Hazardous Materials and Hazmat Teams

Hazardous Materials – Hazmat Teams

A hazmat team is an organized group of professionals who are specially trained to handle hazardous materials or dangerous goods. Examples of hazardous materials or dangerous goods include:

  • Combustibles substances
  • Explosives
  • Corrosive liquids
  • Dangerous cargo
  • Oxidizing agents
  • Radioactive materials
  • Asphyxiating
  • Bio-hazard and toxic substances
  • Pathogenic or allergenic materials.

Duties of the hazmat teams vary from country to country or as per the local government or organization’s practices. In some countries, different types of hazardous incidents are handled by different types of teams depending on their specialty. Some handle industrial accidents, some handle marine accidents, while others handle fire related incidents. A number of different radiation detection, chemical detection and threat detection devices and instruments are used to complete the mission of the hazardous materials technician.

Instrument Index:

Personal Radiation Detectors

A Personal Radiation Detector (PRD) is designed to detect, and alert a minimally trained wearer to the presence of, small increases in the levels of ionizing radiation. The wearer should be able to use the PRD effectively while performing other tasks.

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Handheld Survey Instruments

Survey meters are portable radiation detection and measurement devices used to detect and measure external or ambient ionizing radiation fields. They are also used detect and monitor personnel, equipment and facilities for radiation and radioactive contamination.

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Isotope Identification and Spectroscopy

Hand-held Radioisotope Identification Devices (RIID’s) are designed to identify the isotopic composition of radioactive sources. A RIID is typically a small, handheld device that is generally easy to use and deploy. The devices are often multipurpose/multitask instruments able to detect different forms of radiation and perform a variety of functions; used to search, detect and identify radioactive materials.

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Portal and Area Monitoring

Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM’s) are passive radiation detection devices used for the screening of individuals, vehicles, cargo or other vectors for detection of radioactive materials or radiation contamination. They are designed to detect traces of radiation emitted from an object passing through it. Most times, gamma radiation is detected, and in some cases the monitors are complemented by neutron detection when sensitivity for special nuclear material is desired.

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Dosimeters and Dosimetry

A radiation dosimeter is a device that monitors and stores personal dose information for ionizing radiation. Dosimetry is routinely given to persons working with radioactive materials or radiation-producing machines. Typically however, dosimeters are provided to people who could potentially be exposed to radiation during the course of performing their jobs. This would apply to first responders, fire fighters, hazmat technicians and law enforcement personnel.

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Radon and Radon Monitoring

There is a wide field of applications of Radon measurements from radon risk assessment to geological survey. Our dedicated range of products and accessories has been especially designed to fit these needs and to provide accuracy for short and long-term monitoring of radon concentration (indoor and outdoor, water and soil gas analysis), radon surveillance and mitigation at workplaces and geological survey.

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Chemicals and Explosives

Detection and identification of chemical agents involved in any hazardous material (Hazmat) incident is vital to the protection of first responders and emergency medical personnel at local medical facilities as well as to the effective treatment of casualties. The possibility also exists that a terrorist attack may involve the use of chemical warfare agent. The detection of any agent should be taken as an indication of an imminent threat and should therefore provoke extensive testing. Explosives trace detectors (ETD) are explosive detection equipment able to detect explosives of small magnitude. The detection is accomplished by sampling non-visible “trace” amounts of particulates.

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