [see (a)]
Acetonitrile Waste
==>
Acetonitrile NOS [see (b)]
Biological Sludge
==>
Biological Agent NOS [see (b)]
Benzene Sludge Residue
==>
Benzene NOS [see (b)]
Cadmium and Other Chemical
==>
Cadmium NOS [see (c)]
Chlorine/9,9,8'-cis-bis-Blort
==>
Chlorine NOS [see (c)]
Isopropyl Acetate (Ink)
==>
Isopropyl Acetate NOS [see (c)]
2. The information is only sufficient to identify a class of hazardous substance.
Examples:
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Herbicide 203
==>
Pesticide NOS
Heavy Metals
==>
Metal NOS
Mercaptans
==>
Mercaptan NOS
Organic Compounds
==>
Organic NOS
Varnish
==>
Paint or Coating NOS
Paint Stripper
==>
Solvent NOS
Unknown Insecticide
==>
Pesticide NOS
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3. The information is only sufficient to indicate that you have a compound of a
certain element, possibly a specific type of compound (e.g., a sulfate versus a
sulfide). Examples:
Phosphate Fertilizer
Solution
==>
Phosphate NOS
Total Reduced Sulfides
==>
Sulfide NOS
Calcium Metal Salts
==>
Calcium NOS
Treated Ammoniated
Copper
==>
Copper NOS
A substance name ending in “NOS” should only be selected when you have
exhausted all means of trying to positively identify a substance. The use of these
terms will be monitored on a state-by-state basis. You will notice that when you
go to look for an NOS term, you may find more than one that is appropriate. For
example, you can only determine the class of chemical such as vinyl resin. This
could be placed in the “Resin NOS” category on the picklist; however, a more
specific category, Vinyl Resin NOS, is available. Vinyl Resin NOS is the term
that should be selected. Be attentive to this issue, and scan the picklist to ensure
that you choose the most specific term.
Use "meth lab chemical, NOS" only when you have methamphetamine
production chemicals that cannot be identified. If you know some of the
chemicals, but not all, list those you know (e.g. ammonia, hydrochloric acid,
ephedrine, solvent, NOS), and then list "meth lab chemical, NOS" as a separate
entry. In most circumstances, methamphetamine (the final product) is not listed
because it is not harmful when released to the environment.
Substance Names with a CAS Number on the Picklist: You will note that some
substance names are followed by a CAS number in parentheses. This has been
done in the case of those chemicals that are difficult to positively ID by name
only. This occurs when a chemical name is a synonym for two different unique
chemicals (with unique CAS numbers). Before selecting one of these picklist
terms, confirm that both the name and the CAS number match.
Guidance for Specific Substances: This list of substances has been developed
from guidance given by technical advisors about particular substances. After
reading this list, if a particular substance that you are unsure of is not on this list
or if the guidance on a particular substance is not clear, you may ask your
technical advisor for guidance. This list may be updated periodically if new
substance guidance is added or existing guidance is refined. Substances are listed
alphabetically.
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Antifreeze (ethylene glycol): Exclude if spilled in small amounts from a vehicle
when there is no legal requirement for cleanup (such as small spills on driveways
or on roads after a vehicular accident). These would be included when released in
larger quantities from large trucks if there is a state cleanup requirement or if
spilled while the chemical is itself being transported.
Asbestos: Include acute exposures to friable, respirable asbestos fibers, such as
during demolition, renovation, or the explosion of an asbestos-containing steam
pipe. Include exposures to items consisting primarily of asbestos, such as
asbestos insulation, when respirable asbestos is suddenly released into the air.
Exclude chronic exposures to asbestos. Exclude exposures to asbestos when the
asbestos-containing item only partially consists of asbestos (i.e., the asbestos is
embedded in other materials and makes up a relatively small proportion of the
item), such as asbestos-containing ceiling or floor tile or roofing shingles. Call
your technical advisor if unsure whether a particular material qualifies.
Battery acid: Exclude if spilled in small amounts from a vehicle when there is
no legal requirement for cleanup (such as small spills on driveways or on roads
after a vehicular accident). These would be included when released in larger
quantities from large trucks if there is a state cleanup requirement or if spilled
while the chemical is itself being transported.
Biological Substances: Do not include water contaminated with fecal (coliform)
bacteria or other microorganisms. Limit biological substances to terrorist events
and to sudden, unexpected releases of pathogenic agents from containers during
shipment, in laboratories, or in other circumstances.
Carbon Monoxide (CO): Include incidents in which there is a failure or
malfunction of equipment at a commercial/industrial location or other business
including apartment buildings that result in an emergency event meeting the
HSEES case definition.
Do not include suicides from CO because once the source is shut off, only
the person attempting suicide is exposed, and there is no clean up.
Do not include incidents involving faulty heaters in homes because this was
not the intent of CERCLA.
Do not include permitted (legal) releases of CO.
Creosote: Include creosote in HSEES.
Cyclohexane: A petroleum product that is included in the HSEES database
because it is on the EPA’s list of hazardous chemicals with reportable quantities.
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Epoxies: Include in the HSEES database.
Explosives: If an explosive, such as dynamite, is only hazardous when it
combusts and there is no hazardous product before or after this combustion, it is
not included in HSEES. For example a stick of dynamite unearthed during
construction would not be included, even if it was exploded to dispose of it,
because there was no hazardous substance remaining to clean up.
Fats: These non-hazardous fats should not be included in HSEES: beef tallow,
butter, lard.
Fumes: Technically, “fumes are small solid particles created by condensation from
the gaseous state, generally after volatilization or by chemical reaction such as
oxidation; they are usually submicronic in size.” Most fumes are metal oxides
(cadmium oxide, lead oxide, iron oxide, zinc oxide, etc.). Include fumes in events
that otherwise meet the HSEES case definition (permitted releases of fumes, such
as out stacks, or chronic releases would be excluded).
The common usage definition of “fume” is “a smoke, vapor, or gas especially
when irritating or offensive (e.g., gas fumes) or an often noxious suspension of
particles in a gas, such as air.” Exclude fumes under the common definition
unless a case-definition hazardous substance is identified.
Medical Materials: Medical waste consisting of hazardous substances or
radioactive materials is included when the event meets the HSEES case definition.
(The case definition means an acute, emergency, uncontrolled or illegal release—
or threatened release—necessitating removal, cleanup, or neutralization). For
example, an uncontrolled spill of a small quantity of a radioactive isotope in a
clinic which required cleanup would be an event. Other medical waste (such as
sharps, blood, gauze) are excluded from HSEES.
Mercaptan: A petroleum product that is included in the HSEES database
because it is on the EPA’s list of hazardous chemicals with reportable quantities.
Odors: Substances only identified as “odors” should not be included in the
HSEES database.
Oils, non-petroleum: These non-hazardous, non-petroleum oils should not be
included in HSEES: coconut, cod liver, corn, cottonseed, linseed, olive, palm
kernel, palm, peanut, soybean, tung, safflower and other vegetable oils.
Paints, Inks, and Dyes: Since “Paints and Dyes” (which includes inks) is one of
the ten HSEES substance categories, select one of the existing paint, ink or dye
picklist selections (or create a new one if necessary) for these substances. Do not
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use the listing for a substance within the paint, ink, or dye, such as a solvent (like
xylene), because we want to retain the category of Paints and Dyes for these
substances.
Pepper Spray: Deliberate exposure of individuals to pepper spray would be an
event except when the exposure is legal such as by law enforcement officials or
when used by an individual against an assailant, regardless of whether the use is
legal.
