Rollover and Gasoline Leak on I-80
On I-80 westbound near the Delaware Water Gap, your 8,500-gallon gasoline tanker has a right-front tire blowout. You steer to the shoulder, but the tank rolls onto its right side in the median. You are uninjured and can get out. The cargo tank has a 4-inch crack near the top of the number 2 compartment; liquid gasoline is running onto the ground and vapor is blowing toward your truck's hot exhaust. A minivan has stopped 50 feet away and the driver is walking toward you with a cigarette. You smell strong gasoline. Your phone works. The nearest exit is 1 mile away. It is 90°F and windy. The tank's placards are visible: 1203 on the rear and sides. You have a fire extinguisher in the cab, but reaching it means approaching the vapor.
1. What are your immediate actions in the first five minutes?
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Get out and move upwind and uphill, away from the leaking gasoline and the hot exhaust. Do not reach back into the cab for the extinguisher if that means entering vapor. Tell the minivan driver to stop, put out the cigarette, and move away; keep all ignition sources away. Call 911 from a safe distance and give the location, product (gasoline, placard 1203), approximate volume, tank condition, leak location, wind direction, and injuries. Ask for fire and hazmat. Warn other traffic if you can do so without entering the vapor zone. Do not try to plug the crack, right the tank, or restart the truck. Follow the emergency response guide and the incident commander's instructions.
2. What information should you give responders, and what should you not attempt?
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Tell responders: 8,500-gallon gasoline tanker on its right side, crack near the top of compartment 2, active liquid leak, strong vapor, wind direction, hot exhaust nearby, a civilian 50 feet away, no injuries, and the nearest storm drain or ditch if known. Give the placard and tank type. Do not attempt to tighten the dome, plug the crack, or use absorbent inside the vapor cloud. If you can safely do so from upwind, keep people from walking into the plume and prevent liquid from entering a storm drain, but do not enter a confined space or flammable atmosphere. Do not move the vehicle or transfer product until hazmat or fire says it is safe.
3. If the vapor ignites, how does your plan change?
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If the vapor ignites, life safety takes priority. Move much farther away immediately, keep others back, and let firefighters handle it. A gasoline tank exposed to fire can fail violently, so do not approach, do not try to fight a large fire with a hand extinguisher, and do not stand in the path of the plume or runoff. Tell responders about the fire and the tank contents, then follow their evacuation directions. The truck and cargo are insured property; people are not replaceable.