By Julie Johansen
Recently, Mark Crane, a representative of Enviro Care, Inc., recently instructed members of the Emery County Local Emergency Preparedness Council (LEPC) about the dangers of HazMat spills.
Crane explained that spills are often assumed to be connected with catastrophic accidents that are big, dangerous and have huge financial consequences. However, most HazMat spills are small ones and can occur almost anywhere and impact small businesses or homes. Most of these spills are poorly handled because these smaller businesses do not have the resources or expertise to handle these accidents.
A HazMat incident can occur at even the most unusual and unexpected places where only white collar work occurs; i.e., schools, office complexes, home or in the car. He further stressed that the best thing to do in the event of a chemical spill is to contact the fire department. Most fire departments will have teams of trained HazMat technicians. It is important to follow the fire department’s instructions. Most small businesses cannot afford an environmental professional on the payroll, that is why contractors like Enviro Care are called for assistance.