Pesticides: Include all types of pesticides (i.e., insecticides, herbicides,
fungicides, rodenticides, algaecides, miticides, etc.). If you have a pesticide trade
name (e.g., Doom/Kill-A-Bug/Sucker Plucker/Drop Dead Fred) then get your
Farm Chemicals Handbook (FCH). Look in the "Sine" Index (yellow pages) for
the trade mark name. Obtain the "common" name from either Section C
(preferred) or Section E of the FCH. When using Section C, select a common
name adopted by ISO if available (it usually is). Otherwise, choose the ANSI or
BSI “common” name, in that order.
Petroleum Products: The Petroleum Exclusion clause of the CERCLA
legislation excludes any forms of petroleum that have not been refined to the
point of becoming single-chemical products such as pure xylene. HSEES
excludes all petroleum fuels.
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Gasoline/Gas (as slang for gasoline)
•
Fuel oils/Heating oils. Note: A few exotic fuels (not fuel oils) are not
petroleum based, such as hydrazine.
•
Diesel fuels
•
Kerosene/kerosene
•
Lubricating oils, common grease, or hydraulic fluids that are petroleum based.
Not all are; if in doubt or unknown, include available details (trade name,
known components, etc.).
•
Mineral oil or Mineral spirits
•
Natural gas
•
Propane
•
LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) a mixture of butane (62%) and propane (38%).
•
Butane
•
Any of the various distillates/cuts/fractions/condensates/bottoms of petroleum,
such as “light crude”, as long as they have not been refined to the point of
being one pure chemical.
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Any of the various naphtha, such as Ligroin (light naphtha)
•
Petroleum ether
•
Gas oil
•
Jet fuels (JP-5, JP-7, etc. These are quite similar to kerosene.)
•
Asphalt, petroleum coke, or other heavy or high-carbon petroleum cuts.
•
Any other petroleum derivative that has not been refined to the point of being
a single substance (e.g., crude oil).
•
If a commercial product has been released that is partially petroleum and
partially other substances, it should be abstracted into HSEES based on
whether the non-petroleum portion is of interest to HSEES.
Resins: Include in the HSEES database.
Sewer gas emissions, sewage spills, and manure gasses: Do not include in
HSEES database.
Sludge releases: Include in the HSEES database only if when the release is
acute, not chronic, contains at least one identified hazardous substance, and meets
the case definition.
Suicide by chemical: Include incidents involving suicide and attempted suicide
only when the method was chemical; persons other than the individual attempting
suicide were exposed; and the hazardous substance had to be removed, cleaned
up, or neutralized. The chemical must have been released to the environment
(i.e., not confined to a bottle or other container). Include suicides where there was
exposure to other persons who found the body or cleaned up the hazardous
material, or if there was secondary contamination, such as to emergency services
or medical personnel. Do not include suicide from carbon monoxide gas because
once the source is shut off, no one else is exposed, and there is no clean-up. Do
not include drug overdoses where no one else was exposed and there was no
cleanup. An example of an included suicide event is a suicide by chloroform in
an enclosed space where responders were exposed, and the chloroform had to be
cleaned up from contaminated surfaces.
Unknown substances: Do not include substances identified as simply “fuel
NOS,” “other NOS,” “other chemical NOS,” or “environmentally hazardous solid
NOS.” At a minimum, a chemical category such as acid or pesticide would be
needed or possibly an EPA waste code such as F001 or K004.
Water: You will almost never record the presence of water. For example, if a
compound is listed as a compound solution (e.g., chlorine solution), then look for
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the compound itself (chlorine) on the picklist. The presence of water will only be
entered if it is involved in a water-reactive adverse chemical reaction.
Recording trade name products and their ingredients:
When a trade named product is released, report its trade name, such as Extrazine,
not its component ingredients (i.e., cyanazine and atrazine). Count the product as
one chemical and report the amount released as the total quantity of the product,
not the components. You may enter the major or active ingredients and the
manufacturer’s name in the place for manufacturer.
Sometimes a trade name product and its active ingredient are released separately
from different containers or vessels in the same event. In this case, you may list
them as two separate chemicals. This would also apply to inert ingredients from
the product.
Agricultural chemicals are often applied as ad hoc mixtures rather than as a
product, such as Extrazine. For HSEES purposes, mixtures consist of chemicals
mixed prior to release. For ad hoc mixtures of agricultural chemicals, follow the
instructions for mixtures in the HSEES Substance Identification Manual.
When a release occurs during the manufacturing of a product comprised of more
than one hazardous chemical, list each substance released separately. Depending
on when in the manufacturing process the release occurred, varying amounts of
the ingredients and the final product may be present. Try to obtain information on
whether the component ingredients and/or the final product were released. Do not
record the product trade name if only the ingredients were released. For example,
if alachlor and trifluralin were released early in the process of manufacturing
Freedom, list alachlor and trifluralin separately, and do not list Freedom. List all
three if a quantity of the two ingredients and the final product were released.
Miscellaneous Instructions:
For spills containing mixtures of PCBs, use the PCB category of the substances
on the picklist.
In a qualifying fire, report all substances that were present before the fire.
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Substance Makeup Information
Figure 7: Substance Makeup Information Screen
On the Substance Makeup Information screen (Figure 7)
Chemical Type:
Individual
Mixture
Reaction
Intent:
Allows the substance being entered to be properly formatted
Question 30 Was the substance
Intent:
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Determines whether each specific substance involved in the event was actually
released into the environment or threatened to be released.
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Instructions: For each specific substance involved in the event, select one of the following in
the Was the substance field (Figure 7):
[1] Actually released into the environment.
[2] Threatened to be released into the environment.
If you selected Threatened to be released into the environment, Not applicable,
threatened release is automatically selected for Question 34.
Note:
Normally when an event involves the release of a hazardous substance and some
of the same chemical is left un-spilled, only the amount actually released is
reported. However, there is one circumstance that is different. In events where a
small amount is spilled and a public health action, such as an evacuation, is
prompted by the substantially larger amount threatened to be released and not by
the amount actually released, then enter both the released and the threatened
amounts. Make two chemical entries for this event, one actually released and one
threatened, using the picklist in the normal fashion. Enter 2 for the total number
of chemicals in Question 27. It is not expected that this situation will arise very
often.
Chemical Information
Figure 8: Chemical Information Screen
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Question 31 Type of substance.
Intent:
Determines the general type of the substance.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the Type field (Figure 8):
[1] Chemical
[2] Radiological
[3] Medical or biological
[4] Biological
Notes:
This field is only available when you enter a name in the Entered Name field
(Figure 8) instead of picking from the standard list.
Do not include water contaminated with fecal (coliform) bacteria or other
microorganisms.
Medical waste consisting of hazardous substances or radioactive materials is
included when the event meets the HSEES case definition. (The case definition
means an acute, emergency, uncontrolled, illegal, or threatened release that
necessitates removal, cleanup, or neutralization.) For example, an uncontrolled
spill of a small quantity of a radioactive isotope in a clinic that required cleanup
would be an event. Other medical waste such as sharps, blood, or gauze is
excluded from HSEES (e.g., medical substances are anesthetic gases and ethylene
oxide sterilizing gas).
Question 32 Was this substance used as a pesticide?
Intent:
Indicates whether or not the substance is used as a pesticide.
Instructions: Select the Yes or No option in the Used as pesticide field (Figure 7). Leave the
option blank if unknown.
Note:
If the chemical is not classified as a pesticide, but was used as such, select Yes.
Do not include sanitizing agents (ethylene oxide, water chlorinators)
Question 33 Please provide identification information if the chemical name is not on the
picklist.
Intent:
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Instructions: Type the number in the CAS, DOT/UN, Manufacturer, and/or the Substance
Category fields on the Chemical Information screen (Figure 8).
Notes:
These fields are only available if you entered a name in the Entered Name field
(Figure 8) instead of picking from the standard list.
