Highway Maintenance Procedures Dealing With Hazardous Material Incidents

This synthesis will be of interest to maintenance managers, maintenance engineers, health and safety officials, those responsible for environmental protection, police, and others concerned with responding to hazardous materials incidents on public highways. Information is presented on the educational, training, and equipment needs of maintenance personnel, as well as on the procedures for response, containment, and cleanup of hazardous materials. This report of the Transportation Research Board discusses the procedures that are required by federal or state regulations and identifies the various response systems and responsibilities in effect in the states. It describes cautions and caveats that are generally recommended with regard to the training and involvement of highway maintenance forces. Awareness training is noted as the primary and necessary requirement for maintenance personnel. Recommendations for improvements to educational procedures are also included.

Intended to assist agencies responsible for incident management activities on public roadways to improve their programs and operations.Organized into three major sections: Introduction to incident management; organizing, planning, designing and implementing an incident management program; operational and technical approaches to improving the incident management process.

"A staff digest of the progress and status of NCHRP Project 20-5, "Synthesis of information related to highway problems," for which the Transportation Research Board is the agency conducting the research."