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HAZMAT

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Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management

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Definition

Hazardous materials are substances “capable of posing unreasonable risk to health, safety and property” 949 CFR 171.8.

Introduction

Hazardous materials (commonly known as hazmat) are regulated by a number of federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation (DOT), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the Department of Labor. In addition, the Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency of the Department of Homeland Security have responsibilities for emergency response to hazmat incidents. Because these agencies have different responsibilities, they have correspondingly different definitions of hazmat.

Hazmat regulations cover a wide range of issues, but this entry focuses on emergency response to unplanned releases that pose a threat to the general public. Thus, this entry does not address the management of chronic chemical pollution under the Toxic Substances...

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References

  • DOT – Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes. (2016). Emergency response guidebook. Washington, DC: DOT – Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes.

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  • Lindell, M. K., Murray-Tuite, P., Wolshon, B., & Baker, E. J. (2018). Large-scale evacuation: The analysis, modeling, and management of emergency relocation from hazardous areas. New York: Routledge.

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  • McKenna, T. J. (2000). Protective action recommendations based upon plant conditions. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 75(2–3), 145–164.

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Future Reading

  • Burke, R. (1997). Hazardous materials chemistry for emergency responders. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

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  • DOT – Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes. (2016). Emergency response guidebook. Washington, DC: DOT – Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes.

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  • Lesak, D. (1999). Hazardous materials: Strategies and tactics. Upper Saddle River: Brady/Prentice Hall.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants IIS-1540469, CMMI-1760766, and CMMI-1826455. None of the conclusions expressed here necessarily reflects views other than those of the author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Hazards Mitigation Planning and Research, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Michael K. Lindell

Authors
  1. Michael K. Lindell
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Correspondence to Michael K. Lindell .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Security, Fire & Emergency Mgmt, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, USA

    Lauren R. Shapiro

  2. Dept. of Security, Fire & Emergency Mgmt, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, NY, USA

    Marie-Helen Maras

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Lindell, M.K. (2019). HAZMAT. In: Shapiro, L., Maras, MH. (eds) Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_147-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_147-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-69891-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-69891-5

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