The purpose of the identification numbers is to provide a double-check on the
name of the hazardous substance. The CAS number is the most widely used
number. Provide these identification numbers only when you are sure about them
(i.e., one or more of them were provided on the source data sheets. If an ID
number is not provided, the substance could easily be confused with another. If
you are at all unsure of the number, do not record an identification number.
Question 34 Type of release.
Intent:
Determines how the substance was released into the environment.
Instructions: Select one or two of the following in the Type of release field (Figure 7):
[1] Spill (liquid or solid)
[2] Volatilization/aerosolized (vapor)
[3] Fire
[4] Explosion
[5] Radiation
[7] Not applicable, threatened release
Notes:
Some chemicals held in the solid or liquid state will quickly vaporize (turn to gas)
after being released in a spill. In an event where there was a spill of a solid or a
liquid and vaporization occurred, select both Spill and Volatilization/aerosolized.
If you are not sure if vaporization occurred, only select Spill. Only select
Volatilization/aerosolized by itself for releases of gases with no involvement of
solids or liquids.
Include liquids, solids, and spills that originate from containers, drums, vials,
batteries, etc. in Spill.
Not applicable, threatened release is automatically selected if you selected
Threatened to be released into the environment in the “Was the substance” field
(Figure 7).
Question 35 Quantity released.
Intent:
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Determines the amount of substance released into the environment.
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Instructions: Type the amount (1 decimal place) of substance released in the Quantity released
field (Figure 7). Do not enter units of measurement or commas. If the amount of
the substance released is unknown, leave the field blank. If you enter an amount,
the associated approximation is automatically entered in the adjacent field. If you
leave the field blank, select one of the following in the adjacent field:
[A] <1
[B] 1-<10
[C] 10-<100
[D] 100-<500
[E] 500-<1000
[F] 1000-<10,000
[G] 10,000 +
Notes:
It is understood that fires produce smoke and fumes, so this is not an air release.
Choosing spill or air release with fire is situation-dependent. For example, spill
should be chosen with fire if the spill happened first.
For threatened chemicals, enter the amount threatened to be released.
Record the total amount spilled, regardless of how much was cleaned up.
Question 36 Unit of measure.
Intent:
Determines the units in which the amount of substance released is measured. This
is to complete the information recorded in Question 35.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the Unit of measure field (Figure 7):
[1] Pounds
[2] Kilograms
[3] Gallons
[4] Liters
[5] Cubic feet
[6] Ounces by volume
[7] Milliliters
[8] Picocuries
[A] Tons (metric)
[B] Ounces by weight
[C] PPM (parts per million)
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VICTIMS TAB
Morbidity and Mortality
Figure 9: Victims Tab
Question 37 How many people were transported to a medical facility for a check-up or
observation, but did not have any symptoms?
Intent:
Determines the number of people transported to a medical facility for a check-up
or observation who did not have symptoms
Instructions: Type the number of people transported to a facility in the Transported to facility
field (Figure 5).
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Note:
Enter only individuals without symptoms who were observed, not treated, at the
health care facility.
Question 38 How many people were injured in this event (number of victims)?
Intent:
Determines the number of people injured as a result of the event.
Instructions: Type in the number of victims in the People injured in this event field (Figure 9)
and press Enter or Tab. The correct number of rows is automatically displayed in
the Victims table (Figure 9). If the field is left blank, the system automatically
goes to the Total number of uninjured people decontaminated field (Figure 11).
Notes:
Enter only individuals with symptoms. More information concerning victims is
entered in the fields on the Victim Information screen.
It is important to distinguish victims listed in Questions 38 from individuals listed
in Question 37. Question 37 is for individuals who do not have symptoms (i.e.,
not victims). To be counted as a victim, an individual must report symptoms or
go to a health care facility within 24 hours of the event for symptoms or injuries
possibly associated with the event. The exception to the 24-hour stipulation is to
count all victims who died as a result of the event as deaths, even if the death
occurred much longer than 24 hours (even weeks) after the event, to the extent
this information can be obtained.
Individuals with known injuries from an event who refuse treatment on the scene
or at a hospital are also recorded as victims. Individuals meeting this description
must have experienced injuries within 24 hours of the event and had their injuries
reported by an official (e.g., fire department, EMS, police, poison control center).
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Figure 10 Victim Information Screen
Question 39 Victims
Intent:
Describes the victims associated with an event.
Instructions: You can complete Table 1: Victims as a tool to assist in entering victim
information in the fields on the Victim Information screen. Each row of the table
pertains to one victim. Photocopy the table if you have more than 24 victims.
See Questions 39A-I for specific instructions on each area of the Victims data.
Perform the following steps to enter the victim information:
1. Select a row on the Victims table (Figure 9) and right-click on the row. A
shortcut menu to add, edit, or delete a victim is displayed.
2. Select Edit Victim. The Victim Information screen (Figure 10) is displayed.
3. Select a category on the Category field (Figure 10).
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4. Select an option on the HazMat field (Figure 10) if the victim is a responder.
5. Select an option on the Severity field (Figure 10).
6. Select from one to seven injury types on the Injury Types field (Figure 10). If
you select Other, type descriptive text in the adjacent field.
7. Select an option on the PPE field (Figure 10).
8. Select an option on the Sex field (Figure 10).
9. Type the age (between 0 and 120) of the victim in the Age field (Figure 10).
If you leave the field blank, select the approximate age in the adjacent field.
10. Select an option on the Distance field (Figure 10).
11. Select where the victim was decontaminated in the Decontaminate field
(Figure 10).
12. Click OK. The victim information is saved and you are returned to the
Victims tab screen (Figure 9).
13. Repeat steps 1-12 for each row on the Victims table (Figure10).
Question 39A Category of victim.
Intent:
To describe the victim by population group.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the Category field (Figure 10):
[1] Employee
[2] Responder (not specified)
[3] General Public
[A] Career Firefighter
[B] Volunteer Firefighter
[C] Firefighter (not specified)
[D] Police Officer
[E] EMS Personnel
[F] Hospital Personnel (e.g., doctor, nurse)
[H] Student (at school)
[G] Employee (member of company response team)
[I] 3rd Party Clean-up Contractor
Notes:
Select Employee only if the victim is an employee of the company where the
event occurred. Count owners as employees.
If it is known that an employee was a member of the company response team,
select [G] Employee (member of company response team).
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Select General public for any person with known category of victim status who is
not an employee of the company where the event happened or a responder or a
student, except for students in certain circumstances stated below. Select General
public for employees of other companies. A member of the general public who is
injured while helping to contain the spill or assisting an injured person, is
considered a victim and a member of the general public. Prisoners are members
of the general public, whether or not the event occurred at the prison. People not
employed or contracted by the facility where the event happened can't be
classified as "employees". This means that people illegally manufacturing
methamphetamine are general public.
A responder is a person whose job is to bring the release under control, provide
medical assistance to victims, or conduct crowd control. Record the responder
category when it is known (e.g., career firefighter, volunteer firefighter, firefighter
unknown type, police officer, EMS personnel, hospital personnel, employee is
member of company response team).
Any individual who was in the capacity of a student when the event occurred and
the event occurred at the school is a Student, which includes children and adults.
If students were in their dormitories at the time of the event, select General public.
Question 39B To be answered if the victim is a responder: Is the victim a certified
HazMat technician?
Intent:
Determines whether a responder had at least technician level HazMat training.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the HazMat field (Figure 10) if you selected
Responder for the Category field (Figure 10):
[1] Yes
[2] No
[3] Not a responder
Notes:
If after asking whether the victim was a certified HazMat technician you are
asked to clarify, ask if they were certified at the technician level or above. Below
are the OSHA levels of training for reference.
If the option selected in Question 39A is not classified as a responder, the Not a
Responder option is automatically selected.
