Home  >  Codes and Standards  >  Complete List of Codes and Standards  >  NFPA 472: Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents

NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents

2018 NFPA 472 Standard - Current Edition
In purchasing digital access through a PDF or subscription service, you are purchasing a single-user license to access content only by the named account holder. Certain restrictions apply.

NFPA Members save an additional 10%.

Item #: NFPA_472
Price: $0.00
Edition:
Digital Access with NFPA LiNK® Plans starting at $11.99/month
Standard Formats Available:






Handbook Formats Available:

Spanish Formats Available:

Quantity:
  • Description

    Significantly revised, the 2018 edition of NFPA 472 works to ensure responders can perform their expected tasks and handle haz-mat/WMD incidents safely and effectively.

    Adopted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents helps reduce accidents, injuries, illnesses, disabilities, and fatalities by ensuring that responders to haz-mat/WMD incidents are up to the task.

    NFPA 472 identifies the minimum levels of competence required by responders to emergencies involving hazardous materials/weapons of mass destruction (WMD). It applies to awareness level personnel, operations level responders, hazardous materials technicians, incident commanders, hazardous materials officers, hazardous materials safety officers, and other specialist employees.

    This important Standard is considered the parent document to:

    • NFPA 473, Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents
    • NFPA 475, Recommended Practice for Organizing, Managing, and Sustaining a Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Program
    • NFPA 1072, Standard for Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Emergency Response Personnel Professional Qualifications

    Major changes in the 2018 edition help align the documents, to provide greater clarity and consistency for response personnel, their commanders, and governing authorities:

    • Significant modifications address the competency baseline of hazardous materials technician
    • Added chapters provide specialty or advanced specialty competencies for the technician level, including monitoring and detection, consequence analysis and planning, chemical risk assessment and analysis, product control, weapons of mass destruction, and decontamination.
    • Revised chapters cover awareness and operations levels to correlate with the other documents.
    • Two added operation level responder mission-specific competencies address diving in contaminated water environment and evidence collection.

    The latest edition of NFPA 472 is essential for anyone who responds to hazardous materials/WMD incidents, including fire, rescue, law enforcement, emergency medical services, private industry, and allied professionals. (Print, Approx. 105 pp., 2018)

  • Table of Contents (2018 Current Edition)

    NFPA® 472 Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents, 2018 Edition

