Methamphetamine Clandestine Lab Safety
Course Description:
This course is designed to meet the regulatory requirements of 29 CFR 1910.120 and/or 40 CFR 311. Students are taught the basic health and safety issues involved in the management of dismantling and processing of clandestine laboratories. Students will learn how to evaluate the physical and chemical hazards of wastes produced during meth production through either hydriodic acid red phosphorous (HI red P) or metal ephedrine reduction (either lithium or sodium). Field exercises focus on using specialized equipment, such as combustible gas indicators, photo ionization detectors, and colorimetric indicator tubes, to monitor for hazards before entering the site. Participants get basic training in chemistry and toxicology, with practical lab sessions geared toward understanding safety concerns. Students learn how to put together a site-specific health and safety plan, select and use the proper personal protective equipment (PPE), and conduct de- contamination. In field exercises, guidance is provided on how to wear and operate air purifying respiratory (APR), self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and the appropriate PPE.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Identify the regulatory requirements associated with working on hazardous material site
- Identify the type of lab and the associated hazards based upon one or more of the following:
- Precursors used
- Lab set-up
- Hardware/apparatus present
- Aid monitoring instrumentation readings
- Case-related intelligence.
- List specific administrative controls that their agency must do to meet federal regulations
- Select specific air monitoring instrumentation for each lab type and demonstrate operational knowledge of basic air monitoring equipment
- Identify the components of, develop, and write a site-specific safety plan before entry
- List chemical-related “action levels” for each lab entry, based upon the level of protection (PPE) that the entry team is wearing
- Demonstrate the knowledge and motor skills to inspect, clean, and wear an APR and SCBA
- List the components of a medical surveillance program
- Identify the evidence that needs to be sampled at labs and the steps to break down the labs for proper disposal based on chemical hazard class and RCRA guidance
- Cook meth using one of the selected methods to re-enforce the cognitive knowledge and provide individual experience
Prerequisites: Upon receipt of official student selection confirmation letter from NCTC, the student will be required to obtain a medical certification signed by a physician. Legitimate job assignment where there is a need for the information, with no intent to misuse the information or to produce illegal drugs.
Course Length: 5 days / 40 hours
Who May Attend: Law Enforcement, Corrections