First responder awareness level - Individuals who are likely to witness or
discover a hazardous substance release and who have been trained to initiate an
emergency response sequence by notifying the proper authorities of the release.
They would take no further action beyond notifying the authorities of the release.
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First responders at the awareness level shall have sufficient training or have had
sufficient experience to objectively demonstrate competency in the following
areas:
•
An understanding of what hazardous substances are, and the risks associated
with them in an incident.
•
An understanding of the potential outcomes associated with an emergency
created when hazardous substances are present.
•
The ability to recognize the presence of hazardous substances in an
emergency.
•
The ability to identify the hazardous substances, if possible.
•
An understanding of the role of the first responder awareness individual in the
employer's emergency response plan, including site security and control and
the U.S. Department of Transportation's Emergency Response Guidebook.
•
The ability to realize the need for additional resources, and to make
appropriate notifications to the communication center.
First responder operations level - Individuals who respond to releases or
potential releases of hazardous substances as part of the initial response to the site
for the purpose of protecting nearby persons, property, or the environment from
the effects of the release. They are trained to respond in a defensive fashion
without actually trying to stop the release. Their function is to contain the release
from a safe distance, keep it from spreading, and prevent exposures. First
responders at the operational level shall have received at least 8 hours of training
or have had sufficient experience to objectively demonstrate competency in the
following areas in addition to those listed for the awareness level and the
employer shall so certify:
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•
Knowledge of the basic hazard and risk assessment techniques.
•
Know how to select and use proper personal protective equipment provided to
the first responder operational level.
•
An understanding of basic hazardous materials terms.
•
Know how to perform basic control, containment and/or confinement
operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective
equipment available with their unit.
•
Know how to implement basic decontamination procedures.
•
An understanding of the relevant standard operating procedures and
termination procedures.
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Hazardous materials technician - Individuals who respond to releases or
potential releases for the purpose of stopping the release. They assume a more
aggressive role than a first responder at the operations level in that they will
approach the point of release in order to plug, patch or otherwise stop the release
of a hazardous substance. Hazardous materials technicians shall have received at
least 24 hours of training equal to the first responder operations level and in
addition have competency in the following areas and the employer shall so
certify:
•
Know how to implement the employer's emergency response plan.
•
Know the classification, identification and verification of known and
unknown materials by using field survey instruments and equipment.
•
Be able to function within an assigned role in the Incident Command System.
•
Know how to select and use proper specialized chemical personal protective
equipment provided to the hazardous materials technician.
•
Understand hazard and risk assessment techniques.
•
Be able to perform advance control, containment, and/or confinement
operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective
equipment available with the unit.
•
Understand and implement decontamination procedures.
•
Understand termination procedures.
•
Understand basic chemical and toxicological terminology and behavior.
Hazardous materials specialist - Individuals who respond with and provide
support to hazardous materials technicians. Their duties parallel those of the
hazardous materials technician, however, those duties require a more directed or
specific knowledge of the various substances they may be called upon to contain.
The hazardous materials specialist would also act as the site liaison with Federal,
state, local and other government authorities in regards to site activities.
Hazardous materials specialists shall have received at least 24 hours of training
equal to the technician level and in addition have competency in the following
areas and the employer shall so certify:
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•
Know how to implement the local emergency response plan.
•
Understand classification, identification and verification of known and
unknown materials by using advanced survey instruments and equipment.
•
Know the state emergency response plan.
•
Be able to select and use proper specialized chemical personal protective
equipment provided to the hazardous materials specialist.
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•
Understand in-depth hazard and risk techniques.
•
Be able to perform specialized control, containment, and/or confinement
operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective
equipment available.
•
Be able to determine and implement decontamination procedures.
•
Have the ability to develop a site safety and control plan.
•
Understand chemical, radiological and toxicological terminology and
behavior.
On scene incident commander - Incident commanders, who will assume control
of the incident scene beyond the first responder awareness level, shall receive at
least 24 hours of training equal to the first responder operations level and in
addition have competency in the following areas and the employer shall so
certify:
•
Know and be able to implement the employer's incident command system.
•
Know how to implement the employer's emergency response plan.
•
Know and understand the hazards and risks associated with employees
working in chemical protective clothing.
•
Know how to implement the local emergency response plan.
•
Know of the state emergency response plan and of the Federal Regional
Response Team.
•
Know and understand the importance of decontamination procedures.
Question 39C Severity and disposition of victim
Intent:
Determines the severity of the victim’s injury or injuries, and if and where care
was provided.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the Severity field (Figure 10):
[2] Treated on scene (first aid)
[3] Treated at hospital (not admitted)
[4] Treated at hospital (admitted)
[5] Observation at hospital; no treatment
[6] Seen by private physician within 24 hours
[7] Adverse health effects experienced within 24 hours of event and reported by
an official (e.g. Fire department, EMS, police, poison control center)
[8] Treated by mass casualty mobile unit
[A] Death on scene/on arrival at hospital
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[B] Death after arrival at hospital
Notes:
Select the option that describes the most extensive type of treatment or disposition
received by each victim.
If the victim is transported to a hospital or clinic and treated, but is not admitted
for an overnight hospital stay, select the Treated at hospital (not admitted) option.
If the victim is transported to a hospital or clinic and treated, and is admitted as a
patient for at least one overnight stay select Treated at hospital (admitted).
Select Observation at hospital; no treatment, if the victim is transported to a
hospital or clinic for observation, evaluation, or diagnosis of their condition
without receiving treatment for the condition. An example is monitoring the
victim’s blood pressure or heart rate without administering treatment. These
victims may stay overnight in the emergency room, but not be admitted to the
hospital. Please note this refers to injured persons. Do not list persons who had
no injuries, but went to the hospital to get examined.
If victims who did not go to a hospital or clinic but were seen by a physician
within 24 hours, select Seen by private physician within 24 hours. Injuries
experienced within 24 hours of event and reported by an official (e.g., Fire
department, EMS, police, poison control center) is for persons who were observed
by an official to experience an injury, but were not treated at the scene or
transported to a health care facility. In order to include persons meeting this
description, the injuries must be clearly reported and substantiated by an official.
Select Treated by mass casualty mobile unit for specialized teams dispatched to
that location or nearby with trained physicians and equipment that can provide
emergency care to victims similar to emergency room care.
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Question 39D Adverse health effects
Intent:
Determines the victim’s injury.
Instructions: Select from one to seven of the following on the Injury Types field (Figure 10):
[A] Trauma
[B] Respiratory system problems
[C] Eye irritation
[D] Gastrointestinal problems
[E] Heat stress
[F] Burns
[H] Other
[I] Skin irritation
[J] Dizziness or other CNS symptoms
[L] Headache
[M] Heart problems
[N] Shortness of breath
If you select Other, type descriptive text in the adjacent field.
Pick Chemical-Related, Not Chemical-Related, or Both under Trauma.
Pick Thermal, Chemical, or Both under Burns.
Notes:
Record all injuries. Mental symptoms such as stress or anxiety are not considered
injuries for the purposes of this data collection. There must be a physical
component such as chest pain, head ache, high blood pressure, etc for it to be
counted as an injury. Include all injuries related to the incident, whether believed
to be related to an actual chemical exposure or not. If you are reasonably sure
that an injury is not related to the chemical, you can provide that information in
the comments section at the end.
Trauma includes wounds and physical injuries. Examples of traumatic injuries
include: abrasion, amputation, back pain, broken rib or other bone, fracture,
bruise, contusion, cut, dislocation, ear drum puncture, knee injuries, laceration,
puncture, musculoskeletal pain, scrapes, sprains, strain, whiplash, etc. If the
substance involved caused the trauma, choose chemical-related. If the substance
involved had nothing to do with the trauma, select not chemical-related. If it
cannot be determined whether the substance involved had anything to do with the
trauma, select not specified.