    Chapter 1 Administration
    1.1 Scope.
    1.2 Purpose.
    1.3 Application.
    Chapter 2 Referenced Publications
    2.1 General.
    2.2 NFPA Publications.
    2.3 Other Publications.
    2.4 References for Extracts in Mandatory Sections.
    Chapter 3 Definitions
    3.1 General.
    3.2 NFPA Official Definitions.
    3.3 General Definitions.
    3.4 Operations Level Responders Definitions.
    3.5 Hazardous Materials Technician.
    Chapter 4 Competencies for Awareness Level Personnel
    4.1 General.
    4.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    4.3 Competencies — Planning the Response. (Reserved)
    4.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    4.5 Competencies — Evaluating Progress. (Reserved)
    4.6 Competencies — Terminating the Incident. (Reserved)
    Chapter 5 Competencies for Operations Level Responders
    5.1 General.
    5.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    5.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    5.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    5.5 Competencies — Evaluating Progress.
    5.6 Competencies — Terminating the Incident. (Reserved)
    Chapter 6 Competencies for Operations Level Responders Assigned Mission-Specific Responsibilities
    6.1 General.
    6.2 Mission-Specific Competencies: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
    6.3 Mission-Specific Competencies: Mass Decontamination.
    6.4 Mission-Specific Competencies: Technical Decontamination.
    6.5 Mission-Specific Competencies: Evidence Preservation and Sampling.
    6.6 Mission-Specific Competencies: Product Control.
    6.7 Mission-Specific Competencies: Detection, Monitoring, and Sampling.
    6.8 Mission-Specific Competencies: Victim Rescue and Recovery.
    6.9 Mission-Specific Competencies: Response to Illicit Laboratory Incidents.
    6.10 Mission-Specific Competencies: Disablement/Disruption of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Improvised WMD Dispersal Devices, and Operations at Improvised Explosives Laboratories.
    6.11 Diving in Contaminated Water Environments.
    6.12 Mission-Specific Competencies — Evidence Collection.
    Chapter 7 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians
    7.1 General.
    7.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    7.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    7.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    7.5 Competencies — Evaluating Progress.
    7.6 Competencies — Terminating the Incident.
    Chapter 8 Competencies for Incident Commanders
    8.1 General.
    8.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    8.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    8.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    8.5 Competencies — Evaluating Progress.
    8.6 Competencies — Terminating the Incident.
    Chapter 9 Competencies for Specialist Employees
    9.1 General.
    9.2 Specialist Employee C.
    9.3 Specialist Employee B.
    9.4 Specialist Employee A.
    Chapter 10 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Officers
    10.1 General.
    10.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    10.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    10.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    10.5 Competencies — Evaluating Progress.
    10.6 Competencies — Terminating the Incident.
    Chapter 11 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Safety Officers
    11.1 General.
    11.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    11.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    11.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    11.5 Competencies — Evaluating Progress.
    11.6 Competencies — Terminating the Incident.
    Chapter 12 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Tank Car Specialty
    12.1 General.
    12.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    12.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    12.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    12.5 Competencies — Evaluating Progress. (Reserved)
    12.6 Competencies — Terminating the Incident. (Reserved)
    Chapter 13 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Cargo Tank Specialty
    13.1 General.
    13.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    13.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    13.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    Chapter 14 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with an Intermodal Tank Specialty
    14.1 General.
    14.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    14.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    14.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    Chapter 15 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Marine Tank and Non-Tank Vessel Specialty
    15.1 General.
    15.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    15.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    15.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    Chapter 16 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Flammable Liquids Bulk Storage Specialty
    16.1 General.
    16.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    16.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    16.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    Chapter 17 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Flammable Gases Bulk Storage Specialty
    17.1 General.
    17.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    17.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    17.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    Chapter 18 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Radioactive Material Specialty
    18.1 General.
    18.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    18.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    18.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    Chapter 19 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with an Advanced Monitoring and Detection Specialty
    19.1 General.
    19.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident. (Reserved)
    19.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    19.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    19.5 Competencies — Evaluating Progress. (Reserved)
    Chapter 20 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Consequence Analysis and Planning Specialty
    20.1 General.
    20.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    20.3 Public Protection Actions.
    20.4 Wide Area Monitoring and Sampling.
    20.5 Drinking Water Contamination.
    20.6 Open Sources Information.
    20.7 Operational Security (OPSEC).
    20.8 Competencies — Evaluating Progress. (Reserved)
    20.9 Competencies — Terminating the Incident. (Reserved)
    Chapter 21 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with an Advanced Chemical Risk Assessment and Analysis Specialty
    21.1 General.
    21.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    21.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    21.4 Competencies — Evaluating Progress. (Reserved)
    21.5 Competencies — Terminating the Incident. (Reserved)
    Chapter 22 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with an Advanced Product Control Specialty
    22.1 General.
    22.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident. (Reserved)
    22.3 Competencies — Planning the Response. (Reserved)
    22.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response. (Reserved)
    22.5 Competencies — Evaluating Progress. (Reserved)
    22.6 Competencies — Terminating the Incident. (Reserved)
    Chapter 23 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Weapons of Mass Destruction Specialty
    23.1 General.
    23.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    23.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    23.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    23.5 Competencies — Evaluating Progress. (Reserved)
    23.6 Competencies — Terminating the Incident. (Reserved)
    Chapter 24 Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with an Advanced Decontamination Specialty
    24.1 General.
    24.2 Competencies — Analyzing the Incident.
    24.3 Competencies — Planning the Response.
    24.4 Competencies — Implementing the Planned Response.
    24.5 Competencies — Evaluating Progress. (Reserved)
    24.6 Competencies — Terminating the Incident. (Reserved)
    Annex A Explanatory Material
    Annex B Competencies for Operations Level Responders Assigned Biological Agent–Specific Tasks
    Annex C Competencies for Operations Level Responders Assigned Chemical Agent–Specific Tasks
    Annex D Competencies for Operations Level Responders Assigned Radiological Agent–Specific Tasks
    Annex E Overview of Responder Levels and Tasks at Hazardous Materials/WMD Incidents
    Annex F Definitions of Hazardous Materials
    Annex G UN/DOT Hazard Classes and Divisions
    Annex H Informational References
  • How the NFPA Handbooks Differ from Codes and Standards

