CSLB General Building (B) — All Questions
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What is the first thing a driver should do at the scene of a hazmat leak or spill?
- a.Protect yourself and others by keeping people away and staying upwind✓
- b.Try to taste the material to identify it
- c.Drive away immediately and say nothing
- d.Wash the material into a storm drain
Your first priority is safety: keep people away from the area, stay upwind and uphill, and avoid contact with the material. Do not attempt cleanup you are not trained or equipped for. Then notify emergency responders and provide shipping paper information.
What information should you give emergency responders during a hazmat incident?
- a.Your favorite route
- b.The material's identity from the shipping papers and the nature of the emergency✓
- c.The truck's paint color
- d.The delivery price
Responders need to know what material is involved, its ID number, the amount, and what has happened. This information comes from your shipping papers and emergency response information. Accurate details let responders choose the correct protective actions.
If your placarded vehicle is involved in a fire, what should you generally do first?
- a.Open the cargo doors to check the load
- b.Pour water on any burning cargo
- c.Get the vehicle to a safe place, keep people away, and call for help✓
- d.Continue driving to the destination
If safe, move the vehicle away from buildings and people, then keep everyone back and call the fire department. Tell them what hazardous materials are involved so they can respond correctly. Do not fight a hazmat fire unless you are trained and it is safe to do so.
When should you use your fire extinguisher on a hazmat fire?
- a.Always, no matter the size
- b.Never under any condition
- c.Only after the fire spreads to the cargo
- d.Only on small fires you can safely control, such as a tire or engine fire before it reaches the cargo✓
A driver's extinguisher is meant for small fires, like a tire or engine fire, caught early before they reach the hazardous cargo. Once flammable or reactive cargo is involved, the fire is too dangerous to fight without proper equipment. In that case, keep back and wait for trained responders.
What should you do if hazardous material is leaking from your vehicle?
- a.Do not move the vehicle any more than safety requires, and never continue to the destination to 'get help'✓
- b.Keep driving to spread it out
- c.Cover it and ignore it
- d.Speed up to reach the delivery point
Never move a leaking hazmat vehicle except to protect people at the immediate scene. Continuing to drive spreads contamination and increases danger. Park safely, keep people away, and get qualified help to the scene.
Who must be notified when there is a spill of a reportable quantity of a hazardous substance?
- a.Only the truck's owner
- b.The National Response Center and appropriate authorities✓
- c.No one, if the driver cleans it up
- d.Only the next customer
A release of a reportable quantity must be reported to the National Response Center as well as local emergency authorities. Prompt reporting allows a proper cleanup and protects public health. The carrier is responsible for making required notifications.
Why should you stay upwind of a hazardous materials leak?
- a.To see the truck better
- b.To keep the papers dry
- c.To avoid breathing toxic fumes or vapors carried by the wind✓
- d.To stay close to traffic
Wind carries toxic gases, vapors, and smoke away from the leak, so standing upwind reduces your exposure. Staying uphill also helps because many hazardous liquids and heavy gases flow or settle downhill. Positioning yourself safely is essential before doing anything else.
What is the purpose of a hazmat security plan for carriers?
- a.To raise shipping prices
- b.To schedule deliveries faster
- c.To choose truck colors
- d.To reduce security risks such as theft or misuse of hazardous materials in transit✓
Carriers of certain hazardous materials must have a security plan addressing personnel, unauthorized access, and en route security. The plan helps prevent hazmat from being stolen or used to cause harm. Drivers should be trained on their role in the plan.
What should a driver do to reduce the risk of hazmat theft or tampering during stops?
- a.Stay alert, avoid predictable routines, and keep the vehicle attended or secured✓
- b.Leave the keys in the ignition
- c.Post the cargo contents on social media
- d.Park in dark, isolated areas overnight
En route security includes staying watchful, varying stops, keeping the vehicle locked and attended when required, and not advertising the cargo. These steps make it harder for someone to steal or tamper with hazardous materials. Report anything suspicious to authorities.
If you are not trained or equipped to control a hazmat leak, what should you do?
- a.Attempt the cleanup anyway
- b.Contain the scene by warning others and keeping them away, then wait for trained responders✓
- c.Drive the load home
- d.Bury the material
Drivers should not attempt cleanup beyond their training and equipment. Instead, warn others, keep people at a safe distance, and let trained hazmat responders handle the material. Providing shipping paper information speeds their response.
What role do warning devices like reflective triangles play in a hazmat emergency?
- a.They repair the leak
- b.They identify the material
- c.They warn approaching traffic so vehicles do not drive into the danger zone✓
- d.They call the fire department automatically
Placing reflective triangles or other warning devices alerts oncoming traffic to stop or slow down before reaching a stopped or leaking hazmat vehicle. This prevents collisions that could worsen the emergency. Set them out as soon as it is safe.
What should you do with the shipping papers if you are injured or must leave the scene of a hazmat crash?
- a.Take them with you and hide them
- b.Destroy them
- c.Mail them to the office
- d.Leave them where responders can find them, such as on the driver's seat or in the door pouch✓
Emergency responders rely on the shipping papers to identify the hazard and respond safely. If you cannot stay, the papers should be left in the door pouch or on the driver's seat where responders will look. This is why papers are always kept in those locations.
Why is it dangerous to smoke or create sparks near a flammable liquid spill?
- a.Vapors from the spill can ignite explosively✓
- b.It only wastes cigarettes
- c.It makes the papers smell
- d.It has no effect outdoors
Flammable liquid spills give off vapors that can travel and ignite from a spark, flame, or hot surface, causing a fire or explosion. Eliminate all ignition sources and keep people back. Never smoke near a spill or leak.
What is the safest action if you smell or see gas leaking from a cargo tank?
- a.Light a flare to see better
- b.Move away from the vehicle to a safe distance and keep others back, then call for help✓
- c.Climb on top of the tank to inspect
- d.Open all valves to release pressure
Leaking gas can be toxic, flammable, or both, so put distance between yourself and the tank and keep others away. Do not create any ignition source. Notify emergency responders and provide the material's information from the shipping papers.
What must a carrier provide to drivers who handle security-sensitive hazardous materials?
- a.A company vehicle
- b.Extra vacation days
- c.Security awareness training and instruction on the security plan✓
- d.A cash bonus
Drivers transporting certain hazardous materials must receive security awareness training and be trained on the company's security plan. This training covers recognizing and responding to security threats. It is required in addition to general hazmat training.
After a hazmat emergency, why is it important to follow the Emergency Response Guidebook's initial isolation and protective action distances?
- a.To decide the delivery time
- b.To calculate the load weight
- c.To choose the truck route home
- d.To keep people a safe distance from the release and any downwind hazard✓
The Emergency Response Guidebook gives isolation and protective action distances so responders can clear the immediate area and evacuate or shelter people downwind. Following these distances protects the public from toxic or flammable releases. Providing the material's ID number lets responders find the correct guidance quickly.