The HazMat Guys
The Science of the the Plan

The Science of the the Plan

The Science of the the Plan I used to think hazmat size-up started when the rig stopped moving. That is the comfortable answer. It gives us a clean starting line. Wheels stop, doors open, binoculars come up, and the scene begins to reveal itself. But the more Bobby...
Where the Standard Stops and the Scene Begins

Where the Standard Stops and the Scene Begins

Where the Standard Stops and the Scene Begins I came into this second part expecting more procedure. More clips, more clamps, more step-by-step grounding doctrine. What actually emerged was something more uncomfortable: how fragile those procedures become once they...
Grounding, Bonding, and the Spark You Never See

Grounding, Bonding, and the Spark You Never See

Grounding, Bonding, and the Spark You Never See We have a bad habit in hazmat of teaching critical tasks as rituals. Clip this here. Drive that rod there. Connect this cable before transfer. The steps get memorized, the boxes get checked, and the deeper reason behind...
There Is No Such Thing as “Nerve Gas”

There Is No Such Thing as “Nerve Gas”

There Is No Such Thing as “Nerve Gas” The most useful part of my conversation with Mike and Bobby was also the part that stripped away the movie version of hazmat response. In their discussion about chemical and WMD response for first responders, they kept dragging...