Include breathing problems/difficulties, chemical bronchitis, pneumonitis,
chemical pneumonitis, cough, wheezing, sore throat, and throat irritation as
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Respiratory system problems. Include tightness of chest if it is related to asthma
or other respiratory problem, and shortness of breath if it is definitely not cardiacrelated.
Include runny eyes, tearing eyes, red eyes, and burning eyes as Eye irritation.
Gastrointestinal problems include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, heartburn,
cramps, and diarrhea.
Include exposure to high temperatures accompanied by symptoms such as
cramps, nausea, dizziness, stroke, muscle fatigue, exhaustion, dehydration,
elevated blood pressure, heart palpitation or weakness as Heat stress.
Include exposure to fire, heat radiation, or electricity accompanied by symptoms
such as tissue damage or blistering or redness of the skin, throat, eyes, or mouth
as Thermal burn.
Include exposure to chemicals accompanied by symptoms such as tissue damage
or blistering or redness of the skin, throat, eyes, or mouth as Chemical burn.
If the type of burn is not known, record Burns and do not select a subcategory
(Thermal, Chemical, or Both) for Burns.
If you select Other, record the type of injury experienced by the victim. Do not
repeat or combine any of the response options already listed for this question.
Include itchiness, redness, skin rash, stress rash, blister, and contact dermatitis as
Skin irritation.
Include dizziness, fainting, passing out, lightheadedness, ataxia, numbness,
tingling, and twitching as Dizziness or other CNS symptoms.
Include perceived internal pain, ache, or soreness originating in any part of the
head excluding pain in teeth or ears, and superficial irritation of the skin or scalp
as Headache.
Include cardiac arrest, heart attack, palpitation, chest pain/angina, and heartrelated tightness of chest as Heart problems.
Shortness of breath is a separate category because it has two major causes:
respiratory and cardiac. If the cause is known, select either respiratory or cardiac,
and do not select shortness of breath. If the cause is unknown or it is not
respiratory or cardiac-related (i.e., anxiety), select shortness of breath only.
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Question 39E Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Intent:
Determines if the victim was wearing personal protective equipment at the time of
the event.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the PPE field (Figure11):
[1] None
[2] Level “A”
[3] Level “B”
[4] Level “C”
[5] Level “D”
[6] Firefighter turn-out gear with respiratory protection
[A] Firefighter turn-out gear without respiratory protection
[B] Other types of protection
Pick any or all of the following under Other types of protection:
Notes:
•
Gloves
•
Eye protection
•
Hard hat
•
Steel-toed shoes
Level A Protection: (1) NIOSH/MSHA approved supplied-air respirator—
pressure-demand, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or pressuredemand, airline respirator with escape bottle for Immediately Dangerous to Life
and health (IDLH) or potential for IDLH atmosphere; (2) fully encapsulating
chemical-resistant suit; (3) chemical-resistant inner gloves; and (4) chemicalresistant boots with steel toe and shank. Optional PPE includes coveralls, long
cotton underwear, hard hat, disposable gloves and boot covers, cooling unit, and
2-way radio.
Level B Protection: (1) NIOSH/MSHA approved supplied air respirator—
pressure-demand, self-contained breathing apparatus or pressure-demand, airline
respirator with escape bottle for IDLH or potential for IDLH atmosphere; (2)
chemical-resistant clothing (overalls and long-sleeved jacket; hooded, one- or
two-pieced chemical-splash suit; disposable chemical-resistant, one-piece suits);
(3) chemical-resistant outer and inner gloves; and (4) chemical-resistant outer
boots with steel toe and shank. Optional PPE includes long cotton underwear,
coveralls, chemical-resistant (disposable) outer boot covers, hard hat with face
shield, and intrinsically safe 2-way radio.
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Level C Protection: (1) NIOSH/MSHA approved air-purifying, full-face, canisterequipped respirator; (2) chemical-resistant clothing (coveralls; hooded, one- or
two-piece chemical splash suit; chemical-resistant hood and apron; disposable
chemical-resistant coveralls); (2) chemical-resistant outer gloves; (3) chemicalresistant outer boots with steel toe and shank. Optional PPE includes coveralls,
long cotton underwear, chemical-resistant inner gloves, chemical-resistant
(disposable) outer boot covers, hard hat with face shield, escape mask, and 2-way
radio.
Level D Protection: (1) coveralls; (2) leather or chemical-resistant boots or shoes
with steel and shank. Optional PPE includes gloves, safety glasses or chemical
splash goggles, hard hat with face shield. (While Level D protection is primarily
a work uniform, it is not any kind of work uniform. Level D uniforms must
include the required PPE.)
In an event where no PPE information is available and you reasonably assume
that the person was not wearing PPE or only non-protective clothing such as steel
toe shoes, select None. An example of such an event is a truck driver getting in
an accident and being pinned, and no information about PPE is available.
Include protective foot gear, such as boots, as Other types of protection/Steel-toed
boots.
Question 39F
Intent:
Sex of victim.
Describes the sex of the victim.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the Sex field (Figure 10):
[F] Female
[M] Male
Question 39G Age of victim.
Intent:
Describes the exact or approximate age of the victim.
Instructions: Enter numeric age of victim (between 0 and 120) in the Age field (Figure 10).
Leave the field blank if the age is unknown. The age category is automatically
displayed in the adjacent field if you entered an age in the Age field (Figure10).
If you did not enter an age in the Age field (Figure 10), select one of the following
age categories on the adjacent field:
[A] less than 12 months
[B] between 1 and 4 years of age
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[C] between 5 and 14 years of age
[D] between 15 and 19 years of age
[E] between 20 and 44 years of age
[F] between 45 and 64 years of age
[G] 65 years of age or more
Question 39H Describe the physical location of the victim at the time harmed in relation
to the point of release
Intent:
Describes how far the victim was from the event.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the Distance field (Figure 10):
[1] Immediate area where release occurred (e.g., room, railcar, trailer, within 10
feet)
[2] Wing/section of building/11 - 50 feet
[3] Building(s) (include internal parking areas & roads/51 - 100 feet)
[4] The facility/101 - 200 feet
[5] > 200 feet - ¼ mile of point of release
[6] > ¼ - ½ mile of point of release
[7] > ½ - 1 mile of point of release
[8] Greater than 1 mile of release point
Notes:
Facility descriptors (e.g. room, railcar, wing/section) refer to inside facility or
vehicle locations.
Actual distance measures (e.g. within 10 feet) refer to outdoor locations.
Question 39I
Intent:
Decontamination of injured person
Indicates where the victim was decontaminated
Instructions: Select one of the following in the Decontaminated field (Figure 10):
[1] No
[2] At the scene
[3] At a medical facility
[4] Both
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Table 1: Victims
Victim
No.
A. Category
B. HazMat
C. Severity
D. Adverse
health effect
E. PPE
F. Sex
G. Age
H. Distance
I. Decon
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
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DECON/POPULATION TAB
Decontamination
Figure 11: Decon/Population Tab Screen
Question 40 Total number of uninjured people decontaminated
Intent:
Determines the total number of uninjured people that were decontaminated at the
scene of the event or at a medical facility.
Instructions: Type the total number of uninjured people that were decontaminated in the Total
number of uninjured people decontaminated field (Figure 11). If no uninjured
individuals were decontaminated, enter 000. If it is unknown whether any
uninjured individuals were decontaminated leave the field blank.
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Notes:
Record the number of uninjured individuals (by population type) decontaminated
at the scene of the event (Questions 41 - 44) or at a medical facility (Questions 45
- 48). These questions do not intend to determine the quality of the
decontamination effort, just a count of the people decontaminated. An individual
may be counted in both categories if they were decontaminated at both locations,
but count them only once in Question 40.
