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666 HAZWOPER for General Site Workers VII
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Communication Devices

All communication devices used in a potentially explosive atmosphere must be intrinsically safe and not capable of sparking and should be checked daily to ensure they are operating.

worker talking into a two-way radio
All communication devices used in a potentially explosive atmosphere must be intrinsically safe.

Internal communication devices include:

  • Radios
    • Citizen's band
    • FM
  • Noisemakers, including:
    • bell
    • compressed air horn
    • megaphone siren whistle
  • Visual signals, including:
    • flags
    • hand signals
    • lights
    • signal boards
    • whole body movements

All radios used in the Exclusion and Contamination Reduction Zones must be certified as intrinsically safe for the situation of intended use.

External Communications

The primary means of external communication are telephone and radio.

An external communication system between onsite and offsite personnel is necessary to:

  • coordinate emergency response
  • report to management
  • maintain contact with essential offsite personnel

The primary means of external communication are telephone and radio. If telephone lines are not installed at a site, all team members should know the location of the nearest telephone and necessary telephone numbers should be readily available in the Support Zone.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

2-4. Which category of site communications is used to coordinate emergency response and maintain contact with essential offsite personnel?