Halifax, 1917. Three Mile Island, 1979. Bhopal, 1984. Guadalajara, 1992. Beirut, 2020. The existence of hazardous materials requires NFPA 475, Recommended Practice for Organizing, Managing, and Sustaining a Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Program.

In industrial and technology-based countries, hazardous materials are a significant source of concern due to the potential for risk to people and the environment. The 2022 edition of NFPA 475 assists communities and public and private sector agencies and organizations with developing comprehensive and effective methods for mitigating risks.

Unique in the field, NFPA 475 provides the minimum criteria for organizing, managing, and sustaining a Hazardous Materials Response Program (HMRP) based on the authority having jurisdiction's (AHJ's) function and assessed level of risk.

NFPA 475 outlines factors to consider when planning and implementing an HMRP.

The 2022 edition features:

• Changes to correlate with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and NFPA 3000™
• Updated references to NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents, NFPA 473, Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents and NFPA 1072, Standard for Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Emergency Response Personnel Professional Qualifications refer to the new consolidated document, NFPA 470, Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Standard for Responders
• Additional response language that clarifies standard operating procedures (SOPs) for responding to hazardous materials/WMD incidents

Organize, manage, and sustain an HMRP to reduce or mitigate hazardous materials/WMD risks with the exclusive guidance in NFPA 475.

Every community and any agency or organization responsible for hazardous materials/WMD response will benefit from the guidance and information presented in this critical best practice.