Information Gathering, Site Characterization, and Information Resources

Publisher Summary The purpose of this chapter is to provide guidance on gathering information about the site and characterizing the site in terms of potential health and safety hazards. It also provides information on some relevant health and safety databases as well as references. Hazardous waste sites are the locations where hazardous waste operations are conducted. Such a site can be further classified as either a “controlled” or an “uncontrolled” hazardous waste site. Emergency response planning is necessary in the event of an uncontrolled release of a hazardous substance. These incidents represent the greatest risk to personnel who respond to the release. Success of an emergency response program requires a mutual commitment by management and employee volunteers to conduct intense and regular training. The cost in terms of equipment, training, medical surveillance, and release time is significant. Information about the surrounding area is also important for emergency contingency planning. Information gathering can generally be conducted off-site, and it involves a combination of document review, records research, as well as interviews. Site characterization involves on-site surveys for the purpose of identifying specific site hazards and determining the appropriate safety and health-control procedures required for protecting personnel from the identified hazards. Major source databases provide relevant summarized information to personnel who are responsible for managing health and safety at hazardous waste sites.