Chapter 3: Environmental

■ Fire Extinguishers
■ Fire Protection and Burn Permits
■ Disposing of Oily Rags
■ Spill Cleanup
■ Spill Prevention
■ Storm Water Runoff
■ Trash
■ Equipment and Vehicle Leaks
■ Washing Equipment

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 AGC Tool Box Safety Talk
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

INTRODUCTION

1. Review any accidents or “near accidents” from the past week.

2. Describe the hazards of the work as they relate to your project. Explain or show the
SAFE way of doing the job.

3. Give the TOOL BOX SAFETY TALK

Almost all fires are small in their early stage and can be put out quickly if the proper
fire extinguisher is available, and the person discovering the fire has been trained to use
the fire extinguisher at hand. There are basically three different types or classes of fire
extinguishers, each of which extinguishes specific types of fire.

• Class A extinguishers will put out fires in ordinary

combustibles, such as wood and paper. Extinguishers
that are suitable for Class A fires should be identified
by a triangle containing the letter "A." If in color, the
triangle should be green.

• Class B extinguishers will put out fires in ordinary

combustibles, such as wood, paper and plastic.
Extinguishers that are suitable for Class B fires should
be identified by a square containing the letter "B." If in
color, the square should be red.

• Class C fire extinguishers is used on fires that involve energized electrical equipment
which require the use of electrically nonconductive extinguishing. Extinguishers that
are suitable for Class C fires should be identified by a circle containing the letter "C."
If in color, the circle should be blue. The presence of the letter “C” indicates that the
extinguishing agent is non-conductive.

• Every project should have ABC class fire extinguishers during construction. The
number of extinguishers required is dependent upon the project size, materials and
work activity.

• Be familiar with the location of the fire extinguishers on your jobsite.

Volume 3: Chapter 3 Fire Extinguishers

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 AGC Tool Box Safety Talk
FIRE PROTECTION AND BURN PERMITS

INTRODUCTION

1. Review any accidents or “near accidents” from the past week.

2. Describe the hazards of the work as they relate to your project. Explain or show the
SAFE way of doing the job.

3. Give the TOOL BOX SAFETY TALK

Jurisdictions require outdoor burning permits to limit air pollution. While laws vary, the
following may apply: State and local regulations may prohibit fires in burn barrels and
burning stumps to clear land, and burning construction or demolition debris.

• Regulations may prohibit open

burning of materials including
treated lumber and timber,
hazardous wastes, asbestos,
automobile parts, wire insulation,
rubber products, tires, styrofoam and
other plastics, tar paper, wet garbage;
oil, petroleum, or petroleum-treated
products, including painted wood
and wood treated with creosote
or pentachlorophenol, asphalt,
industrial wastes, food wastes, and
any material that creates dense
smoke or noxious odors.

• Regulations may prohibit burning in any areas of the state that exceed federal or state
ambient air quality standards for pollutants emitted by outdoor burning.

• Individual fire districts may prohibit open burning based on local fire safety concerns.
Many communities have local laws prohibiting or restricting open burning.

• It is the responsibility of the permit holder to become familiar with the rules and
regulations before doing any burning. Failure to follow established regulations will
result in revocation of your permit, fines, or possible jail time.

• Make sure any fire is completely out before leaving the jobsite.

Volume 3: Chapter 3 Fire Protection and Burn Permits

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 AGC Tool Box Safety Talk
DISPOSING OF OILY RAGS

INTRODUCTION

1. Review any accidents or “near accidents” from the past week.

2. Describe the hazards of the work as they relate to your project. Explain or show the
SAFE way of doing the job.

3. Give the TOOL BOX SAFETY TALK

Oily rags are a serious fire hazard because they can spontaneously combust. Many states
regulate the disposal of oily rags as “oily waste.” The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) does not regulate oily rags as waste as long as the rags do not have any free-
flowing oil, contain hazardous contaminants, or meet the definition of a characteristic oil
hazardous waste. Follow these procedures for safe disposal of oily rags:

• Properly dispose of oily rags or send to

a rag cleaning service.

• Oily rags should be placed in an

approved and clearly-labeled airtight
container. Always keep containers
closed securely.

• If the rags are contaminated with

other chemicals, especially those
that are "hazardous," (heavy metals,
toxic chemicals, paint, etc.) do not
burn them. Rather, treat the rags as a
hazardous waste and dispose of them accordingly.

• If you are unsure whether the rags contain hazardous materials, consult the Material
Safety Data Sheet for information proper disposal or contact your supervisor.

Volume 3: Chapter 3 Disposing of Oily Rags

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 AGC Tool Box Safety Talk
SPILL CLEANUP

INTRODUCTION

1. Review any accidents or “near accidents” from the past week.

2. Describe the hazards of the work as they relate to your project. Explain or show the
SAFE way of doing the job.

3. Give the TOOL BOX SAFETY TALK

Chemical spill prevention plans required by state and federal law must include provisions
for spill cleanup. The following Best Management Practices will help prevent runoff in
the event of a spill:

• Properly clean up and dispose of any

spilled substance immediately to protect
personnel from potential fire and health
hazards and the environment.

• Ensure that no spilled materials are

washed into the streets, gutters, storm
drains, or creeks.

• If possible, use dry cleaning methods to

clean up spills to minimize the use of
water.

• Use a rag for small spills, a damp mop for general cleanup, and absorbent material for
larger spills.

• Never hose down or bury dry material spills. Sweep up the material and dispose of
properly.

• Clean up chemical materials with absorbents, gels, and foams. Use adsorbent
materials on small spills rather than hosing down the spill. Remove the adsorbent
materials promptly and dispose of properly.

• If the spilled material is hazardous, then used cleanup materials are also hazardous
and must be handled as hazardous waste.