    THE NFPA HANDBOOKS DIFFER FROM CODES AND STANDARDS

    Ever wonder what the difference is between an NFPA® handbook and a code or standard? We’re glad you asked.

    NFPA codes and standards both provide requirements for achieving outcomes. Handbooks take a deeper dive, providing the full text of a code or standard as well as expert commentary and features such as graphics, decision trees, testing procedures, case studies, sample forms and checklists, and other helpful aids to give a better understanding of the reasoning behind the requirements and how to apply them.

    JUST REMEMBER:

    • A code or standard is a framework—a set of rules to follow with a goal to achieve a certain result
    • A handbook is a connector—linking requirements to application by helping you understand the reasoning behind a code or standard

    The simplest way to think about it is that codes and standards list the technical requirements while handbooks explain those requirements to clarify how to apply them.

  • Prior Editions

    2013 Edition

    Update to the 2013 NFPA 472 to protect emergency personnel by making sure responders can perform their expected tasks and handle haz-mat/WMD incidents safely and effectively.

    Adopted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, NFPA 472: Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents helps reduce accidents, injuries, illnesses, disabilities, and fatalities by ensuring that responders to haz-mat/WMD incidents are up to the task.

    NFPA 472 identifies the minimum levels of competence required by responders to emergencies involving hazardous materials/weapons of mass destruction (WMD). It applies to awareness level personnel, operations level responders, hazardous materials technicians, incident commanders, hazardous materials officers, hazardous materials safety officers, and other specialist employees.

    Key changes in the 2013 edition include:

    • Chapter 6 was expanded to include a new mission-specific competency for operations level responders who handle improvised WMD dispersal device disablement/disruption and operations at improvised explosive laboratories.
    • Chapter 15 was expanded to include non-tank vessel information and is renamed Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Marine Tank and Non-Tank Vessel Specialty.
    • New Chapter 16: Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Flammable Liquids Bulk Storage Specialty (formerly Annex E in the 2008 NFPA 472)
    • New Chapter 17: Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Flammable Gases Bulk Storage Specialty (formerly Annex F in the 2008 NFPA 472)
    • New Chapter 18: Competencies for Hazardous Materials Technicians with a Radioactive Materials Specialty (formerly Annex G in the 2008 NFPA 472)

    This updated Standard is essential for anyone who responds to hazardous materials/WMD incidents, including fire, rescue, law enforcement, emergency medical services, private industry, and allied professionals. (Softbound, 105 pp., 2013)

     

    Interested in other editions of NFPA 472? Use the drop down menu above to select the edition year you need.

  • NFPA PDF Products

    If you purchased a PDF, licensed PDFs can be accessed immediately. Instructions can be found in your order confirmation.

    Effective with the annual 2020 code cycle, NFPA® will no longer offer access to the PDF format as a choice for new editions of codes and standards, handbooks, or other reference titles. Existing PDFs will remain in-market and will still be accessible in our National Fire Codes® Subscription Service (NFCSS™). For more information about the different format options available to access essential code and standard content you need, click here.

  • Historical Editions

    Previous editions of NFPA® documents are available for sale. Please see applicable NFPA codes and standards product pages to confirm which editions are available for purchase. If you have any questions, contact NFPA Customer Support at 1-800-344-3555 or nfpa.org/customerservice.

  • Also in NFPA 472: Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents