Table 18. Recommended General Practices for Operating Wood Preservation Facilities (All Preservatives)
Operation: Personnel
Objective
Enhance worker protection by providing education and medical surveillance.
Recommendations
Train all forepersons, on-scene supervisors, operators and handlers in good work practices.
Provide periodic (at least annually or if there is a change in operations) review and update of education and training.
Provide pre-employment medical check-up and annual ongoing medical surveillance (see Sections 4 and 6). Surveillance frequency may be modified by the occupational physician.
Keep records of training sessions and individual employee training.
Operation: Procedures
Objective
Ensure that worker responsibilities are well understood, and that site-specific procedures are available in hard copy for reference.
Recommendations
Prepare (and have readily available) explicit written instructions for all aspects of chemical use, facility operation, maintenance and emergency response.
Identify and communicate precautions for all other on-site handlers of treated wood (including quality control personnel, sorters and transporters).
Prominently display emergency telephone numbers for medical aid, facility management and local environmental control agencies.
Clearly identify emergency alarm switch to avoid confusion with process equipment control switch.
Operation: Personal hygiene and safety precautions
Recomendations
Follow precautions outlined in Section 6.1 Table 6 and Section 6.3 Table 8.
Operation: Housekeeping
Objective
Maintain a clean, orderly site.
Recommendations
Define and practice regular housekeeping standards (suggest daily):
contain all contaminated debris
minimize generation and accumulation of wastes, such as empty drums and containers (provide secure designated storage or dispose of in the appropriate manner).
minimize dust generation and accumulation. Avoid dust cloud formation with machinery circulation.
Visually inspect for, record and report leaks routinely as defined in the facility’s procedure manual (preferably daily).
Contain and repair leaks promptly.
Operation: Record keeping
Objective
Provide a secondary level of control for chemical losses.
Enable a rapid assessment of potential hazards, in the event of a catastrophic incident (e.g. tank rupture, fire).
Recommendations
Maintain accurate daily records for
chemical delivery, use and inventory; and
equipment condition and maintenance.
Record and compare bulk tank volumes before and after facility shutdowns in excess of two days.
If changes in volume are apparent, check for tank leaks and/or irregular practices.
Record alarm tests and ensure proper functioning.
Operation: Spill response
Objective
Maintain a state of readiness to implement the plan in case of a chemical spill.
Recommendations
Establish a spill contingency plan (see Section 12.2).
Carry out spill response drills.
Operation: Firefighting
Objective
Maintain a state of readiness in case of fire emergency as per the National Fire Code of Canada.
Recommendations
Refers to Division B, Section 2.8 - Emergency Planning, and any other applicable acceptable solutions for “fire safety plan” in Parts 3, 4 and 5 of the National Fire Code of Canada 2010.
Establish a fire contingency plan (Section 12.3) and maintain a state of readiness to implement the plan in case of fire emergency (including routine checks of the pressure and proper function of firefighting equipment; drills with all affected personnel in cooperation with the local fire department).
Communicate with the local fire department about chemicals in storage and use and emergency procedures.
When a fire alarm call is made, notify firefighters of chemical quantities in stock and verify the status quo of storage locations.
Only trained and properly equipped firefighting personnel should be allowed at the fire scene.
Make advance preparation to contain and properly dispose of contaminated fire residues to the greatest degree possible:
Runoff water, soot and ash from fire areas are presumed to be contaminated and provision should be made to contain these residues.
Analyze fire residues and involved ground soils (as applicable) to determine the need for and scope of special cleanup and disposal activities.
Dispose of contaminated firefighting waters as “contaminated runoff.”
Dispose of solid treated wood fire residues as “contaminated solid wastes.”