Volume 3: Chapter 3 Spill Cleanup

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 AGC Tool Box Safety Talk
SPILL PREVENTION

INTRODUCTION

1. Review any accidents or “near accidents” from the past week.

2. Describe the hazards of the work as they relate to your project. Explain or show the
SAFE way of doing the job.

3. Give the TOOL BOX SAFETY TALK

Typically, most businesses and public agencies that generate hazardous waste and/or
produce, transport, or store petroleum products are required by state and federal law to
prepare spill control and cleanup plans. A Spill Prevention Plan is applicable to facilities
that transport, transfer, and/or store hazardous materials, petroleum products, or fertilizers
that can contaminate storm water runoff. Regulations include the following provisions:

• Spill response and prevention plans should clearly state

measures to stop the source of a spill, contain the spill,
cleanup the spill, dispose of contaminated materials, and
train personnel to prevent and control future spills.

• Spill prevention plans are most applicable to construction

sites where hazardous wastes are stored or used.

• The preliminary steps include: (i) identifying potential

spill or source areas such as loading and unloading,
storage, and processing areas; places that generate dust
or particulates; and areas designated for waste disposal;
and, (ii) evaluating stationary facilities that include
manufacturing areas, warehouses, service stations, parking
lots, and access roads.

• Employees must be trained in spill control response procedures, post-spill response

procedures and be provided with emergency phone numbers.

• Emergency spill containment and cleanup kits should be located at the facility site.
The contents of the kit should be appropriate to the type and quantities of chemical or
goods stored at the facility.

• Spill kits must be inspected and maintained in all activity areas.

• Re-fuel equipment in a designated area to minimize contamination. Pay attention to

location so that spills would not enter water streams or storm water. Consider dikes or
a secondary containment system.

Volume 3: Chapter 3 Spill Prevention

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 AGC Tool Box Safety Talk
STORM WATER RUNOFF

INTRODUCTION

1. Review any accidents or “near accidents” from the past week.

2. Describe the hazards of the work as they relate to your project. Explain or show the
SAFE way of doing the job.

3. Give the TOOL BOX SAFETY TALK

Operators of construction sites one acre or larger (including smaller sites that are part
of a larger common plan of development) must obtain authorization to discharge storm
water under an NPDES construction storm water permit. These facts help explain the
requirements:

• Storm water runoff from construction

activities can have a significant
impact on water quality. In addition
to sediment, as storm water flows
over a construction site, it can pick up
other pollutants like debris, pesticides,
petroleum products, chemicals,
solvents, asphalts and acids which also
contribute to water quality problems.

• The EPA estimates that 20 to 150 tons of

soil per acre is lost every year to storm
water runoff from construction sites.

• Items installed for storm water pollution must be inspected regularly and maintained
properly.

• Site owners and their construction operators of regulated construction sites are
required to develop and implement a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
to prevent storm water runoff and obtain permit coverage from an authorized state or
from the EPA, if the state is not authorized by EPA to issue NPDES permits.

• The EPA recommends Best Management Practices to protect natural features,

minimize exposure of soil, control erosion, and control sediment runoff.

Volume 3: Chapter 3 Storm Water Runoff

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 AGC Tool Box Safety Talk
TRASH

INTRODUCTION

1. Review any accidents or “near accidents” from the past week.

2. Describe the hazards of the work as they relate to your project. Explain or show the
SAFE way of doing the job.

3. Give the TOOL BOX SAFETY TALK

Construction sites can present many hazards to employees. Keeping a construction site
clean of debris can further reduce hazards. Also, managing waste can contain certain
pollutants at their source before they can contaminate the ground or streams via storm
water runoff. Use the following Best Management Practices when disposing of trash:

• Collect debris from work areas and place in

containers on a daily basis.

• Separate potentially hazardous waste from non-

hazardous construction site waste and place in
approved containers with lids. Hazardous Wastes
can include used oil, used oil filters, oily rags
and flammable wastes as well as caustics, acids,
harmful dusts, etc.

• Do not place collected litter and debris in or next

to drain inlets, storm water drainage systems, or bodies of water.

• Provide dumpsters to contain the solid waste generated by the project.

• Make sure hazardous wastes are not disposed of in dumpsters designated for
construction debris. This could include form oil, sealers, paint, curing compounds etc.

• Remove construction debris and waste from the site as frequently as necessary.

• Do not bury construction waste materials on site.

• Place proper trash receptacles throughout the construction site.

• Pull nails from lumber.

• Remove debris to prevent fire hazards.

• A clean jobsite allows for safe movement of workers materials and vehicles.

Volume 3: Chapter 3 Trash

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 AGC Tool Box Safety Talk
EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLE LEAKS

INTRODUCTION

1. Review any accidents or “near accidents” from the past week.

2. Describe the hazards of the work as they relate to your project. Explain or show the
SAFE way of doing the job.

3. Give the TOOL BOX SAFETY TALK

Equipment and Vehicle leaks are potential water and soil pollutants. Rain can wash
contaminants to the nearest stream. A car leaking only a few drops a day can contribute
to water pollution. For example, one pint of oil can contaminate an area larger than a
football field. Follow these steps to reduce pollution caused by vehicle leaks:

• If you see a leak from a vehicle, contain it

with a drip pan or absorbent material.

• Repair all fluid leaks as soon as possible to

reduce discharge into the environment.

• Sweep up leaks using granular, absorbent

material such as cat litter. Clean up residue
and dispose of it properly.

• Properly dispose of fluids such as solvents,

antifreeze, brake fluid, and motor oil.

• Report all leaks to your supervisor.

• Check equipment and vehicles on a daily basis.

Volume 3: Chapter 3 Equipment and Vehicle Leaks

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