Decontamination means any cleaning procedure that is not considered routine.
Washing hands or clothing is considered routine. Routine standard operating
procedures for uncontaminated responders do not count. Irrigation of a wound or
eye as part of treatment that does not require the responder to take any special
precaution (e.g., put on extra layer gloves, call poison control for neutralization
information, etc.) is not counted as decontamination.
If you entered 000 or left the field blank, proceed to Question 49.
Question 41 How many uninjured employees were decontaminated at the scene?
Intent:
Determines the number of uninjured employees (including contractors) that were
decontaminated at the scene of the event.
Instructions: Type the total number of uninjured employees (including contractors) that were
decontaminated at the scene in the Decontaminated at scene Uninjured Employees
field (Figure 11). If the number is unknown, leave the field blank.
Question 42 How many uninjured responders were decontaminated at the scene?
Intent:
Determines the number of uninjured responders that were decontaminated at the
scene of the event.
Instructions: Type the total number of uninjured responders that were decontaminated at the
scene in the Decontaminated at scene Uninjured Responders field (Figure 11). If
the number is unknown, leave the field blank.
Question 43 How many uninjured members of the general population were
decontaminated at the scene?
Intent:
Determines the number of uninjured people in the general population that were
decontaminated at the scene of the event.
Instructions: Type the total number of uninjured people in the general population that were
decontaminated at the scene in the Decontaminated at scene Uninjured General
Population field (Figure 11). If the number is unknown, leave the field blank.
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Question 44 How many uninjured students (at school) were decontaminated at the scene?
Intent:
Determines the number of uninjured students (at school) that were
decontaminated at the scene of the event.
Instructions: Type the total number of uninjured students (at school) that were decontaminated
at the scene in the Decontaminated at scene Uninjured Students (at school) field
(Figure 11). If the number is unknown, leave the field blank.
Question 45 How many uninjured employees were decontaminated at a medical or other
facility?
Intent:
Determines the number of uninjured employees that were decontaminated at a
medical or other facility.
Instructions: Type the total number of uninjured employees that were decontaminated at a
medical or other facility in the Decontaminated at Medical facility Uninjured
Employees field (Figure 11). If the number is unknown, leave the field blank.
Question 46 How many uninjured responders were decontaminated at a medical or other
facility?
Intent:
Determines the number of uninjured responders that were decontaminated at a
medical or other facility.
Instructions: Type the total number of uninjured responders that were decontaminated at a
medical or other facility in the Decontaminated at Medical facility Uninjured
Responders field (Figure 11). If the number is unknown, leave the field blank.
Question 47 How many uninjured members of the general population were
decontaminated at a medical or other facility?
Intent:
Determines the number of uninjured people in the general population that were
decontaminated at a medical or other facility.
Instructions: Type the total number of uninjured people in the general population that were
decontaminated at a medical or other facility in the Decontaminated at Medical
facility Uninjured General Population field (Figure 11). If the number is
unknown, leave the field blank.
Question 48 How many uninjured students (at school) were decontaminated at a medical
or other facility?
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Intent:
Determines the number of uninjured students (at school) that were
decontaminated at a medical or other facility.
Instructions: Type the total number of uninjured students (at school) that were decontaminated
at a medical or other facility in the Decontaminated at Medical facility Uninjured
Students (at school) field (Figure 11). If the number is unknown, leave the field
blank.
Potential Community Exposure
This section describes and distinguishes between those individuals at risk of being exposed and
those individuals who might actually have been exposed. It also explores issues related to
evacuation versus in-place sheltering.
Notes:
Click
to automatically enter data in Questions 49 - 54 based on the latest
census for the address (including latitude and longitude) entered in Question 12.
If you change the data in Questions 8, 10, or 12 (address) after using the GeoCode
and Demographics buttons, you will be prompted to press the buttons again to
update the coordinates and the population data.
If you enter a date in Question 8 for one of the following holidays, the
“population at home” calculation for Questions 52 - 54 should be treated as a
weekend:
•
New Year’s Day
•
Memorial Day
•
Independence Day
•
Labor Day
•
Thanksgiving
•
Christmas
If the computer does not GeoCode the address or an exact figure is known, use the
exact figure.
If the computer does not GeoCode the address or an exact figure is unknown,
calculate an estimate based on the percentages below.
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For event time category use:
Day of the Week
Percent Home
For military event time use:
Day of the Week
Percent Home
Saturday and Sunday:
Saturday and Sunday:
00:00 AM- 05:59 AM
95%
22:00 – 07:59
95%
06:00 AM- 11:59AM
78%
08:00 – 21:59
70%
12:00 PM- 05:59 PM
70%
Monday-Friday
06:00 PM- 11:59 PM
78%
22:00 – 05:59
95%
06:00 – 07:59
75%
Monday-Friday:
00:00 AM- 05:59 AM
95%
08:00 – 15:59
25%
06:00 AM- 11:59 AM
42%
16:00 – 17:59
50%
12:00 PM- 05:59 PM
33%
18:00 – 21:59
75%
06:00 PM- 11:59 PM
82%
Note:
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Calculations for Questions 52 through 54 “At home population” are based on the
Census Bureau numbers for residential and or business population in a give
census track. The location from Question 12 determines the census track data and
populates Questions 49 through 51 “People Live” numbers. Each “Time of Day”
range entered in Question 10 has an associated percentage of the population likely
to be within ¼, ½, or 1 mile radius at a particular time of day. This percentage
is multiplied by the number of persons in the census track for the location to
obtain the “number of people at home” within each of ¼, ½, or 1 mile radius of
the hazardous substance event.
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Question 49 Approximately how many people live within ¼ mile radius of the event?
Intent:
Determines the number of people that live within ¼ mile radius of the site of the
event.
Instructions: Type the number of people that live within ¼ mile radius of the site of the event in
the People Live ¼ mile field (Figure 11). If the number is unknown, leave the
field blank.
Note:
The number in Question 49 must be smaller than the number in Question 50.
Question 50 Approximately how many people live within ½ mile radius of the event?
Intent:
Determines the number of people that live within ½ mile radius of the site of the
event.
Instructions: Type the number of people that live within ½ mile radius of the site of the event in
the People Live ½ mile field (Figure 11). If the number is unknown, leave the
field blank.
Note:
The number in Question 50 must be a smaller number than the number in Question
51.
Question 51 Approximately how many people live within 1 mile radius of the event?
Intent:
Determines the number of people that live within 1 mile radius of the site of the
event.
Instructions: Type the number of uninjured people that live within 1 mile radius of the site of
the event in the People Live 1 mile field (Figure 11). If the number is unknown,
leave the field blank.
Question 52 Approximately how many people were actually at home within ¼ mile radius
at the time of the event?
Intent:
Determines the number of people that live within ¼ mile radius of the event that
were home at the time of the event.
Instructions: Type the number of people that live within ¼ mile radius of the event that were
home at the time of the event. If the number is unknown, leave the field blank.
Note:
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The number in Question 52 must be smaller than the number in Question 53.
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Question 53 Approximately how many people were actually at home within ½ mile radius
at the time of the event?
Intent:
Determines the number of people that live within ½ mile radius of the event that
were home at the time of the event.
Instructions: Type the number of people that live within ½ mile radius of the event that were
home at the time of the event. If the number is unknown, leave the field blank.
Note:
The number in Question 53 must be a smaller number than the number in Question
54.
Question 54 Approximately how many people were actually at home within 1 mile radius
at the time of the event?
Intent:
Determines the number of people that live within 1 mile radius of the event that
were home at the time of the event.
