In this high-stakes episode of Hazmat Harder, the team sits down with Steve Kelly, a seasoned hazmat specialist from New York with 22 years of experience in the semiconductor industry. The crew dives into dangerous chemical responses, energetic materials, and PPE challenges in environments filled with pyrophoric and corrosive substances. With vivid war stories, technical deep-dives, and mutual appreciation for hazmat chaos, this episode delivers a masterclass in industrial incident response.
Segment Breakdown & Timestamps
- [0:00 - 1:32] Introductions & Banter
- Hosts Steve, Randy, and Jeff kick things off
- Guest introduction: Steve Kelly from New York
- [1:33 - 3:10] Steve's Background
- 22-year career in industrial hazmat and firefighting
- Transition into semiconductor safety and hazmat education
- [3:11 - 5:13] Department Dynamics
- Discussing shift size, department resources, and volunteer support models
- [5:14 - 9:42] Pyrophoric Explosion Incident
- Breakdown of a severe chemical incident involving exotic compounds
- Detailed response strategy, glove layering, and SDS research
- Post-incident cleanup complications and learning curve
- [9:43 - 13:16] Chemistry Behind the Blast
- Discussion of trichlorosilane, diborane, and germanium
- Energetic materials, covalent bond separation, and reaction heat
- Engineering adjustments post-incident
- [13:17 - 14:51] Runaway Manganese Chemistry
- Hosts share a past incident with manganese dioxide and acetone
- Unintended oxidation state change leads to fireball
- [14:52 - 17:26] PPE Strategy & Cleanup
- Gear usage from Tyvek suits to full encapsulation
- Using cleaning contractors vs. internal response
- Conservative cleanup methods and material disposal
- [17:27 - 20:22] Pipe Fire & Air Purge Failure
- Another flash fire incident from poor purging
- Fire traveled down piping, blew check valve, flung scrap metal
- [20:23 - 24:31] Air Monitoring Equipment
- Use of halogen meters, multirays, PIDs, and Draeger tubes
- Sensor issues, maintenance tips, dry storage strategies
- Introduction to Honeywell SPM Flex for acid detection
- [24:32 - 26:25] Acid Mixing & Temperature Control
- In-house etching chemical production
- Use of chillers to manage reactive exothermic mixtures
- [26:26 - 27:31] Mercury Response & Detection Tools
- Experiences with mercury, Draeger chips, and legacy equipment
- Training relevance and tool evolution
- [27:32 - 29:03] Equipment Maintenance & Support
- Overview of in-house vs. outsourced maintenance
- Vendors, bulb life strategies, and calibration frequency
- [29:04 - 32:21] Community Awareness & Mutual Aid
- Tier 2 chemical notifications
- Involving local departments in drills and live training
- Community outreach without raising corporate alarms
- [32:22 - 33:03] Thermal Oxidizer Fire
- Massive exhaust unit ignites during shift
- Successful CO₂ knockdown, no injuries, full containment
- [33:04 - 35:47] Wrap-Up & Preview
- Invitation for Steve Kelly to return
- Tease of next episode's focus on mutual aid & training
Guest Information
Steve Kelly
- Hazmat Instructor for New York State Fire (Homeland Security)
- Former industrial firefighter specializing in semiconductor facilities
- Passionate about air monitoring, chemical safety, and live training
- Based in Dutchess & Ulster County, NY
