Tank Car Vent and Burn Process Study: Phase II
The Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Hazmat Transportation Safety Research and Development Strategic Plan, conducted a study of vent and burn as a method of hazardous materials incident mitigation. The purpose of the study was to develop guidelines and tools to aid emergency response personnel in making decisions about when to use the vent and burn procedure and to help guide them through the process. This report covers Phase II of the project, which carries through with the recommendations arrived at by the work accomplished in Tank Car Vent and Burn Process Study: Phase I, February 2003. A checklist and flow chart to be followed during a vent and burn procedure were further developed with review and input from experienced incident commanders. A portable electronic database containing the itemized checklist, tank car material specifications, Universal Machine Language Equipment Register information, and commodity characteristics was developed in a format compatible with personal digital assistants and laptop computers. TTCI developed a standardized comprehensive incident report form and reporting procedure. The computer models of explosive charge parameters were further developed and verified using full-scale tests on coupons and a complete tank car.