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RESPONDING TO NATURAL GAS EMERGENCIES


Evacuation. A public protective option which results in the removal of fixed facility person- nel and the public from a threatened area to a safer location. It is typically regarded as the controlled relocation of people from an area of known danger or unacceptable risk to a safer area, or one in which the risk is considered to be acceptable.


Expansion Ratio. The amount of gas produced by the evaporation of one volume of liquid at a given temperature. Significant property when evaluating liquid and vapor releases of liquefied gases and cryogenic materials. The greater the expansion ratio, the more gas that is produced and the larger the hazard area.


Explosion-Proof Construction. Encases the electrical equipment in a rigidly built container so that (1) it withstands the internal explosion of a flammable mixture, and (2) prevents prop- agation to the surrounding flammable atmos- phere. Used in Class I, Division 1 atmospheres at fixed installations.


Exposures. Items which may be impinged upon by a hazmat release. Examples include people (civilians and emergency responders), property (physical and environmental) and systems disruption.


F


Farm Tap. A single pressure reducing station connected to a pipeline with a pressure greater than 60 psi, usually to serve an individual or a small number of customers. Sometimes located in boxes covered by a metal lid, a farm tap may be used to supply power plants, industrial manufacturing facilities and even individual homes.


Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Independent federal agency that reg- ulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. FERC also regulates the transmission and sale of natural gas for resale in interstate commerce, the transmission of oil by pipe-line in interstate commerce, and ap- proves the siting of and abandonment of inter- state natural gas facilities, including pipelines, storage and liquefied natural gas.


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Fire Entry Suits. Suits which offer complete, effective protection for short duration entry into a total flame environment. Designed to withstand exposures to radiant heat levels up to 2,000°F (1,093 °C). Entry suits consist of a coat, pants, and separate hood assembly. They are constructed of several layers of flame-retar- dant materials, with the outer layer often alu- minized.


Fire Point. Minimum temperature at which a liquid gives off sufficient vapors that will ignite and sustain combustion. It is typically several degrees higher than the flash point. In assess- ing the risk posed by a flammable liquids re- lease, greater emphasis is placed upon the flash point, since it is a lower temperature and sus- tained combustion is not necessary for signifi- cant injuries or damage to occur.


First Responder. The first trained person(s) to arrive at the scene of a hazardous materials in- cident. May be from the public or private sec- tor of emergency services.


First Responder, Awareness Level. Individu- als who are likely to witness or discover a haz- ardous substance release who have been trained to initiate an emergency response se- quence by notifying the proper authorities of the release. They would take no further action beyond notifying the authorities of the release.


First Responder, Operations Level. Individu- als who respond to releases or potential re- leases of hazardous substances as part of the initial response to the site for the purpose of protecting nearby persons, property, or the en- vironment from the effects of the release. They are trained to respond in a defensive fashion without actually trying to stop the release. Their function is to contain the release from a safe distance, keep it from spreading, and pre- vent exposures.


Flammable (Explosive) Range. The range of gas or vapor concentration (percentage by vol- ume in air) that will burn or explode if an igni- tion source is present. Limiting concentrations are commonly called the "lower flammable (ex- plosive) limit" and the "upper flammable (ex- plosive) limit." Below the lower flammable

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