Instructions: Type the number of people that live within 1 mile radius of the event that were
home at the time of the event. If the number is unknown, leave the field blank.
Question 55 Define the area impacted by the release
Intent:
Describes the area that was impacted by the release from the event.
Instructions: Select one of the following in the Area Impacted field (Figure 11):
[1] Immediate area where release occurred (e.g., room, railcar, trailer)/within 10
feet)
[2] Wing/section of building/11 - 50 feet
[3] Building(s) (includes internal parking areas and roads /51 - 100 feet)
[4] The facility (101 - 200 feet)
[5] > 200 feet - ¼ mile of point of release
[6] > ¼ - ½ mile of point of release
[7] > ½ - 1 mile of point of release
[8] Greater than 1 mile of point of release
Note:
Impacted means where the plume extended.
Question 56 Was a hospital or ambulance or other patient transport vehicle contaminated
as a result of the event?
Intent:
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Indicates if a hospital or any type of patient transport vehicle was contaminated.
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Instructions: Select the Yes or No option in the Vehicle contaminated field (Figure 11). Leave
the option blank if unknown.
Note:
A private vehicle is not a patient transport vehicle.
Question 57 Did the event affect any of the following routes of transportation? (select all
that apply):
Intent:
Determines if the event affected the transportation routes for any type of road
system, railway, or waterway.
Instructions: Select as many of the following as needed, except None, or select None in the
Affected Roads field (Figure 11) that apply:
[1] Interstate/freeway
[2] Arterial roads
[3] Local roads
[4] Waterway
[5] Railroad/rail yard
[8] Other
[A] None
If you select Other, type descriptive text (up to 15 alphanumeric characters) in the
adjacent field.
Notes:
Affected means that the normal flow of traffic was altered.
Road system means the actual road or waterway, not any structure underneath or
above the system (such as sewers, storm drains, or tunnels), or any roadway or
parking lot inside a facility’s grounds.
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EVACUATION TAB
Evacuation and In-Place Sheltering
Figure 12: Evacuation Tab Screen
Question 58 How many people self-evacuated as a result of the event?
Intent:
Determines the number of people that evacuated their home or workplace due to
the event without an order by an official.
Instructions: Type the number of people that left without an order by an official in the How
many people self-evacuated field (Figure 12). If no one left, enter 0 in the field. If
the number is unknown, leave the field blank.
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Notes:
If voluntary evacuations occur first, and later there is an official order, type in the
number for both Questions 58 and 59, but answer Questions 60 - 64 with
information pertaining only to official evacuations.
It is not evacuation when people are injured and have to leave their home, work, or
other location to receive medical attention.
Question 59 Did an official order an evacuation? (An official may be the incident
commander, a fire marshal, police officer, plant manager, etc.)
Intent:
Determines whether an official ordered the evacuation of the area surrounding the
location of the event.
Instructions: Select the Yes or No option in the Evacuation Order field (Figure 12). Leave the
option blank if unknown. If you selected No, proceed to Question 63.
Notes:
An evacuation may be ordered by many types of officials. These include on-scene
coordinators such as a fire or police chief, a member of a HazMat team, or a police
officer. If this person orders an evacuation, then they should be considered
official. Similarly, a teacher in a chemistry laboratory may be considered an
official if they believe a situation warrants the immediate evacuation of students
from the lab. Examples include (1) an alarm sounds after a chlorine release at an
industrial facility, causing employees to go to a designated safe area or (2) fire
officials order residents in a neighborhood to go to a distant designated safe area.
When public officials were not contacted about a release, and a company official
admits to the release but denies that workers were evacuated, but a member of the
public says workers were evacuated, code that there was no evacuation, but make a
handwritten note of the citizen’s comment in the Comments section (Figure 14).
When an event occurs before school starts for the day or before workers arrive at
work, and the students/workers are told to stay home, count them, as appropriate,
in Questions 49 - 54, but do not count them in Question 61. Only workers/students
already at work/school who had to evacuate are evacuees. However, for Question
64 you can record that access was restricted to the building.
Question 60 What criteria were used to define the evacuation area?
Intent:
Determines the area of evacuation.
Instructions: Answer only if you selected Yes for Question 59. Select one of the following in
the Area of evacuation criteria field (Figure 12):
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[1] No defined criteria
[2] Circle/radius
[3] Downwind/downstream
[4] The building(s) or the affected part of the building(s)
[5] Circle and downwind/downstream
Note:
Select the building(s) or the affected part of the building(s) option only when some
buildings or only the affected parts of a building are evacuated, not all buildings on
the compound.
Question 61 Record the number of people who were officially evacuated as a result of the
event.
Intent:
Determines the total number of people who were evacuated by an official order
due to the event.
Instructions: Answer only if you selected Yes for Question 59. Type the number of people who
were evacuated in the Total Number of people officially evacuated field (Figure
12). If the number is unknown, leave the field blank.
Note:
Enter the total number of people who were evacuated from their homes, schools,
place of business, or other areas as a result of the event. If any person was
evacuated more than one time, count them only once.
Question 62 How many hours was the evacuation order in effect?
Intent:
Determines the length of time the area was evacuated.
Instructions: Answer only if you selected Yes for Question 59. Select or type the number (1
decimal place) of hours that the evacuation order was in effect in the Total
Evacuation hours field (Figure 12). If the time is unknown, leave the field blank.
Notes:
For evacuations that are less than one hour, use decimal places.
If a school is evacuated and the time at which the evacuation officially ended is
known, enter the length of time the evacuation order was in effect even if it ended
during non-school hours, so the school was not re-occupied until a later time. If
the time at which the school evacuation order ended is not known, calculate the
length from the time at which the building was re-occupied.
Question 63 Did an official order in-place sheltering?
Intent:
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Determines whether people were told to stay indoors to prevent exposures
associated with the event.
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Instructions: Select the Yes or No option in the In-Place sheltering field (Figure 12). Leave the
option blank if unknown.
Note:
If in-place sheltering is not mentioned in any of the documenting sources and it
seems unlikely, select No.
Question 64 Was access to the area restricted in any way?
Intent:
Indicates if access to the area was restricted in any way.
Instructions: Select as many of the following as needed, except No restriction, or select No
restriction in the Area access restriction field (Figure 12):
[1] No restriction
[2] Room
[3] Wing/section of building
[4] Building
[5] Facility
[6] Parking lot
[7] Access route/road
[8] Other adjacent areas
Notes:
Restricted means that the normal access availability is altered in any way.
If an event occurs before school starts for the day or before workers arrive at work
and they are not allowed to enter the building, select Building. If in-place
sheltering is not mentioned in any of the documenting sources and it seems
unlikely, select No.
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RESPONSE TAB
Response to and Termination of Event
Figure 13: Response Tab Screen
Question 65 Were actions taken, excluding decontamination, to stop or control the
release?
Intent:
Determines whether actions were taken to control the release of substances during
the event.
Instructions: Select the Yes or No option in the Action taken, excluding decontamination, to
stop or control release field (Figure 13). Leave the option blank if unknown.
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Notes:
Actions could include removing barrels, shutting valves, adsorbing and removing
liquids, deploying booms, off-loading of product, extinguishing fires, neutralizing
pH, etc. Mitigation includes a means to limit or eliminate additional
contamination and exposure, as well as a plan to protect the public health from the
effects of exposure to the hazardous substance exclusive of decontamination
procedures.
Decontamination procedures are not included here.
Question 66 Activities taken to protect public health as a result of this event? (May have
ONE or TWO entries)
Intent:
Determines the activities initiated to protect the public from exposures to
substances released during the event.
