Isolation and Protective Action Distances

Isolation and protective action distances listed below are taken from Argonne National Laboratory Report No. ANL/DIS-00-1, Development of the Table of Initial Isolation and... 

Brown, D.F., A.J. Policastro, W.E. Dunn, R. A. Carhart, M. A. Lazaro, W. A. Freeman, and M. Krumpolc. Development of the Table of Initial Isolation and Protective Action Distances for the 2000 Emergency Response Guidebook, Argonne National Laboratory Report No. ANL/DIS-00-1. October 2000. Buckles, L.C. and S.M. Lewis. "S-(2-Diisopropylamino-ethyl)0-ethyl methylphosphonothioate Stabilized with Soluble Carbodiimides," United States Patent 4012464, September 24,1965. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Case Definition Nerve Agents or Organophosphates." March 15,2005. 

There are no published recommendations for isolation or protective action distances for these materials deliberately released in mass casualty situations. However, traditional isolation and protective action distances for most of these materials can be found in the Department of Transportation 2004 Emergency Response Guide (ERG). These recommendations are based on an accidental release during transportation of the material and involving a small spill (i.e., a commercial gas cylinder or 200 liters or less of liquid material), or a large spill (i.e., more than one gas cylinder, a large gas container such as a railcar, or more than 200 liters of liquid material). 

Initial Isolation and Protective Action Distances For Chemical Warfare Agents... 

See the Table of Initial Isolation and Protective Action Distances in the North American Emergency Response Guidebook for highlighted substances. For non-highlighted substances, increase, in the downwind direction, as necessary, the isolation distance shown in the "Public Safety" section above. 

Some of the chemicals and placard ID numbers listed in the guidebook are highlighted in color. For the highlighted chemicals, the user is directed to another section listing initial isolation and protective action distances in miles and kilometers (or feet and meters). The initial isolation distance is defined by a circle, fhe center of which is at the spill site. The protective action distance is defined by a square fhaf has fhe cenfer of one end locafed af fhe spill site and the other side downwind. The square assumes that random changes in wind direction confine the vapor plume to an area within 30° on either side of the predominant wind direction, resulting in a crosswind protective action distance equal to the downwind protective action distance. This is shown in Fig. 17.1. 

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