Quick Guides
- PHMSA Guide to Shipping Label IDsDoes not include E15--see above guide.
- DOT Emergency Response Guide 127--Flammable Liquids (Polar/Water-miscible)Includes ethanol, as it is a polar/water-miscible flammable liquid.
ETANKFIRE Project
Research by the SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden investigating ethanol tank fires
Combustible Dust
- Firefighting Precautions at Facilities with Combustible DustOSHA Document includes planning and response considerations.
- Protecting Ethanol Plants from Catastrophic Combustible Dust ExplosionsEthanol Producer Magazine article suggests ways industry can prevent dust explosions.
Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition
The Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition includes partners in industry and the fire service and is dedicated to providing the knowledge first responders need to respond to ethanol incidents. Very helpful website for fire service personnel who want to learn more about hazards of ethanol and how the fire service should prepare for ethanol emergencies.
Resources Page includes numerous helpful links, including videos on ethanol response (which feature the tests of different foams); a complete Training Guide to Ethanol Emergency Response broken into 8 modules; and a Training Toolbox that includes several reports on different aspects of ethanol safety. You can expand the the different sections on the page above to find materials for each separate module.
The videos and training guide are also available at the IFSI Library. The videos and training guide are part of the Ethanol Response Considerations DVD and CD-ROM. The training guide alone is part of the Responding to Ethanol Incidents and Ethanol Fixed Facilities Assessment and Guide CD-ROM.
These are links to the IFSI library catalog; to request the item from the library, click on "Add to Request Bin" and fill out the request form. Note that the same items appear in the Library Resources box on this guide's homepage.
Community Planning Documents
- Ethanol Incident Planning Template--MasschusettsTemplate to help emergency planners prepare ethanol response plan for their municipalities. Includes basic information about ethanol industry and transportation. Produced by the state of Massachusetts, but could be adapted for any state.
- Ethanol and the Illinois Fire ServiceIFSI document covers the basics of ethanol production and transportation and gives practical recommendations for how fire departments can prepare for ethanol incidents in their communities.
- Ethanol & Alternative Fuels--The Public Safety QuestionsIFSI Document lists questions firefighters should ask about ethanol plants in their communities and implications for planning their response.
- EPA Science Brief Biofuel Ethanol Transport RiskThis Fact Sheet raises awareness of potential safety issues and risks with the transport of biofuel ethanol, and provides information to help address these issues.
Ethanol plant in West Burlington, Iowa
Articles and short reports
- Public Safety and Transporting EthanolOpinion piece by Richard Jaehne, former director of IFSI, published in June 2008 in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. Jaehne summarizes the risks associated with ethanol production, transport, and distribution and suggests safety measures to be implemented.
- ETANKFIRE: Experimental results of large ethanol fuel pool firesBy SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden. See ETANKFIRE box in left column for more information about this project.
Response Guides
These more lengthy reports provide detailed considerations for ethanol response.
- IAFC--Responding to Ethanol IncidentsThis valuable report by the International Association of Fire Chiefs describes properties, transport, and storage of ethanol and ethanol-blended fuels, how to fight ethanol fires with foam, and how to respond to ethanol emergencies. This report is especially important because it is prepared by and for firefighters.
This guide is also available on DVD at the IFSI Library. This is a link to the IFSI library catalog; to request the item from the library, click on "Add to Request Bin" and fill out the request form. Note that the same link appears in the Library Resources box on this guide's homepage. - IAFC--Ethanol Fixed Facilities: Assessment and GuideThis is an assessment tool intended to help firefighters determine the safety and emergency response capability of an ethanol manufacturing facility. It also helps fire departments assess their ability to respond to an incident at an ethanol manufacturing facility. It also describes the ethanol manufacturing process and includes some photographs and diagrams showing how an ethanol plant is set up.
This guide is also available on CD-ROM at the IFSI Library. This is a link to the IFSI library catalog; to request the item from the library, click on "Add to Request Bin" and fill out the request form. Note that the same link appears in the Library Resources box on this guide's homepage. - U.S. Dept of Transportation--2024 Emergency Response Guidebook
This guidebook is intended for first responders to transportation incidents involving hazardous materials. It focuses on hazardous materials in general and includes information about identifying materials and transportation vehicles.
Librarian
Ethanol Emergency Response by the Industry
- OSHA--Green Job Hazards: BiofuelsDescribes hazards faced by ethanol plant employees and applicable OSHA standards. Includes 4 incident reports involving fire.
- Teamsters' Safety and Health Facts--Ethanol TransportBasic information about ethanol, dangers faced by those who transport it, and proper markings for ethanol shipments.