Instructions: Answer if you selected Yes in Question 65. Select one or two of the following in
the Activities initiated field (Figure 13):
[1] Health advisory issued
[2] Well survey conducted
[3] Alternate water provided
[4] Fishing and/or water recreation ban
[5] Discourage/prohibit consumption of locally grown produce and livestock
[6] Health investigation
[7] Environmental sampling
[8] Other______________(15)
[9] Shutdown of water intakes
[A] None
If you select Other, type descriptive text (up to 15 alphanumeric characters) in the
adjacent field.
Note:
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The Well survey conducted option refers to both surveys of who has and uses a
well and to testing for contamination of well water.
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Question 67 Emergency action terminated.
Intent:
Indicates the date when the emergency phase of the event terminated.
Instructions: Select or type the date (mm-dd-yyyy format) the emergency phase of the event
ended in the Emergency action end date field (Figure 13).
Note:
The event end date can not be greater than 90 from the date the event began. The
emergency phase of an event is over when there is no longer a public health threat,
and it is safe to return to the area where the event occurred.
Question 68 Enter the time that the emergency phase of the event ended according to the
incident commander.
Intent:
Indicates the time when the emergency phase of the event terminated.
Instructions: Enter the time that the emergency phase of the event ended according to the
incident commander _ _: _ _
Use 24-hour time format (e.g. 15:59). If unknown, leave blank and select a time
category. If time category unknown, leave blank. If the exact time is entered, the
computer will automatically fill in the time category.
The time category is automatically displayed in the adjacent field if you entered a
time in the Time of the event field. If you did not enter a time, select one of the
following:
• 00:00 am - 05:59 am
Note:
•
06:00 am - 11:59 am
•
12:00 pm - 05:59 pm/12:00 - 17:59
•
06:00 pm - 11:59 am/18:00 - 23:59
If the date entered in Question 8 and Question 67 is the same, the time entered in
Question 68 must be later than the date entered in Question 10.
Question 69 Who responded to this incident?
Intent:
Indicates the personnel that responded to the event.
Instructions: Select all of the following in the Responder field (Figure 13) that apply:
[1] No response
[2] Certified HazMat team
[3] Company’s response team
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[4] Law enforcement agency
[5] Fire department
[6] EMS
[7] Hospital personnel/Poison Control Center
[8] Other
[A] Health department/health agency
[B] Environmental agency/EPA response team
[D] Specialized multiagency team
[E] Department of works/utilities/transportation (includes coast guard)
[F] State, County, or Local Emergency managers/coordinators/planning
committees
[G] 3rd Party Clean-up Contractor
If you select Other, type descriptive text (up to 15 alphanumeric characters) in the
adjacent field.
Note:
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This is first responders, not later clean-up. Select Hospital personnel only if the
personnel were at the event. Hospital personnel at a hospital or emergency room
are not considered at the event.
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COMMENTS/SYNOPSIS TAB
Extra comments relevant to the event
Figure 14: Comments Tab
Question 70 Are there any comments on the data collection form?
Intent:
Determines if comments on specific aspects of the data collection form were made.
Instructions: Select the Yes or No option in the Comments on form field (Figure 14).
Comments
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Comments Text field
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Intent:
Comments on any aspect of the event.
Instructions: Type comments in text field (Figure 14).
Notes:
Include the corresponding question number when the comments concern a
particular question. Include any information that was not entered into the database
but may be helpful at a later date.
Question 71 Please enter a brief synopsis of the event (200 characters or less)
Intent:
To facilitate a better, succinct understanding of the event
Instructions: A brief synopsis is a required field. Do not include non-standard abbreviations or
detailed information that is captured in other areas of the Data Collection form.
Include the industry description as the first text entry starting with the 4- 3 digits
SIC code if known. If location and responsible party are not the same, enter both
industry descriptions.
Notes:
This field is required to save the event as complete.
Final Instructions
When you have entered all the information for the event, the record should be saved. If the record
contains information for Questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, 19, 27, 28, 29, 38, and 71 a pop-up is
displayed to ask if you want to set the record to “Complete”. If you have entered all of the
information you can attain for that record, select Yes. If you have not entered all of the data or
are unsure, select No. The record’s status of “Pending” or “Complete” is displayed in the Event
Status field at the top of the screen. This will help you keep track of records that you want to
revisit to perform more work. All records, except records marked for deletion, will be editable
until May 2nd of the year following their occurrence. After May 2nd, you will need to contact your
technical advisor to discuss changes to the database.
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Quality Control
For consistency in data collection and ease of analysis, ATSDR has emulated the data collection
form in the web-based HSEES application, which is provided to the participating states. As the
state health departments are notified of events that meet the case definition, they use the hardcopy
of the data collection form to assist in completing the computer emulated form. The preliminary
data are entered in the HSEES system on their PC. Additional information is added as it becomes
available until data entry for that year is closed.
ATSDR will download data periodically throughout the year and perform cross reference checks.
States are also welcome to download their own data and perform quality control checks. States
should periodically run the duplicate event report to identify potential duplicates. If a duplicates
is found, it should be marked surveillance = “No” - duplicate. Additionally it can be deleted, if
desired.
ATSDR is responsible for security and limits access to the SAS data sets to selected ATSDR staff
and researchers that have completed a data sharing agreement. Confidentiality of notification
contacts and responsible parties is protected since ATSDR encrypts names, street addresses,
telephone numbers, and coordinates. Interpretation of the results of the analyses is conducted by
ATSDR staff and by the states for their state-specific data.
ATSDR is responsible for assuring that standard quality assurance and quality control procedures
are followed. States retain all documenting material for at least three years (i.e., the records for
1998 will be kept through 2001). These records may be kept in a storage facility outside the state
health department as long as the location is secure and has limited access. In the event ATSDR
staff feels that one or more discrepancies exist in the data set, the states will use documented
information to verify whether the event was correctly entered in the computer database.
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HSEES 4.2.0 Training Manual
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HSEES Training Manual
Publications
ATSDR encourages each state to analyze its state data and produce publications and presentations
with this information in order to disseminate HSEES information to responders, industry, the
public health community, emergency preparedness officials, and other interested parties.
Dissemination is a key element for decision-making related to issues of emergency releases of
hazardous substances and is the major way that HSEES data can be used for primary and
secondary prevention.
ATSDR requires that all publications of data derived from the HSEES system that is released to
the public and all presentations receive prior ATSDR approval before release or presentation.
This includes quarterly, annual, and cumulative reports that will be released to the public (not just
sent to ATSDR); fact sheets, graphs, tables, maps, and other compilations of data; posters, slides,
and any written text of oral presentations; articles for publication in state or private newsletters,
magazines, or journals; and analyses conducted by third parties, such as universities. If it is
necessary to release raw data to an entity outside of the HSEES program, a data sharing
agreement should be completed. Instructions on how to do this can be obtained from your
technical advisor.
ATSDR will attempt to review these materials as quickly as possible, but each review of a draft
may take up to two weeks, and more than one draft may be necessary. Therefore, each state must
plan well ahead of their needs and allow a month for the overall review process. Submit the
HSEES Data Clearance, Data Request or Publication Request Form with the material to be
reviewed.
Use the following funding statement on all publications:
This document was supported by funds from the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) trust fund provided to the [official
agency name] under Cooperative Agreement [insert cooperative agreement number] from
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Public Health Service, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
Confidentiality of Company Names: We strongly encourage the participating states not to
release the names of companies involved in HSEES events in their publications and presentations.
Since most states have no law requiring companies to release information about events qualifying
for HSEES, the program depends on the cooperation of companies, and disclosing company
names could jeopardize the system. However, we cannot require nondisclosure, so the decision
whether to release company names is up to each state and their legal department.
88 Page
August 2006 HSEES 4.2.0 Training Manual
| File Type | application/pdf |
| Author | ATSDR |
| File Modified | 2006-12-18 |
| File Created | 2006-12-18 |