308 - Atmospheric Monitoring for Carbon Monoxide

• The policy establishes procedures for measuring atmospheric concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) at an incident for the safety of members working in potentially hazardous conditions.
• Calibration and spanning are defined, and it is the responsibility of the Station Commander to ensure that atmospheric monitoring instruments are spanned or calibrated to manufacturer’s specifications on a monthly basis.
• The Incident Commander or the authorized designee is responsible for measuring atmospheric concentrations of CO and HCN at any location containing or suspected of containing elevated levels of CO.
• All members shall use self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) in any atmosphere containing 35 parts per million or greater of CO and 4.5 parts per million or greater of HCN.
• Positive pressure ventilation may be used to reduce the CO concentration, as well as the presence of other toxic gases in the atmosphere.
• Gear worn, or people rescued from an active fire area may continue to off-gas HCN.
• Skin that becomes contaminated with hydrogen cyanide should be immediately washed or showered to remove the hydrogen cyanide.
• The reporting officer will be responsible for recording any significant exposures during a structure fire.
• Each time an atmospheric monitoring instrument is spanned or calibrated, the testing will be entered on a log.
• The CO meter must be calibrated once monthly and zeroed prior to each use.

Test your knowledge on atmospheric monitoring and safety procedures during hazardous incidents with this quiz. Covering topics such as calibration and spanning of monitoring instruments, use of self-contained breathing apparatus, and the effects of hydrogen cyanide exposure, this quiz will challenge your understanding of essential safety protocols. Keywords: atmospheric monitoring, safety procedures, hazardous incidents, calibration, spanning, self-contained breathing apparatus, hydrogen cyanide, toxic gases, exposure, log.